Laundry or cleaning?

[katanabob]

Okay, I have a rather important question for everyone: Do you launder and iron your own work shirts or take them to the cleaners? I took a few to the cleaners the other day and was blown away by the ungodly cost per item. ($2.50 a shirt!)
However, I am just about the world's worst ironer and aside from that, I really hate both laundry and ironing.

On another note.. how many work shirts is enough? I can't stand to wear yesterday's shirt (though being poor and on reserve, I may have to learn to) but I don't think I can afford to put two dozen shirts in my closet.

 

[Booker]

It's quite simple for me: I can't afford to have my shirts laundered, and they don't pay me enough to iron them.

 

[TurboS7]

All my stuff goes to the cleaners, with extra starch the shirts last longer and look a lot better. The pants get that sharp crease that I like also. It is all tax deductable and any more favors from my wife and she might not be my wife anymore.

 

[Corbon]

Just hang em on the on the ceiling while you're taking a long, hot shower. I call it steam cleaning. If it smells clean it is clean, right?

 

[RightBettor]

My expert advice...

From a former commuter pilot, here's how to look good and save money: (sit down and relax... this one will take a bit of time to read.)

Shirts... shoudn't need more than 3 or 4 shirts. To get that nice pressed look at all times, go for the blended fabric. Something like 40% cotton/60% some kind of synthetic (e.g. polyester).

Invest in a good ironing board with plenty of padding (important) and a good iron (steam option a plus). Splurge for some $0.99 spray starch and use that on shirts before you pack. Once you are in the hotel, you get tomorrow's shirt out and hang it inside the bathroom. When you shower and steam up said bathroom, you will not see any wrinkles in said shirt.

Hotel irons are notorious for having some type of black gunk which will only come off on your shirts!! I think former guests must have thought is would be cool to iron the bottom of their shoes!!! One method to reduce the sticky black stuff.. wet a towel from the bathroom and iron it with the iron set to the highest setting.

Slacks... you can wash most uniform slacks at home using the "delicate" cycle, cold water, and a small amout of Woolite. Once the slacks are dry you obviously want that nice crease, eh? Well WalMart and other discount stores sell some kind of heat proof mesh-cloth which will allow you iron just about anything while not damaging the material. You can iron a silk tie with this "mesh like" cloth and not damage it. I have used this protective cloth for years and saved a bunch of $$$$. If you don't have this special mesh cloth, then use an old T-shirt and you'll get similar results... just turn down the iron heat a bit.

Good luck,
RightBettor

 

[charley varrick]

I had no idea that Martha Stewart was a former commuter pilot!

 

[RightBettor]

Ha Ha!

That's a good one... yeah, years and years as a broke bachelor will do that do you. These are just some of skills my wife now appreciates... the other skills... well that's none of your business, buddy!!!!!

 

[GopherEvertt?]

Anyone know how to get a pilot's cap clean? Most drycleaners won't touch it. It's getting quite filthy from falling off the hat clip behing the seat and then becoming crushed and pressed from putting the seat back!! Not to mention the pretzel bits and "dried" cola that reside on the flight deck floor!!

 

[bobbysamd]

Uniforms

From a former commuter pilot, here's how to look good and save money: (sit down and relax... this one will take a bit of time to read.)

Shirts... shoudn't need more than 3 or 4 shirts. To get that nice pressed look at all times, go for the blended fabric. Something like 40% cotton/60% some kind of synthetic (e.g. polyester).

Invest in a good ironing board with plenty of padding (important) and a good iron (steam option a plus). Splurge for some $0.99 spray starch and use that on shirts before you pack. Once you are in the hotel, you get tomorrow's shirt out and hang it inside the bathroom. When you shower and steam up said bathroom, you will not see any wrinkles in said shirt.

Hotel irons are notorious for having some type of black gunk which will only come off on your shirts!! I think former guests must have thought is would be cool to iron the bottom of their shoes!!! One method to reduce the sticky black stuff.. wet a towel from the bathroom and iron it with the iron set to the highest setting.

Slacks... you can wash most uniform slacks at home using the "delicate" cycle, cold water, and a small amout of Woolite. Once the slacks are dry you obviously want that nice crease, eh? Well WalMart and other discount stores sell some kind of heat proof mesh-cloth which will allow you iron just about anything while not damaging the material. You can iron a silk tie with this "mesh like" cloth and not damage it. I have used this protective cloth for years and saved a bunch of $$$$. If you don't have this special mesh cloth, then use an old T-shirt and you'll get similar results... just turn down the iron heat a bit.

Good luck,
RightBettor

I'm writing primarily to say this post is actually one of the most entertaining I've seen here in a while! Notwithstanding the useful information.

For what it's worth, I wore uniform shirts and just threw them in the local coin-op washer and dryer. They never needed ironing. Having good quality, rugged shirts like Van Heusens makes a difference. I threw my slacks in the laundry, too. Uniforms, though, are like a good suit, and you should probably have them dry-cleaned.

I think that as far as caps go, maybe you can find an outfit in your city that cleans and blocks men's hats. Maybe they can help.

 

[jetexas]

Shirts...
I wear the ones from "Arrow career apparel" in the summer. They are very thin and a lot cooler than the thicker fabric "VanHeusen" ones I wear in winter. I just chuck 'em in the wash and hang em up right when they come out of the dryer. If they get a little wrinkled, so what? I wear my uniform jacket in public in the winter. The thin shirts I wear in the summer dont wrinkle, much anyway.

My uniform slacks are supposed to be dry cleaned but I wash them too. I just air dry them when done. They wear out a bit faster but not much.

Who has $$ for dry cleaning, right?