Help I'm Doing Laundry

[Whiteraven]

Well the time has finally come, I must do something I've been dreading for months, I cant stave it off any longer. It's time to wash my kilt .
I just putt it in the washer, and now I'm scared I just screwed up, but don't know why. It's a Bear Maple Leaf PV, which I tell my self it shouldn't be a problem, I think.
My wife sews with PV tartan alot and washes the material before she cuts it. So I tell myself why not my kilt. Although my wife suggests I have it dry cleaned. I don't really like that route, because my son had his dry cleaned and pressed and they seriously screwed over the pleats. We had to take it back 3 times for them to get it rite. I don't want to go through that with mine.
So me being tipical and knowing better than my wife :-? through it in the washer. Now I'm scared to open it and look.
My questions are, did I do rite or wrong, how much pleating will I loose, will it be self explanatory or will I have to guess, and the BIG ONE do I put it in the drier or hang it, if I dry it hot warm or just air?
Please help I'm so confused

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[Riverkilt]

Don't have one of Bear's kilts yet, but have a lot.

What works for me is to wash the kilt alone on a gentle cycle.

I hang dry and attach homemade weighted clips to the pleats, saves ironing most of the time.

Make the clips out of WalMart hanger clips, come in a bag as extras for their clips that are on their plastic hangers. Add 1/2 ounce fishing weights to each side of the clip. Just wrap good old duct tape around them. The weight pulls the pleats straight while they dry.

Main thing would be gentle cycle and wash the kilt alone.

Ron

[Colin]

I have put my Bear kilts through the washer and dryer numerous times. However, I have been hanging it to dry lately as the pleats seem to hang better after it is dry. No worries though.

Bear pre-washes all the fabric before he turns them into kilts.

[cavscout]

Machine Wash is one of the reasons PV is sooooo popular.

Wash Gentle

Lay or hang dry. If you lay dry just smooth out the pleats and let lie. Ron's weights are great if you hang dry.

I would not tumble air dry the pv just because you may have to iron it after.

I lay my PV out on the kitchen table with the ceiling fan blowing and in a few hours it's dry crisp and the pleats are fine.

[Andrew Breecher]

I've washed my Bear kilts more times than I can count. One thing I've found is that you should fasten the Velcro before throwing it in, or the hooks catch on your socks or other knitted items, and pull threads loose. I tumble dry my kilts with no problems. When you take it out, just give it a snap, and the pleats should show up! If they're still a little soft, give them a few spritzes from a water mister, and wear the kilt. The pleats will fall into place. Even after walking across the country (only once, so far) in a four yard Bear Kilt without sewn-in pleats, wearing it every day and washing it every two weeks or so, the pleats were still in great shape, and I certainly didn't have an iron to use on them!

Andrew.

[Whiteraven]

Thank you all for your great advice, all very functional ideas. I'm going to try them all eventually, but this time the kitchen table and fan method will be employed. ( no weights, and no one home) Besides the washer is done now and I have to get to it.
Once again thanks all. :-D
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[Whiteraven]

Thanks Andrew after reading your reply I'll take your advice and tumble dry, then snap and iron if necisary.
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[RockyR]

Not sure about the Maple Leaf PV... that's made at a mill that we don't use. However, MOST PV kilts should NOT BE DRYCLEANED. The chemicals used in drycleaning takes the teflon coating off of the material.

Just throw it in the wash on cold and hang it dry.

[GMan]

I too wash mine on gentle and in cold water. Hang it to dry, and no problems with the pleats.

Glad to hear that about the drycleaning Rocky, it is nice to know.

[Freelander Sporrano]

I washed mine (Well my wife did ) after I got it filthy on a hike. Just as Andrew says close the velcro first thow it in and forget it . Hang dry. and freshen the pleats as you think.