Academy: tips for fixing bad dry cleaning creases?

[Chomp]

I start the academy next week. I just got my uniforms back from the cleaners, and the creases are F'ed up on two of them. I'm sure this is going to keep coming up over the next few months, so I'd like to be able to fix this myself, if it's possible. Up until now, my ironing experience has been limited to taking the wrinkles out of dress shirts. If you have any ironing tricks/other methods that got you through your academy, I'd really appreciate hearing about it. These uniforms are 65% polyester/35% cotton.

[Spoken]

I would take them back and tell them to fix it or refund your money then choose another dry cleaner.

[Back to NYC]

Complain to the cleaner; they should be able to fix the creases in your pants. If you try to fix it with your little iron at home, you're going to end up with "train tracks" going down each leg. Let them do it with their big steam press like they were supposed to do in the first place.

[Chomp]

That's the plan, this time. My concern is that at some point, this is going to come up when there's not enough time to get this handled by complaining and waiting for the cleaner's turnaround. If it's possible, I'd like to have the ability to fix it myself. If it's not possible, then I guess I'll be doing push-ups.

[ateamer]

Find a new dry cleaner. I had gone to the same one for 19 years, then twice in a row, my pants had railroad tracks and the creases on the shirts were off center. I complained, and insisted that the creases on the shirts be exactly through the center of the buttons on the pockets, and explained why. The next one was fine, then the week after that, it was wrong again. I took my business elsewhere. At the new (and current) cleaners, I explained why they were getting my business, and what I expected. He was very much in agreement, said that he wants our local officers to look good and so far (one year), everything has been done just right.

As much as they charge for washing and pressing a uniform, you are well within your rights to insist on outstanding performance 100% of the time.

[IBTP711]

If it comes down to it and you have to, spray water on the f'ed up creases and flatten them, This may take a few passes. Then fold for your current creases spray it with water and make several passes again. I have a seperate spray bottle for when I do my own ironing. This will knock the bad creases down a bunch but if you look close the bad creases may still be there. So as soon as you can take them to the cleaners and get them repressed.

[usmcrob]

I hate somer creases...... some are here, some are there.

[CH47Doc]

I would take them back and tell them to fix it or refund your money then choose another dry cleaner.

+1. Check it before you even leave the cleaners. If its whacked tell them to fix it THAT DAY, not tomarrow. You paid for a service that they have failed to render. You can also tell them that you have 'X' number of guys in your class that need a dry cleaner and if they square you away you'll be sure to tell all your friends :D, same goes for if they dont fix it :mad:

[QRF]

When I was in the academy, my creases were sewn in. Kind of hard to screw those up. My uniform shop did 'em cheap.

[pujolsfan146]

When I came out of the Corps I used to iron my own clothing. That stopped when I started wearing a polyester uniform. I would get awesome creases but the uniform would shine. Can anyone advise how to iron polyester without getting that ugly shine?

[wirefire2]

When I came out of the Corps I used to iron my own clothing. That stopped when I started wearing a polyester uniform. I would get awesome creases but the uniform would shine. Can anyone advise how to iron polyester without getting that ugly shine?

Less heat, the shine is from the melting of the poly. I always ask for heavy starch at the cleaners and that seems to help hold the creases.

[pujolsfan146]

Less heat, the shine is from the melting of the poly. I always ask for heavy starch at the cleaners and that seems to help hold the creases.

Thanks for the info. I also thought about asking for extra starch. I will do that next time. It's a real buzzkill getting the uniform from the dry cleaner and not everything, like the lapels, are flat.

[usmcrob]

When I came out of the Corps I used to iron my own clothing. That stopped when I started wearing a polyester uniform. I would get awesome creases but the uniform would shine. Can anyone advise how to iron polyester without getting that ugly shine?

Put a tshirt (or piece of similar fabric) on the poly before you iron. You can leave the iron on high and use lots of steam and it won't give you the shine.

[HEDP]

.
To stop the shine:

1.) Put a piece of cloth over it.

2.) Use less heat.


To fix the creases:

1.) Take it back to the cleaners.

2.) Use a lot of steam. There should be a button that you hold that shoots steam out.



I only take my uniforms to the cleaners once a year and have them use heavy starch.

After that, it holds the crease really well, and I iron them myself from then on.

On that note, I never use starch when I do it myself. So my uniforms usually only get starch once a year.


In our academy we took all of our uniforms and had the creases sew in them also. $9 a shirt, cost more then the shirt, but well worth it in the long run.
.

[Taylor1430]

I don't know what type of city you live in but if you can find a cleaners that caters to the military, the better. Where I am, we have numerous military facilities, including the US Naval Academy. Most of the cleaners here are used to dealing with uniforms and their proper cleaning and exactly where the creases should be, etc.

At first, I ended up going to one of the cheaper cleaners and ran into problems. After complaining, they still couldn't get it right. Found one that was little more military friendly and haven't had problems for several years.

[jakflak]

The trick to fixing 'railroad tracks' on the sleeves is to wash the shirt and leave it wet (don't dry it). Iron it wet and the sleeves will lay down flat a lot easier; get it straight and get the bad creases out. Hang it up on a hanger to dry.

[twoseventysix]

I've heard that you aren't supposed to put starch on polyester. Supposedly it makes it so that the polyester can't "breathe" and makes it hotter. Can anybody set me straight on this. Of course, I heard this from a co-worker who is always wearing wrinkled uniforms.

[CobaltNC]

Polyester doesn't "breathe" well in the first place. The only downside to ironing polyester is the shine, which has been discussed. The remedies mentioned above are the solution.