Tie Care
Learn Ways to Take Care of Ties

The following step-by-step tie care guides provide useful tips on how to take care of your ties.

Please be caution when applying the following method to clean your ties, especially silk ties, as the end result may not be what you would be expected. Try out first with your old or stained tie which you have thought of getting rid of.

Tie Cleaning

Though silk ties aren't really meant to be cleaned, you may handwash it if you need to. Follow the tie care guide below to clean your silk tie by hand:

Step 1

Add small amount of detergent (e.g. Woolite) in a sink or tub full of cool water (not too hot or cold). Immerse the tie in the water and swish for few minutes. Don't wring the tie, you may rub it gently.

Step 2

Rinse the tie with clear water for at least 2 to 3 times of fresh water.

Step 3

Add a quarter cup of white vinegar to a tub of clear water. Immerse the tie in the water to remove any excess detergent. This will also help to restore the fabric's natural sheen. Repeat step 2 to remove any remaining vinegar.

Step 4

Roll the tie up in a small clean towel to remove excess water overnight. Lay the tie flat on the towel the next day and leave it to dry naturally.

Get Rid of Tie Stains

Follow the tie care guide below to remove stain from your silk tie. Please note that not all kinds of stains can be removed, in some cases you may have to repeat the following procedures two or three times to get rid of the stains.

Step 1

Soak up as much of the stain as possible (never rub the spot) with a clean cloth.

Step 2

For water-soluble stains, dip a clean cloth in seltzer water (also known as soda water, club soda, sparkling water or fizzy water) and placed it over the stain. Then tab lightly to remove away the stain.

Step 3

For oil-based stains, sprinkle the spot with salt or talcum powder and leave it for a few minutes. This will allow the salt or powder to absorb most of the oil or grease.

Step 4

For tough stain, apply a small amount of stain remover (get those bleach free formulation that are safe for most fabrics including wool and silk.) on the spot and blot it.

Step 5

Handwash your tie as describe in the above Tie Cleaning section.

Step 6

If the stain still remain, you would have to bring your tie to a professional dry cleaner for advice.

Iron Out the Wrinkle

Minor wrinkle in silk ties can be removed easily by rolling it up. Start with the narrow end and roll it up around your four fingers. Once done, let it 'sit' on a flat surface for a few hours.

If the above method don't work for you, try this method: steam treatment. You may place the tie above a source where steam rising up, for example above any utensil where water is boiling.

For stubborn wrinkles you may need to iron it out. Follow the tie care guide below to iron out the wrinkle:

Step 1

Determine your tie's material by looking at the tag at the back of the tie.

Step 2

Set the iron's temperature dial according to the tie's material. Beware that a wrong setting may damage your tie.

Step 3

Place the tie on the iron board with the back facing up.

Step 4

Lay a thin cloth (e.g. men's handkerchief) over the tie at the spot to be ironed. It's advisable to practise a while by ironing on the narrow end of the tie until you are good at it.

Step 5

A proper procedure should be taken while ironing. Start from the wide end of the tie and move inward from the edges. Then progress slowly to the narrow end.

Step 6

Remove the cloth ocasionally to check whether the wrinkles (front and back)have gone. If wrinkles still exist, you may try iron with a damp cover cloth.

Step 7

Once done, let the tie to cool down for a while before hanging up.

Protect Your Tie

Before taking your meal, tuck your tie inside the shirt at the first or second button from the tie knot. This way your tie won't get stained and still can be seen by people. The tie can be pull out easily after the meal.

Another way is to hold your tie to the shirt by using a tie bar, tie clip or tiealign.

Tie Storage

Other than knitted ties, always keep your ties in a hanger when not in use to prevent the chances of getting wrinkles. For knitted ties, you should lay it flat and keep in a drawer. Check Tie Accessories for various ways to store your ties.

You may want to learn how to tie a tie from 12 Tie Tying Video Clips presented in this site.

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