How often do you clean your kilt?

[Galb]

Just curious, but the straps are leather. Wouldn't washing kinda ruin them?

Sorry for the newbish question. I have yet to wash my kilt and I think it needs it considering I wore it all day at the Dunedin Highland Games. Plus, I want to wear it again, and I can't when it is sitting near the washer waiting to either be washed or taken to the cleaners. However, after reading these posts, it sounds like the cleaners is out of the question. My kilt, by the way, was bought at the Highland Games last year. Found out that it is probably a Gold Bros kilt. Synthetic material, very comfortable, very sturdy. I like it. Anwyays, gentle cycle, warm/cold water, hang to dry? Lightly press the pleats?

[Clockwork John]

I haven't had any problems with damage to the leather straps when I've washed my synthetic kilts.

I think you'll find that a kilt needs to be cleaned far less often than you think. Unless you sat in something or spilled something on it, it should be fine to wear again, and again, and again...

When you do wash your synthetic kilt, gentle cycle, cold water, hang dry, just like you said. When you hang it, you can straighten out the pleats and you may find that you don't even need to press it.

If you do need to press it, BASTE THE PLEATS FIRST, and follow the instructions here
http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/b...x.html?t=35190
and here
http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/s...x.html?t=26550
so you don't screw up your pleats.

Trust me, I learned that one the hard way... I had to re-position, re-baste, and re-press every single pleat in one of my kilts after pressing it incorrectly. What a waste of an afternoon!

[Galb]

I haven't had any problems with damage to the leather straps when I've washed my synthetic kilts.

I think you'll find that a kilt needs to be cleaned far less often than you think. Unless you sat in something or spilled something on it, it should be fine to wear again, and again, and again...

When you do wash your synthetic kilt, gentle cycle, cold water, hang dry, just like you said. When you hang it, you can straighten out the pleats and you may find that you don't even need to press it.

If you do need to press it, BASTE THE PLEATS FIRST, and follow the instructions here
http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/b...x.html?t=35190
and here
http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/s...x.html?t=26550
so you don't screw up your pleats.

Trust me, I learned that one the hard way... I had to re-position, re-baste, and re-press every single pleat in one of my kilts after pressing it incorrectly. What a waste of an afternoon!

Thank you so much. It's prolly fine then. WOOT! After the gym tonight I'm strapping it back on to lounge around the house a wee bit.

[andyfg]

I have never dry cleaned my kilts. I checked the "every few years" box as that was closest! My UKs get washed when they need it. Washing machine and hang dry.

[Pleater]

Ha!! Who needs to wash kilts!?! - just move to the South Coast of England in the Spring time, and bring your thermals too.

At one time I had just about every kilt I own hung up to dry as it has been raining, and I do mean raining, really frequently and particularly on me.

I could even have got paranoid about it - I no sooner arranged to go outside than the storm clouds gathered and the wind picked up.

No wonder I volunteered for the cruise Mr Dove invited me to join, (see off topic section for the story so far) even metaphorically the change will do me good. At least the calories in the cruise food are only virtual and I can enjoy them virtuously.

I now have some seriously clean kilts. The rain and wind together drove clean cold water through the fibres and sluiced away all stains. It is, after all how sheep do it.

For wool the worst things are heat, soap and agitation, as they raise the small scales on the fibres and cause them to lock together in what we call shrinking or felting - which are just different aspects of the same process.

Using water at room temperature, with a little gentle detergent and a little time for things to soften up and dissolve away, rather than a lot of swirling and rubbing is the best way to wash wool. Rinsing well and as the detergent will be alkaline and wool prefers just slightly acidic once rinsed/showered off, put a cup full of white vinegar into a final rinse in the bath, ensure it reaches every part of the fabric then let it drain for a while before either wrapping in towels and pressing out the excess water or laying on a dryer.

I have the luxury of a separate spin dryer - I used to do a lot of processing of knitting yarns and had heavy wollen jerseys and jackets. Wrapping a kilt (or any other heavy garment) in a bit of old sheet and laying it around the drum of the dryer gets the water out of it very quickly and - by stopping the process as soon as the stream of water slows it seems the kilts come to no harm, and possibly the shortening of the drying process is beneficial. No fabric is improved by it lying around damp.

Wool should dry out of sunlight and away from heat and it will last for many decades.

[James MacMillan]

I never, but never dry clean a wool kilt, and the synthetics go into the washer.

So I couldn't vote.

[Arlen]

Well, I clean my kilts once a year unless they have some reason to be cleaned (Like being sick on them) but I clean them all by hand rather than taking them to a dry cleaner.

[Clockwork John]

I've yet to clean my wool kilt. I've spot cleaned in a few places, but it hasn't needed a large scale cleaning yet. When that day comes, I'll probably hand wash.

My other two kilts just get tossed in the wash on the gentle cycle.

[Retro Red]

I've yet to clean my wool kilt...

Would that be how you got the name "Crusty"???

.

[Nick the DSM]

not much, it doesnt get that dirty.