The polythene bag — transport only
Every dry cleaner returns garments in polythene bags. They are waterproof, transparent for identification, and cheap. They are appropriate for transporting garments from the dry cleaner to your home. They are not appropriate for storage beyond a few hours.
Polythene does not breathe. Moisture vapour from the garment and the surrounding air accumulates inside the bag. For silk — which is highly hygroscopic and absorbs moisture from its environment — sealed polythene storage over weeks or months creates conditions for micro-mould growth and fibre degradation. For wool, polythene storage can accelerate yellowing.
The correct practice: remove garments from the polythene bag within a few hours of collection. Hang in a ventilated space. Store in breathable covers.
Airing after collection — how long and why
Even after professional dry cleaning with full solvent recovery, a faint solvent vapour may be present on the garment when first collected. This dissipates completely with airing. For most garments, 2–4 hours of open-air hanging is sufficient. For garments that will be stored in a closed wardrobe immediately, we recommend longer:
| Garment type | Minimum airing time before storage |
|---|---|
| Cotton shirts and trousers | 1–2 hours |
| Synthetic garments | 2–3 hours |
| Silk sarees and blouses | 4–6 hours |
| Woollen suits and coats | 4–8 hours |
| Embroidered occasion wear | 4–6 hours |
| Infant clothing | 12–24 hours |
Storage by fabric type
Silk sarees: fold along the original fold lines, wrap in clean white cotton muslin (not polythene, not coloured fabric that might bleed), store flat in a cool dry drawer. Air the saree once every 3–4 months even when not wearing it. Silk needs to breathe over long storage periods.
Woollen suits: hang on wide, padded wooden hangers — wire hangers deform the shoulder structure over time. Store in a breathable fabric garment bag. Add a cedar block or neem leaves nearby to deter moths. Do not seal with polythene even in a bag that has a zipper closure.
Cotton kurtas and shirts: hang on regular hangers or fold flat. Cotton is the least sensitive fabric to storage conditions. Standard wardrobe storage is fine.
Embroidered lehengas and occasion wear: wrap the embroidered sections in acid-free tissue paper before folding. This prevents the embroidery from crushing and transferring metallic thread marks onto adjacent fabric during storage.
Long-term seasonal storage — pre-storage cleaning is essential
Any garment going into storage for 3 months or more — woollens before the Kolkata summer, occasion wear between wedding seasons — should be cleaned before storage, not before next use.
Unwashed garments stored for months carry: body oils and sweat compounds that attract insects; food residue that provides a growth substrate for mould; and stains that are far more difficult to remove after 6 months of storage than they were at the time of occurrence.
The most common complaint we receive is about stains that "appeared during storage" on garments that were not cleaned before being put away. The stain was present when stored — invisible, because it had not yet oxidised. Six months later, it appears as a brown ghost mark that is far harder to remove than the original stain.
Clean before storage. Not before the next use. Stains become invisible oxidised marks during storage that become permanent over time.
All garments returned from The Swiss Laundry have had solvent fully recovered — no petroleum residue remains. The polybag we return garments in is for transport, not storage. Remove, air for 24 hours, then store in breathable cotton. The polybag protects during delivery; cotton protects during storage.