# Wrinkley gabardine



## CallOfDuty (7 Nov 2009)

Hey guys.  I just found out that I'll be on parade Nov 11th, and my gabardine is clean, just very wrinkley.  Anyone have any tips on de-wrinkling it besides getting it drycleaned?  I still have time to get it done but I'd rather save the $$ if I could.
Cheers!


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## krustyrl (7 Nov 2009)

Not sure..maybe in the dryer with a damp towel., perhaps.?  Let it tumble then take it out and right onto a hanger.


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## PMedMoe (7 Nov 2009)

You could also try hanging it in the bathroom and take a long, hot shower or buy one of those little travel steamers.


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## Fishbone Jones (7 Nov 2009)

krustyrl said:
			
		

> Not sure..maybe in the dryer with a damp towel., perhaps.?  Let it tumble then take it out and right onto a hanger.



That's the ticket right there, but make it a wet towel and one that is a dark colour and lint free. Take it out just before the dryer stops and put it on a good quality hanger.


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## Occam (7 Nov 2009)

A set of DEU (including seasonal items such as gabardine) should always be ready to go on a moment's notice.  Why not spend the $12-$15 and get the gabardine dry cleaned and pressed, if you do have adequate time before the parade?  

Tinkering with getting the wrinkles out using a wet towel and dryer is a last-minute measure if you don't have the time to get the job done properly, IMO.


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## George Wallace (7 Nov 2009)

I have always found the cheapest way to keep the wrinkles out was to hang up the gabardine as soon as I was done using it.  I have never had a problem with wrinkles, unlike the guys who have kept their gabardines in the trunk of their car or the bottom of a duffle bag under a few packing boxes.


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## Fishbone Jones (7 Nov 2009)

Occam said:
			
		

> A set of DEU (including seasonal items such as gabardine) should always be ready to go on a moment's notice.  Why not spend the $12-$15 and get the gabardine dry cleaned and pressed, if you do have adequate time before the parade?
> 
> Tinkering with getting the wrinkles out using a wet towel and dryer is a last-minute measure if you don't have the time to get the job done properly, IMO.



The OP asked a specific question and received his answers. There is absolutely nothing wrong, cheap or inadequate about taking out the wrinkles as mentioned. It is just as proper as taking it to the dry cleaners or putting an iron to it. Matter of fact, spending $15.00 to get something that is clean, but just needs ironing, or wrinkle removal seems to me as a waste of time and money, especially when the dry cleaner is going to do the exact same thing, only with carcinogenic chemicals.


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## Occam (7 Nov 2009)

recceguy said:
			
		

> The OP asked a specific question and received his answers. There is absolutely nothing wrong, cheap or inadequate about taking out the wrinkles as mentioned. It is just as proper as taking it to the dry cleaners or putting an iron to it. Matter of fact, spending $15.00 to get something that is clean, but just needs ironing, or wrinkle removal seems to me as a waste of time and money, especially when the dry cleaner is going to do the exact same thing, only with carcinogenic chemicals.



My gabardine says "Do not steam press" on the care label.  Putting it in a dryer with a wet towel would accomplish the same thing as steam pressing it, i.e. applying heat and steam.  I'm not saying that your method won't work if done as an emergency measure, but it's not the recommended method by the manufacturer of the garment.


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## Fishbone Jones (7 Nov 2009)

Yet that is exctly what the dry cleaner is going to do. Steam press it. So where does that leave you?

Then again, I rip that label off my new matresses that says "Do Not Remove"


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## aesop081 (7 Nov 2009)

Occam said:
			
		

> should always be ready to go on a moment's notice.



For those rapid deployments that require DEUs ?

My overnight bag, now that is something that needs to be ready at a moment's notice......


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## X-mo-1979 (7 Nov 2009)

CDN Aviator said:
			
		

> For those rapid deployments that require DEUs ?
> 
> My overnight bag, now that is something that needs to be ready at a moment's notice......


However being down here in 2CMBG you never know when your going to a ramp ceremony,or one of your buddies gets killed.Keeping your DEU's GTG is a must.


