How to clean your neck ties

The one rule you need to remember to do before cleaning your clothes is to READ the care label. 

They have been placed there for a particular reason, which is to provide you with guidelines on how your clothes should be cared for.
Why invest so much money on your clothes if you can’t spend a few minutes to read the care instruction attached to the attire?
For instance, there are some clothes that should only be dry-cleaned, some are to be hand-washed in cold water. So you need to take note of the attached label on the clothes which will indicate whether they should be dry-cleaned, machine-washed or hand-washed.
The care label will also indicate whether to tumble dry, air dry and the appropriate heat setting to use when ironing them out and others you are not supposed to wring out at all after washing.
Cleaning your neck ties
These can be very tricky to handle and your best bet is probably to hand it over to the laundry shop for a neat and professional job. Otherwise you could choose to do it yourself. How to clean them
How to clean your non-silk tie

1.         Get a basin of cold water and add detergent to it
2.         Separate the colour of your ties before washing otherwise should any of the colour run it will ruin the other ties.
3.         Do a colour fast test to ensure that colour will not run. That is to say you wash a small part of the tie and see if the colour runs.
4.         Ensure that all the detergent has dissolved and then gently soak your ties in them straightened out and not bunched up.
5.         Now gently rub them down with your fingertips to remove the dirt.  Do not squeeze or rub harshly as this will damage the tie material.
6.         Next, rinse off by placing the ties straightened in a bowl of clean water. Rinse by patting down on your tie with both palms. Do not wring or squeeze! Just fold into two and press gently on the tie to bring out excess water. Spread straight up on the line or arrange neatly on a towel and allow to dry out.
7.         When dry, press with a steam iron on low or moderate heat. However, ensure that you do not iron directly on the tie. Place a handkerchief or soft cloth over the tie before ironing on it.
8.         Voila your tie is ready to wear!
9.         Another option is to have them dry cleaned at the laundry.
How to clean your silk tie
Remember that it is important that you treat the stain as soon as possible to avoid a permanent damage to the tie. This is because the longer the delay in handling the stain, the tougher it will be to get rid of the stains on the tie. You may actually end up with a permanent patch of stain on the shirt. We should be aware that you cannot use water on a silk tie!
Listed below are some measures you can take.
1.         If it is oil-based stain, start by sprinkling baby powder or talc powder on the tie. Next allow it to set on your silk tie for a couple hours. Use a soft and smooth cloth to brush on the spot.
It works because the talc contained in the powder will absorb any grease or oil stain thereby preventing it from setting in the silk fabric permanently and ruining your tie.
2.         Employ the use of a stain remover pen ensuring that it does not contain bleach, which can also ruin your silk tie.
3.         Use soap and a soft cloth. Apply a little of the soap on the cloth and rub gently. The stain should be able to transfer to the cloth.
4.         If it is a non-grease or oil stain; make use of soda water or club soda. Soak the soft cloth with either and rub across the tie gently avoid rubbing too hard or you may end up embedding the stain into your tie. If you can get either you can also try a little water and a soft cloth making use of a soft cloth.
5.         Should all else fail, please take it to a dry cleaner knowledgeable in the art of cleaning silk ties. Kindly note that it is not all dry cleaners who can work on ties.
This article is dedicated to all you handsome men and pretty ladies who have struggled to find a way to clean your ties. With these methods you can look as gorgeous as ever.

For you women may your husbands or boyfriends love you more and more for salvaging their ties for them! Have a brilliant weekend.  Thank God for the peace we enjoy!

By Emma Addo-Owusu