How often do you clean your kilt?

[herminator]

Dry clean: never
Machine wash: my cotton kilt twice a year (I wear it in summer only, butthen it tends to acquire a salt edge ), my PV kilts about once a year

[Hamish]

There is NO way I would ever wash a £300, hand-sewn, woollen kilt! The only kilts I have washed at home are my Freedom Kilts, Utilikilts (and similar others) and maybe, just maybe, my USA Kilts in poly-vis. ............................ But then, they very, very seldom require cleaning; some have never been cleaned. I'd swear that my oldest kilt (1973) has been dry cleaned no more than four/five times (it WAS my only kilt for over 20 years!), but that's all. If one of my woollen kilts should be in need of a cleaning, it will go to the dry cleaners - probably with the pleats basted beforehand. ............ Take care, Ham.

[thescot]

I would never let a dry cleaner touch my kilts. You can actually wash the wool just fine, but never dry it with heat.And I believe that Barbara Tewksbury advises against it, too.

Check this out: http://www.piperkeith.com/kiltwash.html

[slohairt]

I'm a hand-washer as well. I've never taken my kilts to a dry cleaners. (And I used to work at one!)

[Jock Scot]

I never clean my 3 kilts.IF I have had a disaster of some sort and a kilt may need cleaning I get my kiltmaker to attend to it.They have a "tame" cleaner that understands kilts and thus avoids the danger of any further disasters that could happen during the cleaning process.

[Dirk Skene]

Since I have 15 & only get to wear 1 about twice a week because of my work schedual, evey few months works out just fine.

[Alan H]

1) Scrub the tub
2) Woolite
3) Add tepid water (should be cold but hands cramp, just enough warm to put hands in)
4) gently place kilt in tub
5) agitate water
6) let sit
7) drain water
8) run shower to rinse kilt
9) place on towel and gentle press water out
10) hang to dry
11) check pleats and correct as necessary
12) gently press if necessary

Repeat only when necessary

This is exactly what I do, though I use slightly warmer water, but not "hot". It's worked well for My wool and wool blend kilts.

I washed my two Stillwaters this way....note that these were the older style "standards" which didn't have sewn-down fells....and after the third washing, no amount of meticulous pressing could get the pleats to look truly "right" again. Conclusion....don't wash your Stillwaters or Frugal Corner acrylic kilts any more often than you absolutely HAVE to.

The Poly viscose kilts just go in the washing machine like anything else. I wash those maybe twice a year, except for the kilts I work out/throw in. They get washed about 4-5 times a year.

[Galb]

Just curious, but the straps are leather. Wouldn't washing kinda ruin them?

Sorry for the newbish question. I have yet to wash my kilt and I think it needs it considering I wore it all day at the Dunedin Highland Games. Plus, I want to wear it again, and I can't when it is sitting near the washer waiting to either be washed or taken to the cleaners. However, after reading these posts, it sounds like the cleaners is out of the question. My kilt, by the way, was bought at the Highland Games last year. Found out that it is probably a Gold Bros kilt. Synthetic material, very comfortable, very sturdy. I like it. Anwyays, gentle cycle, warm/cold water, hang to dry? Lightly press the pleats?

[Clockwork John]

I haven't had any problems with damage to the leather straps when I've washed my synthetic kilts.

I think you'll find that a kilt needs to be cleaned far less often than you think. Unless you sat in something or spilled something on it, it should be fine to wear again, and again, and again...

When you do wash your synthetic kilt, gentle cycle, cold water, hang dry, just like you said. When you hang it, you can straighten out the pleats and you may find that you don't even need to press it.

If you do need to press it, BASTE THE PLEATS FIRST, and follow the instructions here
http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/b...x.html?t=35190
and here
http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/s...x.html?t=26550
so you don't screw up your pleats.

Trust me, I learned that one the hard way... I had to re-position, re-baste, and re-press every single pleat in one of my kilts after pressing it incorrectly. What a waste of an afternoon!

[ardchoille]

I tried Googling this very subject and came across something called Dryel for dry cleaning at home.

I have used Dryel on wool garments in the past, and on a wool tank recently, and the results are great in my opinion. Much easier and faster than hand washing. But, Dryel contains chemicals and, as some of the folks have said here, may not be a good idea for kilts.