Pleat maintenance

[Knoxy10]

So...

A lady opened up her refrigerator and there was a wabbit sitting in it. She asked "What awe you doing in my wefwidewatow?" (Decode that one!)

The wabbit answered, "I'm westing."

"What do you mean, you'we westing?" asked the lady

...and the wabbit answered, quite astonished, "Isn't this a Westinghouse?"


And to the point: you'll find that materials other than wool do not keep their pleats as well, but there are solutions, with which, I'm sure, other members will pop up shortly.

Bill+

Hahaha, that is brilliant!. And thank you, I will check what they have to say!

[Knoxy10]

I remember my Grandfather ironing his pleats on his kilt, and he used a wet cotton muslin cloth, placed it over the wool kilt and ironed on top of the damp cloth. Wet the cloth again went to next section. I do know this if you were in the Coast Guard or Navy, when ironing the OLD wool uniforms you would turn them inside out, and use the wet cloth method to press. Iron was on wool setting. Still have my CG Uniform, can still wear it after 45 years. No wear no tear uniform in perfect condition.

So all that said, I bought a home steamer and I use wet steam to take out wrinkles and creases, so it seems this works fine, but I am anxious to hear about freshening the creases too. I think the wet cloth and iron would work fine, Grandfather always looked sharp.

Thank you, sir. I will try that, and that is cool. I am looking to join the CG myself!

[Knoxy10]

What I have done in the past for small pleat maintenance on my 16oz wool kilt is wrap a slightly damp wash cloth around my wife's hair straightening iron, the thinner ones with 1 inch wide arms, and set it to low heat. I pull down on the pleat from the bottom corner of the pleat to keep it straight and clamp on each pleat carefully and run it down. It has worked for me pretty well!

I will try that too, thank you!!

[Knoxy10]

I have a hand steamer which does a great job of getting wrinkles out of pleats. I have also laid my kilt on the floor of hotel rooms and used the steam iron to remove the wrinkles. Do it from the inside first.

I will make sure to do it from the inside and then go outside. Thank you so much!!

[Knoxy10]

I lay my poly viscous and wool kilts out and let them rest first by laying it flat airing it out in the inside. Then I lay it out on the apron side and let it rest with a book to get it into shape.

Would folding my kilt around the book help keep the pleat while transporting or storing it?

[John_Carrick]

I'm not sure it is best practice but I use one of the hand steamers. Sometimes a blast of steam and a few days hanging in the airing cupboard does the trick but I also sharpen up the pleats one by one when they get in a bad way.
I think the ideal would be to take a kilt to a kilt maker and get it basted and re-pressed, but I don't have one locally and this is above my skill level.

[Knoxy10]

I'm not sure it is best practice but I use one of the hand steamers. Sometimes a blast of steam and a few days hanging in the airing cupboard does the trick but I also sharpen up the pleats one by one when they get in a bad way.
I think the ideal would be to take a kilt to a kilt maker and get it basted and re-pressed, but I don't have one locally and this is above my skill level.

Sadly there isn’t a kiltmaker near my residency either. I may just try to ironingbwith a wet towel and the book press. I appreciate the kind advice though!

[Father Bill]

Sadly there isn’t a kiltmaker near my residency either. I may just try to ironingbwith a wet towel and the book press. I appreciate the kind advice though!

Please "press" - do not "iron". It leaves a shine on many materials.

[Baeau]

I'm probably wrong, about this. Just ask my wife & daughters, they will agree. Sometime, not far back, there was a thread that discussed pressing of pleats. The Wizard of BC offered some technical information regarding the materials used in non-wool kilts, & a correct / suggested method of pressing.

[CollinMacD]

Please "press" - do not "iron". It leaves a shine on many materials.

Iron or press if you go directly on wool it will steam the knap off and create a shiny cloth material. When you steam wool directly this changes the wool into a material called broadcloth. This is a shiner non fuzzy more of a cloth or very tight weave material. If you notice most military jackets from the 19th century and later, looked more like a cloth or jean material in photos. Although wool, this wool material was usually a 10 ounce wool, that was steamed and pressed when manufactured at the mill, specifically to make broadcloth. It was done because material repels rain, smooders does not catch fire directly, and when worn lasts longer with no pilling or threat rot. Basically the wool is heated and compressed from normal wool fiber to make a smooth and tighter cloth.

As I stated to keep wool "fuzzy" or the nap use a wet cloth over the wool and press or iron, but DO NOT GO OVER THE WET CLOTH, make sure the cloth is wet, no dripping, wring out the cloth so its damp, BUT NEVER iron wool directly on the face out side.