Vacuum Cleaner?

[Bugbear]

Do any of you all use vacuum cleaners on your kilts and other wool/kilt related items? Something like a Dust Buster or the hose attachment on a regular vacuum; just wondering if it is safe for the kilt and other items.

It's a haboob issue...

[piperdbh]

It should be safe on a kilt, but I wouldn't try to clean a horsehair sporran with it.

[Riverkilt]

Maybe vacuum with a brush attachment but I sure wouldn't want the fabric sucked up the hose a bit. Probably would pull the weave out of shape.

I just hand brush after wearing my kilts.

Then I use a steamer to reset the pleats and kill the micro critters that may have set up housekeeping during the last outing.

[chrisupyonder]

Maybe vacuum with a brush attachment but I sure wouldn't want the fabric sucked up the hose a bit. Probably would pull the weave out of shape.

I just hand brush after wearing my kilts.

Then I use a steamer to reset the pleats and kill the micro critters that may have set up housekeeping during the last outing.

I also use a small brush attachment but could you explain the use of a steamer, what type etc. and does it clean the kilt?

Chris.

[piperdbh]

I also use a small brush attachment but could you explain the use of a steamer, what type etc. and does it clean the kilt?

Chris.

I won't try to speak for Ron, but I've seen where others members will have a steamer, similar to the type used in clothing stores, that steams wrinkles out of clothes. Here's a picture of one model:

There are smaller, hand-held versions of this machine, too.

[Bugbear]

I think Riverkilt has a heavy-duty Jiffy steamer.

[Riverkilt]

Aye, I have the Jiffy like in the pic above and also have the ESteam portable for travel. Any portable steamer form a big box store or an infomercial will do but I prefer the Jiffy line because they are so well made.

Steamers eliminate wrinkles from wool and PV kilts. Work on cotton and cotton/poly too.

I love them so much I use them to steam shirts instead of iron them. Faster, easier.


http://www.jiffysteamer.com/

[Celtoi Annie]

My experience with wool in the humid, hot south is we air it out on the line, spritz it with water before bed and put in the freezer over night. Then pull it out the next morning and on a very hard wooden board, iron the dickens out of it. You will get a pleat as sharp as a knife that will not fall out. This I learned from my Scotish Grandmother.

We reenact the civil war era in 100% wool pants, even in summer. When we need to wash the pants, we use orvis soap. It is made especially for wool. Wash on cold, line dry until just damp and then stick in the freezer.

I do this for the poly viscose kilt I made for my son and I have not had to repleat the pleats. He has been wearing it solid for 2 weeks now. I need to take it and wash it while he is asleep. He treats it like a security blanket.

[Chas]

I have used a Dyson on one of my kilts and on some jackets. It comes with an upholstery / fabric attachment and none of my garments have suffered.

It is not just surfaces that attract dust - our clothes do as well. I had a second hand Argyle which I vacuumed - the colour went from what I thought was black - to BLACK.

Regards

Chas

[Bugbear]

All right, I used a Dust Buster on the kilt, still hanging on it's hangers, then I brushed it. I don't think it was too bad. The Dust Buster isn't powerful enough to suck the kilt down it's craw.

We keep having giant dust storms, and they leave ultra-fine dust all over and inside everything.