Blues Cleaning

Hey Guys,

I went to an event for CAP, and during dinner I spilled a little bit of gravy of my shirt. It is mostly cleaned off, but there is a little stain in the corner. Can I wash it? Or do I only have the option of dry cleaning?

Thanks,
TheMeepMan

What do the care instructions say on the garment?

The light blue shirts are certainly washable, in accordance with the aforementioned care instructions. Cold water wash usually always works, with a little pre-treatment for good measure, since it's a greasy food stain. The earlier it gets pre-treated, the better.

Or do I only have the option of dry cleaning?

FWIW, when you take dress shirts to the "cleaners", they aren't generally "dry cleaning" them, they
are just laundering and pressing them in a professional way.

"Dry cleaning" is actually a "not dry" chemical process for things like your trousers and service coats.
The process involves chemicals that are liquid, but not water.

I wash my blues shirts, and use Dryel on my pants, ties, cap

So when do people start learning how to fish and fend for themselves?

Why can’t this be one place to help learn how to do so?

I wash my blues shirts, and use Dryel on my pants, ties, cap

Dryel doesn't really get the dirt out. Those items should be dry cleaned two or three times a year, for average cadet usage, or more often for frequent, all day wear.

I don't wear mine a lot, so it cleans the "funk"... I used Tide pens for actual stains

You are slowly ruining the uniform. The dirt gets ground in, and weakens and stains the fabric, even if you think you can see it.

Well, thankfully I got the commercial produced blues pants, so I just cold wash them and hang them to dry.  I've only ever had to press them a few times, permanent press makes life easy, and looks sharp, too!  Shirt, same deal, cold wash, however, I press it carefully every time.  Coat, gotta dry clean it.  Putting it in the wash will destroy it.  Tie and cap, same deal.  Dry clean only.  I usually end up having to press the tie when I get it back, for some reason its always super wrinkled after dry cleaning.  I don't know why, since the coat comes back just fine.

And I always, always keep a tide pen on me when wearing blues.  It's saved me from a number of situations that would have looked bad otherwise.  On a side note, if you starch your shirt, make sure you wash it after every wear.  For some reason, I've found that leaving old starch in will make my shirts go yellow (maybe I'm doing something wrong?).  So yeah, I just wash and re-starch.

Hope this was somewhat helpful.

Starch in a blue shirt?

Never in my life have I found the need to starch my blue shirts (nor my white aviator shirts). Wash, iron, wear, repeat.

I remember starching Shade 1 khakis enough to make them stand up by themselves, but that was eons ago. I am so glad those days are gone.

Starch in a blue shirt?

Never in my life have I found the need to starch my blue shirts (nor my white aviator shirts). Wash, iron, wear, repeat.

I remember starching Shade 1 khakis enough to make them stand up by themselves, but that was eons ago. I am so glad those days are gone.

I used to starch blues shirts, but sewing down pocket flaps and epaulets and practice ironing good sleeve creases pretty much negated it so I stopped.

Starch in a blue shirt?

Never in my life have I found the need to starch my blue shirts (nor my white aviator shirts). Wash, iron, wear, repeat.

I remember starching Shade 1 khakis enough to make them stand up by themselves, but that was eons ago. I am so glad those days are gone.

I used to starch blues shirts, but sewing down pocket flaps and epaulets and practice ironing good sleeve creases pretty much negated it so I stopped.

Sewing the pocket on the blue or white shirt is a quick and easy way to make the shirt look good.  It just takes a couple of stitches in the corners and maybe 15 minutes to greatly improve the overall look of the uniform. 

But. But. Then I can't use my pockets. 

But. But. Then I can't use my pockets. 

People use those?

But. But. Then I can't use my pockets. 

People use those?

"Normal" people do.

But. But. Then I can't use my pockets. 

People use those?

"Normal" people do.

Normal people use the pockets on the blues shirt? 

New one on me.

Pockets were put on a shirt for a reason... to use them!

If they were not intended to be used, they would have been left out!

Just like the regulations say about T-shirts with and without pockets. They do not want you to use pockets on a T-shirt they tell you do not use T-shirt with pockets!


 

Gentlemen do not use the pockets on a dress shirt for anything more than a pen, at best,
and since the uniforms have buttoned pockets, they are clearly for decoration, not storage.

Nothing says "high speed" more then ubiquitous top-loader glasses case stretching and weighing
down the side of the shirt, or a pack of Marlboros showing through the white shirt.

Same goes for the field uniforms.  Leave them buttoned and empty.

I use the lower side pockets on mine and everything else is sewn closed.