Care of Navy Blue BDUs

Slim · March 22, 2011, 05:23:28 AM

What fabric are they? 100% cotton will be a bit more labor intensive than a polyester/cotton blend. Mine are Propper 65/35.

Machine wash, cold/cold, fabric softener if you chose (I do). Tumble dry, low heat, remove as soon as the cycle is done and hang up. Steam iron as needed to ward off the wrinkle gun and maintain creases.

I wear mine 3 times a month, maybe wash them every other month or so (I wear civvies in transit, and change at my meeting site). I maybe iron once every 2-3 washings. Bought two sets about a year ago now, and both still look good as new, with no fading.

Quote from: BradM on March 22, 2011, 12:51:00 AMThats good to know! I was asked last Saturday if I was in the Navy because I was the only one in Navy Blue...

But not the only one who probably should have been....

Sapper168 · March 22, 2011, 08:53:51 AM

Quote from: Slim on March 22, 2011, 05:23:28 AM
....
Quote from: BradM on March 22, 2011, 12:51:00 AMThats good to know! I was asked last Saturday if I was in the Navy because I was the only one in Navy Blue...

But not the only one who probably should have been....

I wasn't going to say it, but i thought it.... no way i could get away with it in my squad.

BradM · March 22, 2011, 08:42:58 PM

Well I am 5'8" and weigh 202 lbs in boxers so I'm right at the max weight line. I need to lose 22 lbs to be at the weight I would be happy at. But I wear the BBDUs because I like my goatee. I have a set of ePropper woodland BDUs as well in case an occasion comes around where I'll go to just the mustache for awhile.

I'm thinking the Calif. Wing Conference in 2012 should be in So. Calif. and by then I can wear my service blues to it and have some ribbons and some grade epaulets, and a specialty badge or two. Then I'll have just the mustache for a couple months then re-grow the goatee back.

Btw, my BBDUs I bought from Vanguard and they are Propper brand. My woodland BDUs I bought direct from ePropper's website.

cap235629 · March 22, 2011, 08:58:06 PM

They werer refering to the Lt. Col.

BradM · March 22, 2011, 09:01:23 PM

He's a great guy! Very dedicated and the Squadron Commander

and he's 6'5".

Slim · March 22, 2011, 09:50:47 PM

Quote from: cap235629 on March 22, 2011, 08:58:06 PM
They werer refering to the Lt. Col.

I wasn't going to call him out specifically, but yeah....

Quote from: BradM on March 22, 2011, 09:01:23 PM
He's a great guy! Very dedicated and the Squadron Commander and he's 6'5".

I'm sure he is. I'm a unit commander and all around great guy myself (just ask me, I'll tell you

), and I'd much rather be wearing the AF style uniform too. But I don't meet weight standards, so I don't. Unfortunately, that attitude only increases scrutiny from our AF partners, as well as the other members we have to enforce those standards upon.

"Bill's a great guy, very dedicated, and works great with the cadets. I guess we can just overlook the fact that he's 20 pounds over the weight limit and looks like he's got a beach ball under his shirt."

In short, it makes us all look bad.

BradM · March 22, 2011, 10:08:46 PM

No more comments about my Squadron Commander please. That wasnt the reason I started the topic.

I just didnt want to do anything to fade out the BBDUs. From what all of you are saying thats hard to do with these Propper brand. Washing in cold water is always the best for dark colors, hang drying also preserves the color, but it looks like with this brand a light dry wont hurt the color either. And an ironing will only make it look better but only one of you posted that you do that.

davidsinn · March 22, 2011, 10:17:53 PM

Quote from: BradM on March 22, 2011, 10:08:46 PM
No more comments about my Squadron Commander please. That wasnt the reason I started the topic. I just didnt want to do anything to fade out the BBDUs. From what all of you are saying thats hard to do with these Propper brand. Washing in cold water is always the best for dark colors, hang drying also preserves the color, but it looks like with this brand a light dry wont hurt the color either. And an ironing will only make it look better but only one of you posted that you do that.

I wash cold and dry at medium for 80 min and have no noticeable fade.

whatevah · March 24, 2011, 12:52:01 AM

Propper makes good stuff! My favorite pair of EMS pants are from them. "Dark Navy" in color and basically the same as normal BDU pants except mine have extra stuff for penlights and trauma shears on one pocket. Probably washed them 50 times last year and I don't notice any fade fade. I have a pair from 5.11 that faded noticeably within 25 washes. I pick the preset cotton/heavy duty settings on the washer and dryer, warm water for wash, cold rinse. Medium heat usually unless I use the speed setting that raises the heat for drying.

billford1 · March 24, 2011, 02:39:33 AM

My first BBDUs looked faded and tattered after a few machine washes. What I started doing is dry cleaning. I get the Dryel Cleaning kit at Wal Mart. I comes with a zipper bag that you put the uniform in along with the cleanser treated towel. After a while in the dryer it's done. It can help them stay looking like new for a long time.