My first kilted outing

[English Bloke]

You shouldn't need to wash it yet, you've only worn it twice!

This has been covered in a few other threads but to save you searching...

If you have a 'Heritage of Scotland' Poly-viscose Kilt, wash it in a machine on a warm, NOT hot temp. Use normal washing powder but NOT conditioner. It will soften the kilt up alot which you might not like. Spin dry it and hang it stretched full length on a line to dry (outside if it's nice weather, inside over the bath if it's the Aberdeenshire norm) You need alot of pegs by the way, wet Kilts are heavy. When it's dry you'll need to sharpen up the pleats a bit.

To press it: Best to do this on the floor on an old Blanket (unless you have laminate flooring) The pleats should still be fairly intact even after washing but you can sharpen them up with a hot steam iron (cotton setting) and pressing cloth. You must use a pressing cloth though or the Kilt will either go very shiny or you'll burn iron-shaped holes in it. I'm sure you know being in the ATC but a pressing cloth is half an old pillow case which you run under a tap and squeeze out so it's wet but not dripping.

Arrange your pleats so they are flat and following the original pleat crease. Lay the pressing cloth on top of the pleats being careful not to move them and press down hard with the iron for a few seconds at a time. You can shoot steam through it as well but as I said before, not if you've got a laminate floor. If you are going to move the iron about on top of the pressing cloth don't disturb the pleats underneath, ideally you just wan't firm downward pressure all over the Kilt. Keep re-wetting your pressing cloth as you go across the kilt so it is always wet.

You can 'baste' the pleats before you start (tack them in place with thread) but for me thats too much like hard work.

When you've done and you want to hang it up, don't use the 'skirt loops' on the Kilt, it will pull the top edge unevenly. Get three skirt hangers (free if you ask for them at ASDA/Sainsbury's clothes counters) and space them out along the top edge of the open kilt Left, middle and right, then fold the kilt aprons over each other as you would when wearing it. Twist the three hanger hooks in the same direction and hang the Kilt up.

Job Done!!

Hope this helps.