The other half of Valentine’s Day is the part before you leave the house: the shirt that has been folded in a drawer since Christmas, the dress that has been hanging in a garment bag since a wedding last spring, and the suit that has not been worn since the office party. All three usually need attention, and all three are usually left until the afternoon of the 14th.

WashMate presses and dry cleans at Surry Hills and Leichhardt. Standard turnaround is 3 to 5 business days, so early February is the time to send things. Email info@washmate.com.au for a quote.

Pressing beats replacing

Most garments that look tired are simply creased. A silk dress that has hung folded over a rail, a linen shirt out of a suitcase, or a suit jacket that has lost its line across the shoulders — none of these need replacing, and none of them respond well to a domestic iron. Professional finishing applies steam, heat and pressure together, which relaxes the fibre and sets the shape rather than flattening it. A press alone, without cleaning, is available if the garment is clean.

What to send, and when

• Two weeks out — anything from storage: it may need cleaning as well as pressing, and storage marks take longer
• One week out — suits, blazers and dresses in normal rotation
• Five days out — shirts, at $8 for wash and iron or $5 each on ten or more
• Cutting it fine — express and same-day are available on pickup and delivery across Sydney metro as well as in-store, before the morning cutoff, subject to availability

The details that actually get noticed

• Collar and cuffs — the first thing anyone sees across a table, and where grime shows first
• Shoulder line on a jacket — a collapsed shoulder reads as scruffy even when the fabric is clean
• Hem and trouser break — creased hems undo an otherwise sharp outfit
• Deodorant marks — white residue on dark fabric, easily treated before rather than rubbed at afterwards
• The faint smell of storage — perfume does not fix it; cleaning does

If you need a gift as well as an outfit

A WashMate gift card is a genuinely practical present for someone who works long weeks — someone else does their laundry for a fortnight. It also works for the harder-to-buy-for people, and it can be sent by email if you have left it late. Gift cards are available in-store and online.

Once the night is done, our companion guide covers rescuing the dress after the restaurant — worth reading before anyone attacks a red wine mark with hot water.

The 48-hour version

If Valentine’s Day is the day after tomorrow, the plan is different. Express and same-day options are available on pickup and delivery across Sydney metro as well as in-store, so the move is to book an early pickup or get to Surry Hills or Leichhardt first thing rather than at 5pm. Prioritise ruthlessly: the outer layer matters most, so a jacket or dress takes precedence over a shirt you could substitute. Anything that only needs a press rather than a full clean is far quicker, so say so at the counter.

If nothing can be turned around in time, the fallback is choosing a different outfit that is already clean and having it pressed, which is a much faster job than cleaning. And if it is genuinely too late, a gift card sent by email is the one thing that still arrives on time.

A note on storage between occasions

• Clean formalwear before it goes back into the wardrobe — invisible residues yellow over months
• Use breathable cotton garment bags rather than the plastic one it came home in
• Hang structured jackets and dresses on broad, contoured hangers
• Fold heavy beaded pieces flat rather than hanging them, so the weight does not distort the fabric
• Keep everything out of direct sunlight, which fades silk and dark dye quickly

Frequently asked questions

Follow @washmate.sydney on Instagram for before-and-after transformations and garment care tips.

Ready to get started?

Tap below to book your pickup online, or send us a quick email and we will come back with a free, no-obligation quote.