Dress Blues Laundering Question

[cailinabroad]

Newbie army wife here, in need of some advice...

We've got a military ball next weekend, and H just informed me the white dress shirt that goes with his dress blues has what looks like a tan make up stain on the collar (we were just at a wedding and there was a lot of hugging going on). Of course this is now my problem.

We're stationed in middle of nowhere Germany, and the dry cleaning place on post is incredibly slow (especially right now, before the ball) and has a tendency to lose things or give you someone else's stuff. I don't know of any German dry cleaners nearby, nor am I sure they could get it done on time. Is it possible to just do this myself? Like I said, it's just the white shirt, not the jacket or anything. Or should I suck it up and take it to the dry cleaners?

[kpol]

You can definitely wash the shirt on it's own. Check the care instructions on the tag, but I don't think I've ever sent the shirt with the blues when it goes to the cleaner.

[basilosaurus]

You can probably pay extra for faster laundering.

Or not worry and just bleach it.

H always chose the former, but I'm a bleach and forget woman.

[brandienee]

Why does this have to be your problem? It's his uniform, make him clean it. Aren't they trained to care for their uniforms?

Signed,

The wife who doesn't touch anything except flight suits.

[JakJak]

I think I would just use the hand wash/delicates cycle on the washing machine, use a really minimal amount of detergent and let them air dry flat. The tags on the shirt will probably tell you what to do!

[brandienee]

Sept 18, 2012 9:19:07 GMT -5 @ojo said:

Sept 18, 2012 8:54:13 GMT -5 brandienee said:

Aren't they trained to care for their uniforms?

I must have missed that day in basic.

Oh. Oops.

[ilovelamp]

You are teached basics like ironing and sewing, but we had laundry crew that washed our stuff.

[beans]

Sept 18, 2012 10:32:59 GMT -5 @ojo said:

We weren't taught (is teached a regional word?) sewing or ironing either, aside from where to crease our garments.

pretty sure "teached" is never a word.

[ilovelamp]

Teached was definitely a typo that came through on my phone. My bad.

[amaristella]

Sept 18, 2012 8:54:13 GMT -5 brandienee said:

Why does this have to be your problem? It's his uniform, make him clean it. Aren't they trained to care for their uniforms?

Signed,

The wife who doesn't touch anything except flight suits.

Haha, I know, right? If something is in the laundry basket I will wash it. Other than that, it's really not my problem.

And this is interesting about the disparity on having or not having been taught how to care for one's uniforms. DH's drill instructor taught them how, right down to making sure that they knew the right way to iron.

[brandienee]

Interesting, the way H talked I always assumed that it was part of his life at basic. I kind of got tired of his hovering whenever I would wash his uniforms that I just gave up. Maybe he is OCD, or I must really suck at laundry. LOL.

[cailinabroad]

Thanks for the responses ladies, it all worked out. I appreciate the advice-I was imagining myself ruining a dress shirt a week before the ball, but glad that wasn't the case

[basilosaurus]

I'll wash ABUs, and maybe drop a load at the cleaner's, but that's it. Back when he had BDUs, it was on him to iron. He hasn't had to participate in blues Mondays in years. It's lovely.