Quote Originally Posted by zeytoun
I also think that the dry cleaner's comments may have been the standard comment whenever leather is involved. In the dry cleaning process, do they totally submerge the garments? or are the chemicals sprayed on or applied by hand? if it's the latter, if you are very concerned, you could just tape of the exposed straps. The dry cleaning chemicals might just strip the finish at worst, they certainly wouldn't eat all the way through the straps would they? Otherwise what would stop the chemicals from eating through your clothes? If my points are wrong, somebody correct me quickly before someone damages their kilt...lol
Thanks for your thoughts on this, Zeytoun. I have no idea how garments are dry-cleaned - maybe I'll ask to watch the process when I have a spare half-day. As I have just said to Phil, I came away with the impression that the new chemicals might make the leather brittle or otherwise become denatured.

In the past, I have known of cases where buttons had to be removed from clothing before a dry-cleaner would accept them, I suppose for similar reasons.

It is just that I have not come across this before - and I've had many kilts dry cleaned over the years. As Rob said, the introduction of different chemicals is probably down to some new Euro-directive from Brussels! After all, the shops/garden-centres are no longer permitted to sell 90% of the things we've been putting on our gardens for as long as I can remember! I guess dry-cleaning is the same.

Anyway, thanks for your comments.