Uniform Cleaning
- Thread starter waverebel
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Stone Cold
Well-Known Member
Learn to iron. It's not hard. When you pack your suitcase, your dry cleaned uniforms will look like crap when you pull them out.
SlumTodd_Millionaire
Most Hated Member
Dry cleaning is absolutely murder on clothes. Never dry clean unless your clothes are actually stained. Your trousers and blazer should be steamed between wearings, and you should press your trousers once very few weeks to keep the crease in. Find a dry cleaner that will press them without cleaning them. Shirts should be washed at home and hand pressed, no starch. Treat your uniform like this and you'll hardly ever have to replace anything. (This assumes that your uniform is some sort of wool or wool blend. If it's pure polyester, then different story.)
JaceTheAce
Well-Known Member
Dry cleaning isn't murder on clothes. Dry clean all you want. Your clothes will wear out just from wearing them before dry cleaning will wear them out. The yearly uniform pants expense isn't that much and the jacket (which he may not even have to wear) shouldn't need to be dry cleaned that often. Starch? I say use it. I love starch. It doesn't ruin clothes and I like my shirts crisp and well pressed.
You may also want to use a home Dryel dry cleaning kit... I use it for all my dry-clean only clothes if I don't have time to run to the dry cleaners.
SlumTodd_Millionaire
Most Hated Member
Do some research. The chemicals used in dry cleaning weaken the fibers in clothing. Especially in anything with wool. Most experts recommend not dry cleaning any piece of clothing more than twice per year, preferably less.
Many items that say "dry clean only" can actually be washed in your home washing machine.
Cold water wash, gentle cycle, with a minimum of detergent or Woolite. Hang or lay flat to dry.
I washed all my uniform pieces (except the jacket, which was too bulky) this way for years.
Cold water wash, gentle cycle, with a minimum of detergent or Woolite. Hang or lay flat to dry.
I washed all my uniform pieces (except the jacket, which was too bulky) this way for years.
mtsu_av8er
Well-Known Member
I would replace my shirts every other month before I ever left the house without starching my shirt.
SlumTodd_Millionaire
Most Hated Member
If you wear a blazer, the starch will come off and get embedded in the blazer fabric. Not good for a wool blazer over time. A well pressed uniform shirt will stay wrinkle-free for almost the entire day, thanks to the polyester all of the uniform shirts have. As long as you don't buy the cheapest pilot shirts (Van Heusen Aviators) that are paper thin, wrinkles shouldn't be a problem.
mtsu_av8er
Well-Known Member
I've been wearing my uniform shirts starched for many, many, many years. I've never had any of my wool jackets damaged by the starch from the shirts.
A well-pressed starched shirt looks far better to me.
BobDDuck
Island Bus Driver
I'll second the wash everything you can at home. I wash the shirts and pants between trips and send it all to the dry cleaner every month or so to get the creases back in the pants. I've got stuff that has lasted 2 years now. Also, I'm not a huge fan of starch, but I use it and have never seen a problem with the blazer.
mtsu_av8er
Well-Known Member
mnixon
Well-Known Member
Fly freight, then it just don't matter.
FlyChicaga
Vintage Restoration
Reason #127 why the leather jacket is the way to go.
Do I need to even say I'm a pro-starch?
SlumTodd_Millionaire
Most Hated Member
The lining doesn't stretch all the way to the front of the blazer. Starch can get into the lapels, the areas around the buttons, etc... Granted, I'm very picky about my clothing, so most people that replace their blazer every few years won't care, but I try to make a blazer last for 10+ years.
mtsu_av8er
Well-Known Member
SlumTodd_Millionaire
Most Hated Member
I tend to be pickier about how it looks . . .
Yeah, me too, but you can do both.
mtsu_av8er
Well-Known Member