| The big day arrives for your luncheon meeting, and | | | | wrinkled during travel, ironing them with a low heat |
| you get into your best suit, dress shirt, and favorite silk | | | | steam iron. Never have the iron touch the silk directly. |
| tie. During the meet, the feared inevitable happens. A | | | | Instead place the tie between two white pieces of |
| spot of gravy hits that beautiful tie. | | | | cotton and gently run the iron over the wrapped tie. To |
| This is indeed a catastrophe for two reasons: | | | | prevent wrinkles during travel, roll the ties up starting at |
| (1) Silk ties are expensive, and | | | | the narrow end with the "good side" on the outside. |
| (2) it is a really hard to clean fabric. | | | | Back to that gravy stain on your silk tie: Place a loose |
| Chances are that sooner or later you will have a stain | | | | fold in your tie right at the stain so the spot is where |
| on one of your favorite silk ties. With the few tips | | | | the fold is. Take a dry napkin, and with a loose pinch lift |
| below, chances are that you will be able to remove | | | | the glob off as straight as possible. Repeat this with a |
| even the toughest stains without damaging the delicate | | | | clean area of the same napkin, taking care not to rub |
| silk fabric of the tie. | | | | the stain in. The best way to avoid stains in first place |
| Most people's first reaction would be to use water and | | | | is by the right preparation. Try to always keep a |
| wash out the stain on the tie. Keep in mind though that | | | | couple of wet naps handy in your inside suit pocket. |
| water in itself can leave a stain in form of a ring that is | | | | They have alcohol in them, and it is the best thing for |
| near impossible to get out once dried. Soda water | | | | cleaning a silk tie. With a dabbing motion, saturate the |
| works well on other fabrics, but it is a silk tie's worst | | | | stain but don't rub. That'll grind the soil deeper. After the |
| enemy. Dry cleaning also isn't such a good idea, as | | | | alcohol has had a chance to get to the stain, dab dry |
| most dry cleaners use chemicals that will damage the | | | | and blow slightly to cause faster evaporation. This will |
| delicate silk yarns. | | | | aid in not leaving a ring. When you return home, you |
| In addition dry cleaners often times try to press the | | | | can get regular isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol, and paper |
| ties, which will further damage the fabric and tie tie's | | | | towels to repeat the procedure if necessary. |
| lining. For this reason, dry-cleaning should be your last | | | | If you are in a slightly less formal environment, it is |
| option. Choose a cleaner that you know or that has | | | | acceptable to tug your tie inside your dress shirt. To do |
| been recommended to you. Ask how they are going | | | | this, open one of your shirt's buttons. The tie will lie |
| to remove the stain. In addition, leave specific | | | | underneath your shirt, and chances of having your |
| instructions not to press the tie. | | | | necktie dangling in your soup are almost none. For |
| Best practice for removing stains on silk neckties is | | | | formal business meetings this is unacceptable unless |
| spot cleaning them as necessary, and if they get | | | | your superiors are doing the same. |