How often...

[KiltedCodeWarrior]

So how often do you have to iron your kilts? I have read a number of posts regarding how to iron, but not the frequency. I am really more interested in the non-tartan type fabrics. My wool/wool blend ones seem to need only an occasional touch up, but my UK's need it more often, probably every second or third wearing if I want them to look their best. So far my USAK Ireland's National in PV seems to be the most resistant to any wrinkling. I can wear it all day, and I sit for a large portion of the day, and still stand right up and the pleats look fine.

[Barclay]

That BK canvas that you saw in Gatlinburg has to be ironed every time it's washed, which translates to every other time I wear it. It's bad to wrinkle and have the pleats seperate and bunch from wear.

I think that I'm going to start having it drycleaned like my tartan kilts so someone else has to do it.

[Riverkilt]

I don't iron my kilts.

My Black and Decker Gizmo steams and clamps pleats when necessary on the wool and PVs.

The "weighted clamp" method works perfect for my UKs, FKs, PKs, and AKs.



Looks crude, but its fast and easy and it works. Just clamp a weighted clamp to the bottom of each pleat seam while its hanging dry. The weight pulls the seam straight while it drys.

Any weight will due...picnic table cloth weights are expensive. I use hanger clips (WalMart in the hanger section), duct tape, and half ounce fishing weights on each side of the hanger clip. I'm a 40" waist and use 26 clips (that's 52 fishing weights). Used to clip the inside pleats too, but now just do the outside pleats.

Does take a bit to assemble the clips, I did mine during football season, mindless work while enjoying the game on TV.

If a pleat curls higher up, I use a sideways clothes pin to keep it lined up.

No ironing.

Can't beat that.

Ron

[Retro Red]

In 3 years, I've never ironed any of my 5 Utilikilts.

If I notice that some of the pleats are messed up after I take my UK off, I hang the kilt up, spray the mangled pleat(s) with a fine mist of water (using one of those variable spray bottles), smooth out the pleat with my hands & giving the pleat a slight curve to follow the contours of the body & hang to dry.

To me, ironing a UK or any cotton/canvas kilt is like ironing Levi's - unnecessary.

.

[Southern Breeze]

For now all I iron is the pleats on my Workmans UK, everything else gets touched up with a steamer as needed.

[Raphael]

In 3 years, I've never ironed any of my 5 Utilikilts.

If I notice that some of the pleats are messed up after I take my UK off, I hang the kilt up, spray the mangled pleat(s) with a fine mist of water (using one of those variable spray bottles), smooth out the pleat with my hands & giving the pleat a slight curve to follow the contours of the body & hang to dry.

To me, ironing a UK or any cotton/canvas kilt is like ironing Levi's - unnecessary.

.

I too have never ironed any of my Utilikilts.

[Rex_Tremende]

My UKs and NeoKilt are maintained on a cycle that goes something like this:

1. Retrieved from the hanger for an evening out, usually some place casually nice. Returned to the hanger and hung in the closet.
2. Retrieved again for another evening out. Upon return it is carefully laid out on the Velcro couch (it holds everything), unless company comes over, and then it goes back to the closet.
3. Worn again a couple more times for weekend/evening errands; Returned to the Velcro couch with decreasing care. (Here, if company comes over, OR if it goes to the bar and gets all sweaty and smoky, it is immediately advanced to step 5.)
4. Worn only at home until...
5. ...it is eventually flung onto the heap of dirty clothes in the empty room that will eventually become my guest room. It languishes there until...
6. I finally get around to doing gentle cycle wash, and then it is hung to dry.
7. Roughly every other wash, I touch it up with an iron, but I don't spend a lot of time on it. Returned then to the hanger.

My Sport Kilt camo follows a different pattern:

1. Retrieved from the hanger to work in the yard
2. Hung on a peg in the basement and worn again repeatedly for work in the yard until it stands on its own and resembles an abused city park trash can
3. Is washed with the other kilts and hung to dry
4. Is ironed every time, and goes back on the hanger

My SWK acrylic black Stewart has never needed pressing.

For the record,
Rex in Cincinnati