Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike_2817
During WWII the RAOC had Mobile Laundry & Bath Units (in fact showers) and used trailer mounted industrial washing machines and dryers, not dry cleaning. What the heat settings & detergent used is not known, but by all reports were very effective.
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They still have them. I don't know how modern the equipment they use is today but in my time they were still using what I would consider to be fairly antiquated, if effective, Heath Robinson type machines with steam escaping from brass vales and odd squeaking and farting noises from every aperture.
My experience with the laundry service was that, while it was extremely good at getting oil, mud and general clag out of uniforms and coveralls, it was quite harsh and everything came back pretty faded. As for the mobile shower facility: it was excellent, if primitive. The showers would be erected in a marquee which had the ground covered with duckboards. One simply picked a shower head, got under it and commenced lathering and singing. The problem was that when you got outside the duckboards finished and you were stood ankle deep in mud created from hundreds of other bodies dripping onto that spot, and of course you contributed to that further. Your clean uniforms would be piled up outside the marquee so you had to find your pile and get dressed. By the time you'd done so and cleaned the muck off your feet your towel was ready for the laundry again.
Then there were the "thunderbox" facilities in these "rest areas" but that story's for a different time.
As for cleaning BD's. A good stiff brush is what we used when we wore it as cadets. They're made of pretty good quality material and can take a good brushing, even with a suede brush. What you've got to be careful of is the cloth becoming brittle so avoid scrunching it up too much or it can actually break.
We had exactly the same problem with ceremonial uniforms which were made in 1908 and just after. To get rid of manky smells just hang the garment on the line in a stiff breeze and give it a damn good brushing. It worked for us. with the dark blue of cavalry uniforms we were often beset with white sweat marks if we wore them on hot days because these are (like BD's) pretty heavy cloth and you sweat profusely. If you air it properly though and let it dry even sweat marks should brush out.
I'd certainly avoid dry cleaning because of the damage modern chemicals could do to the cloth and anything attached to it, like stripes, medal ribbons, or trade badges.
I hope that helps. Sorry for going OT at the start but you know what us old soldiers are like when we start.
