Dry Cleaning [Revisited]

[highlandtide]

Ok folks. I have to revisit this topic b/c it is way overdue...

I need to have my dirty dirty dirty kilt cleaned. Anyone know someone who I can send it to b/c I dont trust any of the local dry cleaners.

Matt Newsome since you are in my neck of the woods for all practical purposes do you have any suggestions?





Thanks!

[Dreadbelly]

What about a hand held steam cleaner?

[Jimmy Carbomb]

Been there, Hank. My kilts don't make it through too many appearances until they're in dire need of some TLC. Here's what I've done (after MUCH trial and tribulation).

I begin with the home-dryer, dry cleaning methods. It's as easy as placing the stain cleaner on the really bad spots... place the kilt in the bag... dry it on the appropriate setting. I got a steamer at Home Depot for next to nothing to iron-out the pleats without actually touching heat to the wools or materials.

I've given-up trusting the dry cleaners with such a "different" garment, and have decided to trust myself. It didn't take long to realize that the process is MUCH better for the kilts, and the care in the maintenance is actually better. Due the the sheer number of cleanings, the kilts don't wear or fade at all with this process. The machine washings on "certain materials" have proven to be quite fatal in some instances. Therefore... ALL of my kilts get this method now.

[Thistle Stop]

This won't help you, Hank, but for some of our Scottish members I want to mention that Kleen Cleaners in St Mary’s Street, Edinburgh, has received a Royal Warrant (i.e., they can say they are 'By Appointment To Her Majesty, The Queen' and/or other member[s] of the Royal Family), and there is apparently a dry clean shop in Aberdeen that has the same honour, but I don't know the name of it. You can read about the Edinburgh shop in the Edinburgh Evening News. One probably can assume that if a cleaner is good enough for the Royal Family, they are good enough for the average Jock.

In London, Blossom & Browne's Sycamore and Jeeves of Belgravia have the Royal Warrant as dry cleaners. Also in England are White Knight, a dry cleaner chain in London and the South East -- they have a Royal Warrant, but I wouldn't assume that means that every shop in the chain is necessarily of the same quality.

There's a new drycleaning technology, liquid CO2 (carbon dioxide) cleaning, that could be of interest for cleaning kilts. It's supposed to be a gentler but highly effective type of cleaning, as well as better for the environment. See www.hangersdrycleaners.com for info and locations (not many at present, unfortunately). In a Consumer Reports comparison test with other dry cleaning methods, the CO2 was judged superior, including maintaining the pleats in a test garment and a lack of pilling on fabric surfaces -- two important concerns with a kilt.

If you look for 'best dry cleaner' in Google, you will find a lot of cities' 'Best Of' list toppers, which could be a good place to start if you live in a metro area.

I'm currently investigating the possibility of setting up a mail-order specialist cleaning service for kilts and other Highland attire, which would be handled through my web site and by phone. If and when the service is established, I'll be sure to let the X Marks community know about it! My plan is to learn all I can about tips for cleaning kilts, to add to the knowledge I already have about Highland attire, and, working with the best cleaner(s) I can find, set up a program to educate them about the special characteristics of the kilt and then offer the service to kilt-owners. Tell me, guys, does that sound like something the X Marks members would want to patronise? I welcome your comments and suggestions! :grin:

[M. A. C. Newsome]

Hank,

Personally, I've never had any trouble with our local dry cleaners, so I haven't really researched the topic too much. My personal kilts I never dry clean, because they have never gotten that dirty (beyond what I can clean myself at home with some spot-cleaning as others have described here).

The kilts we rent at the STM we do have dry cleaned, and for years we have just taken them to our local cleaners in Franklin. Carolina Cleaners, they are called, and are owned and operated by a Chinese family (I know it sounds like a stereotype, but hey, it's true this time!). They have never messed up a kilt for us, and charge something along the lines of $7. (It's been a while since I looked at one of the bills).

I know there have to be some other kilt wearers in/near Charleston who could tell you of their experience with different cleaners so you can get a recommendation for someone more local.

Aye,
Matt

[Graham]

Likewise, on those few occasions I've needed a dry cleaner, our local does an OK job.
The PV kilts i chuck in the washing machine.

[macwilkin]

The one time I had to have a kilt cleaned, I went to the local dry-cleaner that cleaned Page's wedding dress, and they did an excellent job.

You might check with someone in the local reenacting community and see if they recommend anyone, since Revolutionary & Civil War reproduction uniforms are made of wool for the most part. Granted they don't clean their uniforms on a regular basis (at least the "hardcore authentics" don't!), but sometimes you just have to! :mrgreen:

Cheers,

Todd

[Alan H]

Our local dry cleaners press the kilt as well (of course) and they charge BY THE PLEAT. It's a $1.00 a pleat. I was going to get my Stillwater dry-cleaned, but then after learning that it'd be a $38.00 dry cleaning and pressing bill for a $70 kilt I decided the washing machine would be the ticket.

There is a wool kilt in my future, though, so I'm watching this topic with interest.

[Barb T]

Just a quick note to say that one of the dangers of dry cleaning a kilt is that they will press it wrong. if the kilt has any taper in the pleats between the hips and the waist, the presser is likely to lay the kilt out with the pleats all fanned and press it. That results in pleats that don't hang straight and parallel. So, if you have it dry cleaned, consider asking them _not_ to press it and press it yourself.

If you do decide to do your own pressing, take the time to run a few lines of basting stitches to hold the pleats together while you press. Doesn't take as long as you'd think it would, and it makes a huge difference keeping the pleats from sliding open while you press. Dampen an old pillow case, lay it over the kilt, and PRESS (don't slide). Takes a lot of pressure. Press both sides. You'll need to dampen the pillow case often to generate enough steam. Let the kilt dry for at least half an hour before removing the basting.

Cheers!

Barb

[beerbecue]

This may be an awful, way off the mark, suggestion..... but what about a carpet steam cleaner?? Not one of those commercial rental ones, but like the home version Hoover type ones??

If you used the hand attachment, and just worked the really dirty spots??????

You can use cold water, very little detergent, it sucks it fairly dry, and you could lay it out for further drying (or hang it, I guess).....

Please, no rocks.......