Anyone ever dry clean jacket and knickers?

[Hollywood Troy]

Just wondering if anyone has tried dry cleaning their whites. I don't have confidence in my laundry abilities.

[little_old_me]

just throw your whites in the washer on cold delicate cycle. Hang to dry. Not really that hard at all.

[Redblade]

I usually home wash my gear (as I'm sure you'll get several responses here with directions to the same). But in answer to your question: Yes. I've done the professional drycleaning route every so often. Mostly in preparation for "special" events, as an additional mental boost. ... Hasn't made much of a difference, in either my results or the jacket's cleanliness.

And here's another detail to fret over: If you give up your jacket to someone else before an event, there's always that possibility that they'll lose it or delay the return just before you need it.

[Mr Epee]

Just wondering if anyone has tried dry cleaning their whites. I don't have confidence in my laundry abilities.

Sure... and then I asked Jeeves to bring me my mid-morning martini.

I rely on my uniform to save my life.
I certainly hope it will withstand a vigorous spin cycle.

[KD5MDK]

I think I'd rather have Bunter, personally.

[Goldgar]

I think I'd rather have Bunter, personally.

Drat! It won't let me rep you.

[KD5MDK]

I don't see at all how the level of bouts you're fencing has anything to do with how long a jacket will last, unless you mean it's getting hit much more often.

[epeeisky]

Most tags on FIE jackets say no dry cleaning, no warm water, no spin cycles, no drying in direct sunlight, and no ironing. The chemicals, warm water, and drying that comes along with dry cleaning will destroy your jacket.

[KD5MDK]

I don't think any fencers have any desire to put a blade through your jacket. However, from my observation Us and Es are just as capable of it as As and Bs.

[Ordway]

I don't think any fencers have any desire to put a blade through your jacket. However, from my observation Us and Es are just as capable of it as As and Bs.

In fact, I would say more so. The A and B fencers, in my experience, are the ones who are much more controlled in their actions and much less likely to inflict injury. It's the flailing newbies who get out of control, or the E-level fencer who's gotten used to using brute force to muscle his way through a bunch of Us, who are dangerous. Seriously, I'd be much more inclined to wear better protective gear at a low-level tournament than a high-level one.

(Except that my FIE gear is more comfortable as well as safer, so I wear it at all the competitions I go to! Just tried out my Allstar Startex jacket tonight... Love at first wearing! Never had such a comfortable jacket before! Bliss!)

Back to the original topic, I definitely wouldn't dry-clean it. Nasty chemicals, doing who-knows-what. I just use my washer and regular detergent, and hang to dry. Easy.

[parrythis]

I don't see at all how the level of bouts you're fencing has anything to do with how long a jacket will last, unless you mean it's getting hit much more often.

I think that rather than the skill level of the fencers, the actual issue might be the type of equipment they use. A novice fencer is much more likely to have a cheap blade that is more likely to break than the FIE blade that is likely being used by the "A" rated fencer.

[Hollywood Troy]

Thank you all. I machine washed all my stuff with no problems. Maybe FIE stuff (that I have now) just washes up better than the cheaper cotton stuff I used to have.