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## Occam (7 Nov 2009)

X-mo-1979 said:
			
		

> However being down here in 2CMBG you never know when your going to a ramp ceremony,or one of your buddies gets killed.Keeping your DEU's GTG is a must.



Thank you.  There are all sorts of reasons why one might be required to wear DEU on short notice.  Twice in the last year I've had less than 48 hours notice to be in my best bib and tucker.

I'm pretty sure the response "Sorry <Sir/Chief>, my uniform has been on a hanger for the last 6 months and I don't have time to get it dry cleaned before the parade" would not have been received well.


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## Fishbone Jones (7 Nov 2009)

No one is talking about having your DEU completely whacked out. The thread is about how to quickly remove some wrinkles from a coat.

You can go back to making your mountains, molehills again. Sheesh :


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## Sprinting Thistle (7 Nov 2009)

Best advice I ever received, from a General, hang your uniform in the shower, run the shower as hot as possible, gets wrinkles out.  It worked.  I still follow the advice.


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## CallOfDuty (8 Nov 2009)

Thanks for all the replies guys.  I'm going to try the wet towel in the dryer trick right now.  When I posted my question I knew for sure that I was going to get flamed for not having my DEU ready to go.  I just spent 16 bucks getting my tunic and pants done...so yeah, I'm a little hesitant to spend more than that on a gabardine if I don't have to.  
   I've been in almost 4 years and have never worn it FWIW.


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## NCRCrow (8 Nov 2009)

Just a quick dit. I had a wrinkled old style Navy gabardine. So I took the advice of the hot shower trick from my LS. Well, I got home to my apartment, put the gabardine on a plastic hangar (insert foreshadowing) and cranked it. Went to the couch, promptly fell asleep. Woke up 30 minutes later, open the door, gabardine on the floor, shower curtain on the floor. The steam had melted the plastic.


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## George Wallace (8 Nov 2009)

Now......That is some hot water.  I would be worried that I may get scalded someday, if I were you.  Perhaps you should check the temperature settings on your waterheater.


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## George Wallace (8 Nov 2009)

TangoHotel said:
			
		

> Thanks for all the replies guys.  I'm going to try the wet towel in the dryer trick right now.  When I posted my question I knew for sure that I was going to get flamed for not having my DEU ready to go.  I just spent 16 bucks getting my tunic and pants done...so yeah, I'm a little hesitant to spend more than that on a gabardine if I don't have to.
> I've been in almost 4 years and have never worn it FWIW.



That's OK.  Some of us have belonged to Units that have had the nasty habits of "Raincoats ON/Raincoats OFF" over the years.   ;D


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## NCRCrow (8 Nov 2009)

That was nearly 20 years ago when I moved to the booming metropolis of North End Dartmouth. 

After many lessons learned:
I hang all my kit up after I use it. 
Have one set of DEU's in plastic at all times. 
Always get a haircut the day prior of wearing my DEU's. (If I am wearing my DEU's, I am getting a haircut. Full stop)
Have a lint brush in my car 
Have 4 extra poppies in my pocket to give out on the day of the parade.
Do not imbibe the night prior to a parade
and due to my walnut sized bladder refrain from the TH's 

The one question, I ask the forum. Medals on the outside of the Gabardine? No where in the dress regs but I have seen it on many occasions.


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## PMedMoe (8 Nov 2009)

HFXCrow said:
			
		

> The one question, I ask the forum. Medals on the outside of the Gabardine? No where in the dress regs but I have seen it on many occasions.



I've seen it too.  It's stupid.  We were on a parade in Borden and it was raining like crazy.  They immediately told everyone to take the medals off the gabardines.  The medals get wet, the ribbon gets ruined and they'd be covering the cost to have all of them remounted.


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## Occam (8 Nov 2009)

From the Dress Manual, Chapter 4:

4. The full-size insignia of orders, decorations
and medals may be worn on topcoats if ceremonial
dress is appropriate or ordered. See Figure 4-2.
Alternatively, the insignia are worn on ceremonial
dress tunics and jackets, which may be covered
temporarily by authorized outerwear (see
paragraph 10. for comparative civilian protocol).


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