A post by Shropshire Steve, over at "Tom's Café" has prompted me into raising this subject.

He referred to the question of a washable kilt's leather straps, and how the washing process might affect them. That is a very valid question since, in my experience, leather and immersion in water do not go hand in hand.

My question is concerned with the dry cleaning of traditional, woollen kilts. Until fairly recently, the straps were not a problem but now, they seem to be and I am wondering if anyone else has come across this dilemma, and if so what they have done about it?

A few weeks ago, I took one of my kilts in to my regular dry cleaning establishment for a freshen-up, only to be told that the chemicals now used in the cleaning could affect the leather straps, and that the firm would not be held responsible for any damage to them. It was suggested that I might like to remove the straps before leaving the kilt to be cleaned.

As any owner of a traditional kilt will know, at least one, if not two, of the kilt's straps are sewn into the thicknesses of the fabric during the tailoring process. So, to remove and resew the straps every time the kilt is cleaned will soon play havoc with the garment. (Not that my kilts require frequent cleaning, but you know what I mean! )

Subsequent to that visit to the village dry cleaners, I made enquiries at another, larger establishment in Brighton - and was given a similar response!

Has anyone else come up against this and, if so, how have you overcome it?