dry clean ? dip in woolite and drip dry or lay it out flat/ air out

[Angela Kaye Bodine]

Thank you unixken KEN ! I appreciate your help as well. Will definitely take precautions ... thank you .. Angie

[Angela Kaye Bodine]

Thank you Tobus ! I have never had to dry clean or wash them other than a little stain out... I had looked about and read just airing your kilts out is good enough.. Which I've been doing..I just wanted to know if I ever had to seriously get washed what would be suggestions..the baby shampoo seems to make sense.. I thank you.... Angie

[Angela Kaye Bodine]

Hi creagdhubh ! That is all I've been doing except for the drop of ale/whiskey LOL.. I think I will just keep to the air out and if needs to be washed use baby shampoo and drip dry.. I thank you very much..Angie

[Pleater]

I have some cotton and cotton blend kilts and I do starch them - using spray starch I spray and iron on the wrong side, then form and press the pleats. This is because I do not wash and hang them with sufficient care, and as I make my own, I can always make another one, though I have to confess that my favourite kilts are often mended and are sometimes in need of repair but I wear them anyway.

Washing kilts should really be done as soon as it is needed - in hot weather I might only wear a kilt for a couple of days before washing it. With an all wool kilt I tend to wear a tunic almost as long as the kilt beneath it and put an apron over it when in the house so as to minimise soiling. It is important to clean wool kilts to make them less attractive to moths and other destructive pests.

I have a separate spin dryer - as I work with yarn and fabrics, dyes and so on. I have wrapped kilts in towels or pillow slips, or pieces of heavy cotton fabric and spun them for short periods, but I am always careful. I did once tumble-dry a cotton kilt - but the wear on the edges of the pleat was quite noticeable. As I have quite a few kilts now I wouldn't need to do that anyway.

Anne the Pleater :ootd:

[Nathan]

First, there's no point to cleaning wool too often. It's not good for the wool, nor is it necessary.

I'll send my kilt to the cleaners every 10 years or so. Otherwise, I air it out, brush any shmutz out of it if need be and hang it up.

When I do get it cleaned, I take it to a kilt shop and have them use the cleaner they send their kilts to post rental. It's worth paying the money to have the kilt basted, cleaned and professionally pressed. ($40 or so bucks here). I'd go directly to the cleaner if I knew who it was.

Flemington isn't that far from Old Bridge. Give this guy a call and ask where he sends his kilts to be cleaned after he rents them. He might just tell you!

http://www.okaneoutfitters.com/rentals/index.cfm

I'm not sure if it's the kilt shop or the cleaners that baste the kilt, but if you're handy with a needle and thread, you can always baste it yourself and then take it to any drycleaner.

[Calgacus]

I should add that I very rarely dry clean my kilts. I wear long shirts, spot-clean with water and maybe a little mild detergent if necessary, and air them. My Macpherson kilt has never been dry cleaned, but my Mackenzie one has, as it's been worn on the hill a lot and I have sweated in it a fair bit as a result.

[Angela Kaye Bodine]

Thank you Pleater aka Anne, I only have 4 wool kilts right now, my 5th will be done for Labor Day weekend, I received a long kilt from my sis in laws relative, but it needs to be altered and Bonnie Greene is altering it for me, Bonnie has made me all my kilts.. It's a Shaw tartan..my 6th will be in December.. When I wear my kilts I wear spandex shorts underneath my kilts, I'm allergic to wool. Where the kilt goes my shorts are right there so the kilt doesn't touch my skin where its most sensitive. IF anything gets on my kilt I quickly get it off, I take a lint brush to them too.. I have had so many suggestions on this and I thank you and the others for their help as well.. Something to think about .. .I thank you again Anne ..... Angie... ps it must be so much fun to make a kilt and to have so many.

[Angela Kaye Bodine]

Thank you Calgacus...I appreciate your help as well..Still so many different opinions, but I will give them all something to think about.. Yeh I have only spot clean my kilts if I get anything on them, and take a lint to them.. I wear spandex shorts under my kilts because I'm allergic to wool, so where my kilts land on me my shorts are touching my skin not the wool kilt on parts of my sensitive skin. I don't think I can trust the dry cleaners here lol.. thank you again..Angie

[Angela Kaye Bodine]

Thank you Nathan , I really appreciate that.. I shall definitely give him a call.. Like you I only spot clean them if needed, take lint brush to them, air them out... I'm allergic to wool, but all my kilts are wool lol. So I wear spandex shorts under my kilts. Wear the kilt lands so does my spandex shorts... I try my very best not to mess any of them up.I try to be extra careful. I thank you again, will definitely call... Thank you .... Angie

[HarveyH]

Woolite is very harsh on wool - which seems strange

I fully agree with those who say that there is little need to fully clean a wool kilt if it is spot cleaned, steamed and brushed. But, at the risk of defending a commercial brand, woolite is really not as bad as some have suggested. I would say,however, that I never use it at the strength listed on the bottle. Just enough to add a little detergent in the water and it is really good with my wool jumpers (sweaters).
Harvey