How To Safely Wash a Polyester Tie

Polyester ties should be hand washed in lukewarm water with a small amount of laundry detergent and then air-dried. They can be machine washed on a gentle setting but this is not advised.

Polyester ties have become very common in the past few decades. They have a long life, are easier to manufacture, and are usually available at a lower price. Polyester, however, can be tricky to deal with, as the synthetic material often doesn’t react well to high temperatures.

While you do need to be mindful of heat, polyester ties are easy to clean once you know how to do it. Here we’ll look at the best ways to clean a polyester tie while answering all the key questions you’ll have.

Machine Washing A Polyester Tie

Let’s address the most common question first. Can polyester ties be machine washed? Yes, they can be machine washed but with a few things to be kept in mind. You must also carefully follow the instructions provided in the label as there will most likely be a temperature limit.

Often the best way to wash a polyester tie in a machine is to do so on a low heat setting. Most modern washing machines have a ‘hand wash’ cycle, which can be great for washing more delicate items such as polyester ties.

While a machine can be used, we wouldn’t recommend it. Even in a gentle setting, there is a chance that the tie could lose shape, lose color, shrink, or be damaged by the machine. If you want to preserve the look of your tie, it’s best to handwash it.

Hand Washing A Polyester Tie

Polyester ties can be easily washed by hand. All you need to do is follow these simple instructions to get rid of general stains.

Initial steps If The Tie Is Stained

Wet a clean cloth with club soda (seltzer water) and use it to gently apply pressure on the stains.
Do not scrub the polyester tie with a wet cloth as it might spread the stains further. Use a gentle motion to lift the stain.
Once you have worked on the stain, you can move on to giving the tie a general wash.

General cleaning steps

Fill a tub or the sink with lukewarm water. You should not use hot water as it deforms the fabric.
Add laundry detergent and create a solution.
Dip the tie in the solution and softly create a swirl by moving the tie in circles inside the water.
Now you can allow the tie to rest in it for about 15 minutes. Drain the water after removing the tie.
Clean the tub or sink with clean water and fill it with lukewarm water again.
Now dip the tie in and perform the swirl motion again to get rid of the solution residue.
The above process can be repeated until the residue is completely removed.
Next, gently squeeze out the water, remember not to rough handle the tie while squeezing out the water.
Always hang the tie in a warm but shaded environment.

How to Remove Oil Stains From A Polyester Tie

Getting oil stains on a tie is very easy to do but it can be hard to remove. This can often happen when we are eating, especially when you forget to tuck in your tie or use a clip. Oil stains do not go away like other stains but you should be fine if you follow these steps.

Gently rub petroleum jelly on the stain.
Let the tie rest for a few minutes. This helps the petroleum to separate the fabric and the stain
Now apply just a drop of liquid detergent to the petroleum jelly and let it rest for a few minutes.
Next, rinse it in warm water. The detergent may be added in minimal quantity if required.

How to Remove Gum From A Polyester Tie

This is not a common scenario but it can happen, especially when you have children who need ties as a part of their school uniform. The steps given below are one of the most effective ways to remove gum. Things you will need are ice cubes, a plastic bag, and a spoon.

Take a couple of ice cubes in a sealed plastic bag.
Rest the bag of ice on the gum until it hardens the gum like a rock.
Now you can easily scrape out the gum using any soft tool, such as a spoon.
Make sure not to damage the tie while scraping out the gum. If it doesn’t come away easily, then try to gently work it away rather than pulling at it.

Dry Cleaning Polyester Ties

Dry cleaning a tie is often the best way to remove stains but there is an expense to this which is why most people will try to hand wash their ties. For most situations, a simple handwash will easily remove stains and get your tie looking new again.

For tougher stains, dry cleaning is a great option. Contrary to the name, dry cleaning isn’t dry at all but it gets that name as water isn’t used. Instead, a liquid solvent is utilized which is brilliant at removing stains while not negatively affecting the fabric.

Due to this, there are many ties out there that state that they are ‘dry clean only’. The reality is that most polyester ties can be cleaned at home very quickly. However, if you have a stubborn stain on your favorite polyester tie, then dry cleaning may be your best bet.

Dry cleaning your clothes is also a good option if it works with your budget and is convenient. If you want to get your suit dry cleaned, then sending them your tie as well makes sense. But due to how simple and easy handwashing is, it doesn’t make too much sense to send just one tie to a dry cleaner.

Taking Care Of Polyester Tie After Washing

Polyester is very sensitive to temperature. High temperatures may deform the fiber’s integrity and damage the tie. Therefore it’s recommended to take extreme caution while ironing a polyester tie. Always check the care label, as polyester ties often require a cooler iron setting than wool.

Using cloth in between the iron and tie is also a good method to protect the tie from heat. Trying to iron a polyester tie on a high setting will often cause it to melt.

You also want to take great care when drying the tie too. Thankfully, polyester is a material that holds very little water and dries quickly. While your dryer machine may have a synthetic setting, tumble drying your polyester tie would be a needless risk.

Ideally, they should be air-dried in the shade. Avoid placing them directly onto a heating source such as a radiator. Either hang them on a washing line or place them on a drying rack.

FAQs On How To Safely Wash a Polyester Tie

Can you wash a tie in the washing machine?

Yes but it’s not recommended as a machine can damage the tie.

How do you wash a polyester bow tie?

A polyester bow tie should be hand washed in a lukewarm water solution with some detergent.

How do you clean men’s ties?

Regardless of the type of material, it’s almost always the best idea to hand wash a tie or send it off to a dry cleaner.

Can you iron a polyester tie?

Try to avoid ironing a tie but if it does need ironing, make sure to do it on a cool setting.