a question about cleaning kilts

**Cathal_Flameridge** · 5th July 08, 02:46 PM

Okay so I live in the Dallas, Texas area. It is summer right now. I was wondering how often I should probably wash my stillwater economy kilt (likewise when I get them, how often I should wash my Stillwater Standard Kilts, and the Original Utilikilt). Also likewise in the winter how long can I go without washing each of the kilts I mentioned?

Finally, I was wondering if the Original Utilikilt can be machine Washed or if it has to be dry cleaned?

**michaelbeeman** · 5th July 08, 02:48 PM

Utilikilts recommends cold water wash and line dry, I believe.

**Pleater** · 5th July 08, 03:13 PM

You own nose is probably the best guide - put it close to the kilt first thing in the morning and you will know it is is ready for a bath.

I find that washing the kilt in quite a large amount of water is good - hand washing in the bath or large sink seems to be best.

I use a liquid detergent intended for coloured clothes, and water just slightly warm. Immerse the kilt and swish gently, leave for a few minutes and swish again, repeat until the water does not get any dirtier when swishing. Let the water out and leave the kilt to drain for a couple of minutes, refill with clean water, same temperature, swish - etc as for washing, drain, rinse again, until the water stays clean.

Leave for a while to drain, squeeze gently to remove more water, then you can wrap the kilt in a protective sheet and spin dry it if you can do that safely, or wrap it in towels and press to get the water out, or lay it on a flat airer for a day, turning it a couple of times, then hang it. A kilt is heavy when wet and I can sometimes hear threads breaking if I pick them up still dripping.

Washing a kilt in a small sink puts a lot of wear on it. Washing machines with a 'hand wash' cycle aren't bad, but you need to wash a kilt alone. Even then they will show signs of wear faster than hand washing. The colours usually suffer if a detergent with bleach is used.

**Cathal_Flameridge** · 5th July 08, 04:06 PM

Originally Posted by Pleater

You own nose is probably the best guide - put it close to the kilt first thing in the morning and you will know it is is ready for a bath.

I find that washing the kilt in quite a large amount of water is good - hand washing in the bath or large sink seems to be best.

I use a liquid detergent intended for coloured clothes, and water just slightly warm. Immerse the kilt and swish gently, leave for a few minutes and swish again, repeat until the water does not get any dirtier when swishing. Let the water out and leave the kilt to drain for a couple of minutes, refill with clean water, same temperature, swish - etc as for washing, drain, rinse again, until the water stays clean.

Leave for a while to drain, squeeze gently to remove more water, then you can wrap the kilt in a protective sheet and spin dry it if you can do that safely, or wrap it in towels and press to get the water out, or lay it on a flat airer for a day, turning it a couple of times, then hang it. A kilt is heavy when wet and I can sometimes hear threads breaking if I pick them up still dripping.

Washing a kilt in a small sink puts a lot of wear on it. Washing machines with a 'hand wash' cycle aren't bad, but you need to wash a kilt alone. Even then they will show signs of wear faster than hand washing. The colours usually suffer if a detergent with bleach is used.

Um... what about the Acrylic Material that Stillwater Kilt company makes their kilts out of. According to Stillwater these kilts can be machine washed on the "Gentle" or "Delicate" cycle.

**Scrapscot** · 5th July 08, 04:21 PM

I wouldn't advise washing a wool kilt in the machine but I don't know anything about the SWKs. We dry clean our skirts at a reputable dry cleaner; also did that for Anthony's kilt.

**Cathal_Flameridge** · 5th July 08, 04:27 PM

Originally Posted by Scrapscot

I wouldn't advise washing a wool kilt in the machine but I don't know anything about the SWKs. We dry clean our skirts at a reputable dry cleaner; also did that for Anthony's kilt.

yeah I wasn't planning on machine washing a wool kilt. I can't even afford a wool kilt at the current time. I already have machine washed my still water kilt once on the gentle cycle, and it appears to have come out alright. However if others who have Stillwater Kilts on this forum advise not to machine wash them, then I probably won't. I am just not really sure what to do. The Stillwater Kilt company seems to feel that it is okay to machine wash one of their kilts so long as it is on the Delicate / gentle cycle. I think they would probably know their kilts the best. So at the moment I will go with their advice, at least until I hear from someone else regarding their own experience with the kilt.

**Pleater** · 5th July 08, 04:50 PM

I can't give you specifics about Stillwater kilts, but I have found that the best way to maintain newness is to hand wash fairly gently.

If you are going to be renewing your kilts after a few years then it would not be a problem, but even on the delicates cycle all that fabric folded into pleats will be worked over quite well and with acrylic it is almost inevetable that some pilling will appear before long.

I have a fair spectrum of kilts now, and noticed that machine washing, even with the fabrics which are considered machine washables did result in considerably greater wear than I would have expected.

I have one kilt which I hand washed due to its colour running, and that remained newer looking than the ones I made around that time but machine washed. Since deciding to hand wash all my kilts I think they have remained in better condition overall.