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The story
A thread kicked off after someone said they told a coworker, “You’re supposed to send slacks to the dry cleaner every single day you wear them,” and the coworker was shocked. On 5ch, plenty of people chimed in with “once a year is plenty” and “just spray some Febreze on them now and then,” while others pushed back with, “If you’re dry-cleaning them after every wear, you might as well just buy new ones daily and toss them.” The discussion spread to cover how to deal with sweat in summer, the traditional British method of brushing (not washing) wool suits, comparisons to school uniforms and bath towels, and even a generational divide over whether people even know or use the word “slacks” anymore.
What people said
Just spray some Febreze on them now and then.
They get all damp and gross after just one day.
Honestly, it's scarier NOT to wash them every time.
Or is it about your toupee (zura) slipping while everyone snickers (kusukusu) at you? (it's a pun — surakkusu sounds like zura + kusukusu)
Wear them for a day, hang them properly on a hanger to keep their shape, brush all the dust off carefully with a soft brush, and that's it.
Around the time it became acceptable to just wear a polo shirt on top, I picked up a few pairs of "Kandou Pants" (a machine-washable trouser line).
I wear those from early summer until just before autumn.
Being able to wash them at home makes life so much easier.
That's just you.
You're the only one laughing ("kusa") here too.
That's just the standard summer dry-cleaning routine for your average salaryman.
I mean, come on, lolololol
What, are you working in a short-sleeve button-down and shorts or something?
Realize how out of touch you are.
That basically means Japan's climate has already turned tropical.
If you don't dress for the tropics, you'll die out there.
My current workplace has uniforms, but the uniform cleaning service itself only comes twice a month, so I guess that's the real-world standard.
I mean, I'm obviously not sending them to the cleaners after just one wear.
I've never washed mine, not even once.
Back then, only celebrities could afford to wear those.
I'm curious what kind of person doesn't know the word "slacks" or treats it like a dead term.
Aren't those what corporate-drone middle-aged guys wear on their days off?
The kind of guy who only ever goes to family restaurants.
After each wear I just douse them in Febreze.
I only send them to the cleaners about once a season.
Background and Key Points of This Discussion
Underlying this debate is a gap in perceptions about conventional dry-cleaning wisdom. Suit-fabric trousers are often made from material that can’t be washed at home, but frequent solvent-based dry cleaning can damage the fabric, so industry advice commonly suggests cleaning only when stains or sweat become noticeable, or roughly once or twice a month. The thread saw a clash between the “once-a-year” camp and the “once-a-week” camp, but rather than either side being simply wrong, it may just be that the right frequency depends on workplace dress culture, climate, and how easily a person sweats. The traditional British method of caring for wool garments (brushing off dust instead of washing) was brought up, but it’s worth noting that while this is a classic technique for making fibers last, it doesn’t necessarily translate directly to Japan’s hot, humid climate. Some generations apparently don’t even recognize the term “slacks” itself, which may reflect how remote work and the shift toward casual office attire have reduced everyday opportunities to wear formal trousers in the first place.
※This article is compiled from excerpts and a summary of the 5ch (Hello! Project board) thread “I told a coworker slacks are supposed to go to the dry cleaner every single day you wear them, and they were shocked lol.”
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