How do you wash your kilt hose?

[Riverkilt]

Here in the bachelor cave I just throw them in with the laundry, cold water, gentle cycle.

On advice of the board have been tossing them in the dryer too. They're usually still damp when the cotton is dry so hang them over the barbell on the weight bench to finish drying overnight.

I hand pull/stretch them too. Some of the tighter ones get weighted clips to dry..

Notice the Lochcarron kilt hose I get through multiple sources is often different lengths, even though the size is always the same. Guess it depends on what mill grinds them out or what shift it is. Save the shorter tighter ones to wear pushed down with boots.

Buying and caring for kilt hose is a true adventure.

Ron

[tp_magill]

I honestly just throw them in the wash with my regular laundry.

Adam

Yah, here too.

I dry my socks (and the kilt hose) on the lowest settings because I have acrylic and polypro socks. Seems to do fine for the wool/ nylon mix, too.

[MacConnachie]

I have found that the bottle green hose with 80% wool content aren't as "color-fast" as one might prefer. Thankfully, I figured that out when I was handwashing same, and not after having thrown them in with other washables on any kind of machine cycle. The cream hose, same wool content, just go into a wash cycle where I'm using either lukewarm or cold water. I have noticed a bit of shrinkage, even with those precautions, so the stretching/weighting while damp sounds like a good idea.

One of these days, I'm going to get around to purchasing more pairs of solid color hose, probably oatmeal, black and lovat blue, more or less in that order. Actually, a pair of custom-made tartan kilt hose is on the list ahead of all those, if I can locate someone who will knit me a pair for around $150 (am I dreaming, or is that a reasonable estimate on the low end of price range for quality custom-knits?)

Mac

[Shay]

For anyone worried about snags- pick up a 'lingerie bag'- it's a mesh bag that's meant to keep bras from tisting arounf other garments or get caught in the blades, but works equally well to make sure nice cabled socks don't get a thread caught on a button (or a hook and eye, for those who share a washer with women) plus it saves you the trouble of ensuring you got every sock out of the washer.

[Riverkilt]

Thanks Mac,

That explains why my three pair of lovat green hose are all different shades of green...was blaming it on the mill...

Great idea Shay, not something us guys would normally think of. Thanks.

Mac

[Bil]

I honestly just throw them in the wash with my regular laundry.

Adam

Ditto. Then again, I don't own any 80% wool hose either. Mine are all pretty much some form of blend. I have one pair I am actually TRYING to shrink a bit... so far no luck. They're an acylic/wool blend. Just a hair too big.

[GlassMan]

I haven't noticed any color loss when using the Dryel method along with steam cleaning on the hose.

[dejudicibus]

...When I'm about to run out of clean pairs, my wife washes them all in the machine in cool water on the gentle cycle. (Any other woolen or delicate clothes that need washing usually go in at the same time)...

Well, I strongly recommend not to mix white/cream with coloured onesin nay case, even if water is cold.

[deadelvis]

Thank you all for your input! :grin: