Pleat maintenance

**Liam** · 10th July 18, 04:28 PM

I have a hand steamer which does a great job of getting wrinkles out of pleats. I have also laid my kilt on the floor of hotel rooms and used the steam iron to remove the wrinkles. Do it from the inside first.

**Clarke** · 10th July 18, 05:01 PM

I lay my poly viscous and wool kilts out and let them rest first by laying it flat airing it out in the inside. Then I lay it out on the apron side and let it rest with a book to get it into shape.

**Knoxy10** · 10th July 18, 07:01 PM

Originally Posted by Clarke

I lay my poly viscous and wool kilts out and let them rest first by laying it flat airing it out in the inside. Then I lay it out on the apron side and let it rest with a book to get it into shape.

Would folding my kilt around the book help keep the pleat while transporting or storing it?

**John_Carrick** · 11th July 18, 03:09 AM

I'm not sure it is best practice but I use one of the hand steamers. Sometimes a blast of steam and a few days hanging in the airing cupboard does the trick but I also sharpen up the pleats one by one when they get in a bad way.
I think the ideal would be to take a kilt to a kilt maker and get it basted and re-pressed, but I don't have one locally and this is above my skill level.

**Knoxy10** · 11th July 18, 07:17 AM

Originally Posted by John_Carrick

I'm not sure it is best practice but I use one of the hand steamers. Sometimes a blast of steam and a few days hanging in the airing cupboard does the trick but I also sharpen up the pleats one by one when they get in a bad way.
I think the ideal would be to take a kilt to a kilt maker and get it basted and re-pressed, but I don't have one locally and this is above my skill level.

Sadly there isn’t a kiltmaker near my residency either. I may just try to ironingbwith a wet towel and the book press. I appreciate the kind advice though!

**Father Bill** · 11th July 18, 07:38 AM

Originally Posted by Knoxy10

Sadly there isn’t a kiltmaker near my residency either. I may just try to ironingbwith a wet towel and the book press. I appreciate the kind advice though!

Please "press" - do not "iron". It leaves a shine on many materials.

**Baeau** · 11th July 18, 09:42 AM

I'm probably wrong, about this. Just ask my wife & daughters, they will agree. Sometime, not far back, there was a thread that discussed pressing of pleats. The Wizard of BC offered some technical information regarding the materials used in non-wool kilts, & a correct / suggested method of pressing.

**CollinMacD** · 11th July 18, 12:18 PM

Originally Posted by Father Bill

Please "press" - do not "iron". It leaves a shine on many materials.

Iron or press if you go directly on wool it will steam the knap off and create a shiny cloth material. When you steam wool directly this changes the wool into a material called broadcloth. This is a shiner non fuzzy more of a cloth or very tight weave material. If you notice most military jackets from the 19th century and later, looked more like a cloth or jean material in photos. Although wool, this wool material was usually a 10 ounce wool, that was steamed and pressed when manufactured at the mill, specifically to make broadcloth. It was done because material repels rain, smooders does not catch fire directly, and when worn lasts longer with no pilling or threat rot. Basically the wool is heated and compressed from normal wool fiber to make a smooth and tighter cloth.

As I stated to keep wool "fuzzy" or the nap use a wet cloth over the wool and press or iron, but DO NOT GO OVER THE WET CLOTH, make sure the cloth is wet, no dripping, wring out the cloth so its damp, BUT NEVER iron wool directly on the face out side.