Handwashing your kilt at home

[Stratherrick]

Has anybody tried handwashing their wool kilt at home?

I live nowhere near a dry cleaners that'll touch my kilt for fear of messing it up and I'd like to know how to do the job at home. Hints on washing, drying etc, all thoughts much appreciated.

Slainte

Bruce

[Kiltedfirepiper]

I use a tub of cold water and woolite for colors,
fill the tub so the kilt is submerged, ( woolite already added) gently move it around and lift it out for a few mins. then drain the water( which by now will be VERY dirty) then put more cold water in it repeat but lift it out more often then "swishing" it drain, repeat till theres no more soap in the water.

hang kilt with buckles.....buckled ( you will need a really heavy duty hanger for this part)

and let it drip dry. run your fingers down the pleats to "reset" the pleats and at the same time squegee(sp) some of the water out. depending on where you live, time of year it'll be anywhere from a few hours to a full day for it to dry.

thats how I've always washed my kilts and have never had a problem with them.

ps. if you dont want your leather straps to get wet then hold them out while washing, but it hasnt hurt my straps to get em wet so far ( 8 years on one of em) just mink oil em a little while before!

one of these days I'm gonna make a Video on how to do this.

KFP

[ForresterModern]

Unless it is really dirty, which I have yet to encounter, I generally let the offending dirt dry, brush lightly with a small tooth brush to loosen it up, then spot treat with just a little woolite and warm water and a cotton lint free cloth, then brush the residue away with another wet cotton cloth with water. Once it dries, as long as there is no soap residue it should look good as new. If soap residue repeat the water/ cloth only part until it comes out clear after it dries.

Most of the oils from your body should be concentrated in the lining portions of your kilt rather than the wool body, so you could also spot treat the inside the same as the out if it starts getting a wee bit funky.

[Kiltedfirepiper]

mine get pretty pretty dirty...between pub crawls( and spills) camping (SCA) and just all around grime, so I have to wash em 5-6 times a year. usually when a spill happens, and after camping events

[sathor]

I only washed my wool once, using a garment bag, gentle cycle and woolite. Nothing else in the machine. Worked well, that time.

[Stratherrick]

Thanks for all the tips, chaps.

I've had my kilt for, well, too many years too mention and NEVER had it cleaned. I've been out on the town and hiked up glens in it but, thankfully, it doesn't reek but, all the same, it could do with a freshen up.

I'd have to take it on a day trip over the border to get it done professionally but, as you've all proved, it can be done, with care, at home, thank heavens.

I'll keep dropping in to see what else folks say.

Slainte

Bruce

[Ryan Ross]

I've always washed my kilts in the tub, as described above, and it's always worked quite well.

[BobsYourUncle]

Good info. Thanks.

[vipermcgee]

I've wondered how I was going to keep my kilt clean. There are no Dry Cleaners in this area at all, much less one that will touch my kilt. Thanks for the thread!

[Kett]

I have this useful thread bookmarked on cleaning wool kilts:

http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/c...hlight=eucalan