How often do you clean your kilt?

[SFCRick]

never dry clean

[SteveB]

I have owned kilts for forty-five years, and have NEVER taken one to the dry cleaner. Perc + kilt = destroyed kilt. ALWAYS have hand washed with mild soap. Could not check any boxes above.

[Howard Clark]

I was looking for the box that said "never" as well.

Even with wool, it is not the water or the washing, but the heat when you dry it that is damaging, right ?

I haven't washed any of my hand sewn kilts, but I have washed a couple of machine sewn ones that I made myself. They did not seem any worse for the experience.

[cacunn]

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

[fluter]

I was looking for the box that said "never" as well.

Even with wool, it is not the water or the washing, but the heat when you dry it that is damaging, right ?

... and the tumbling. I think that's one way to felt a knitted garment, is it not?

[andyfg]

I have never dry cleaned my kilts. I checked the "every few years" box as that was closest! My UKs get washed when they need it. Washing machine and hang dry.

[sharpdressedscot]

I only wash mine every so often, I'm not wearing it 24/7 and I'm not rolling in the mud.

[Pleater]

Ha!! Who needs to wash kilts!?! - just move to the South Coast of England in the Spring time, and bring your thermals too.

At one time I had just about every kilt I own hung up to dry as it has been raining, and I do mean raining, really frequently and particularly on me.

I could even have got paranoid about it - I no sooner arranged to go outside than the storm clouds gathered and the wind picked up.

No wonder I volunteered for the cruise Mr Dove invited me to join, (see off topic section for the story so far) even metaphorically the change will do me good. At least the calories in the cruise food are only virtual and I can enjoy them virtuously.

I now have some seriously clean kilts. The rain and wind together drove clean cold water through the fibres and sluiced away all stains. It is, after all how sheep do it.

For wool the worst things are heat, soap and agitation, as they raise the small scales on the fibres and cause them to lock together in what we call shrinking or felting - which are just different aspects of the same process.

Using water at room temperature, with a little gentle detergent and a little time for things to soften up and dissolve away, rather than a lot of swirling and rubbing is the best way to wash wool. Rinsing well and as the detergent will be alkaline and wool prefers just slightly acidic once rinsed/showered off, put a cup full of white vinegar into a final rinse in the bath, ensure it reaches every part of the fabric then let it drain for a while before either wrapping in towels and pressing out the excess water or laying on a dryer.

I have the luxury of a separate spin dryer - I used to do a lot of processing of knitting yarns and had heavy wollen jerseys and jackets. Wrapping a kilt (or any other heavy garment) in a bit of old sheet and laying it around the drum of the dryer gets the water out of it very quickly and - by stopping the process as soon as the stream of water slows it seems the kilts come to no harm, and possibly the shortening of the drying process is beneficial. No fabric is improved by it lying around damp.

Wool should dry out of sunlight and away from heat and it will last for many decades.

[James MacMillan]

I never, but never dry clean a wool kilt, and the synthetics go into the washer.

So I couldn't vote.

[Arlen]

Well, I clean my kilts once a year unless they have some reason to be cleaned (Like being sick on them) but I clean them all by hand rather than taking them to a dry cleaner.