Handwashing your kilt at home

[Stratherrick]

Has anybody tried handwashing their wool kilt at home?

I live nowhere near a dry cleaners that'll touch my kilt for fear of messing it up and I'd like to know how to do the job at home. Hints on washing, drying etc, all thoughts much appreciated.

Slainte

Bruce

[Kiltedfirepiper]

I use a tub of cold water and woolite for colors,
fill the tub so the kilt is submerged, ( woolite already added) gently move it around and lift it out for a few mins. then drain the water( which by now will be VERY dirty) then put more cold water in it repeat but lift it out more often then "swishing" it drain, repeat till theres no more soap in the water.

hang kilt with buckles.....buckled ( you will need a really heavy duty hanger for this part)

and let it drip dry. run your fingers down the pleats to "reset" the pleats and at the same time squegee(sp) some of the water out. depending on where you live, time of year it'll be anywhere from a few hours to a full day for it to dry.

thats how I've always washed my kilts and have never had a problem with them.

ps. if you dont want your leather straps to get wet then hold them out while washing, but it hasnt hurt my straps to get em wet so far ( 8 years on one of em) just mink oil em a little while before!

one of these days I'm gonna make a Video on how to do this.

KFP

[MacKay71 Wife]

I use a tub of cold water and woolite for colors,
fill the tub so the kilt is submerged, ( woolite already added) gently move it around and lift it out for a few mins. then drain the water( which by now will be VERY dirty) then put more cold water in it repeat but lift it out more often then "swishing" it drain, repeat till theres no more soap in the water.

hang kilt with buckles.....buckled ( you will need a really heavy duty hanger for this part)

and let it drip dry. run your fingers down the pleats to "reset" the pleats and at the same time squegee(sp) some of the water out. depending on where you live, time of year it'll be anywhere from a few hours to a full day for it to dry.KFP

If you need your kilt to dry faster and it's a clear day, after washing, take your kilt outside, lay it on a clean sheet on the grass, fix the pleats, cover with another sheet to protect from the direct sun or not. I have done this several times before. This is also how I wash and dry quilts. Works every time.

[Kiltedfirepiper]

well here it goes, sorry for the pic quality, its from my Blackberry and my Vid camera is on the fritz

I tossed them in with about half a capful of woolite for darks.

(this was after I had "swished them" a few times, I piled them up in a corner so you could see the water in the next pic)


now mind you this is THREE kilts, and combined total of about 6 months of campfire smoke, spilled beer, and general dirt!!


after a good "swishing" refill the tub with clean water

I let them soak for a few mins. then start picking them up out of the water, then dunking them back in.


as you can see the water is visibly clearer, but theres still soap bubbles so....once more into CLEAN water!

now the water was clear until I dropped my green shadow tartan kilt, I believe some of the dye bled out, I think this is the first time I've actually "tub cleaned" this kilt so no worries there.


now hang it somewhere to dry spread out like so
then run your fingers down the pleats to get them sharp again.

and there you have it! honestly the only kilt I had problems gettin the pleats good was the shadow tartan, I'll give all of em a once through with an Iron when dry I think they'll be dry enough to bring in in about 2-3 hours but will need to hang for another day or two to be wearable

:disclaimer: this is how I clean MY kilts!! and is intended to be informative..... clean YOUR kilts at YOUR OWN risk
I know it doesnt really need to be said, but at the same time ....gotta C.Y.A. right?

good luck
KFP

[ForresterModern]

Unless it is really dirty, which I have yet to encounter, I generally let the offending dirt dry, brush lightly with a small tooth brush to loosen it up, then spot treat with just a little woolite and warm water and a cotton lint free cloth, then brush the residue away with another wet cotton cloth with water. Once it dries, as long as there is no soap residue it should look good as new. If soap residue repeat the water/ cloth only part until it comes out clear after it dries.

Most of the oils from your body should be concentrated in the lining portions of your kilt rather than the wool body, so you could also spot treat the inside the same as the out if it starts getting a wee bit funky.

[Kiltedfirepiper]

mine get pretty pretty dirty...between pub crawls( and spills) camping (SCA) and just all around grime, so I have to wash em 5-6 times a year. usually when a spill happens, and after camping events

[sathor]

I only washed my wool once, using a garment bag, gentle cycle and woolite. Nothing else in the machine. Worked well, that time.

[Stratherrick]

Thanks for all the tips, chaps.

I've had my kilt for, well, too many years too mention and NEVER had it cleaned. I've been out on the town and hiked up glens in it but, thankfully, it doesn't reek but, all the same, it could do with a freshen up.

I'd have to take it on a day trip over the border to get it done professionally but, as you've all proved, it can be done, with care, at home, thank heavens.

I'll keep dropping in to see what else folks say.

Slainte

Bruce

[Ryan Ross]

I've always washed my kilts in the tub, as described above, and it's always worked quite well.

[BobsYourUncle]

Good info. Thanks.