Cleaning kit

[malcolmc]

My posh new olive green PLCE pouches have now got rain stains all over them. They’re Cordura with Velcro and metal fittings. Anyone know the best way to clean them. Ideally I’d really like to chuck them in a washing machine - but which wash cycle?

 

[jayuk]

I would personally hand wash them using soap flakes. I did this to an old PLCE bergan to prevent the PU backing of the cordura material from disintegrating.

Putting them in a washing machine will make them fade unevenly and may damage the waterproof PU coating (and wash off the waterproof coating on the surface of the cordura as well).

 

[OldBaldGuy]

Personally I wouldn't worry about it. Back in my days (a long long long time ago), we couldn't wait for our gear to get stained, faided, etc, so that you looked like an old timer and not a FNG...

 

[11binf]

never wash webbing in a mech. washer or use a dryer......see my last post in kit chatter for (i.d. this pouch)its a post from bod on a U.S. buttpack....always hand wash only if its really nasty dirty. ..vince g. 11b inf..

 

[Toddy]

The old fasioned way is the gentle use of a clothes brush, it's amazing what it'll shift. After that's taken care of any gunk, a damp cloth ought to restore the surface

Cheers,
Toddy

 

[Graham_S]

what's this thing called washing kit?
it'd have to be REALLY dirty before i'd bother. i find mud dries and falls off.

 

[Ogri the trog]

a FNG...

That takes me back and made me chuckle - though when I was serving the "F" refered to a group of islands in the south atlantic.



Ogri the trog

 

[John Fenna]

Wash Kit?!
This will make your kit smell of civilization and give you a huge scent "profile" that will scare off wildlife - so you will never see the beasties in the wilds.
Leave it dirty, smell of the field and wood, see the wildlife, (and look like an old hand... or tramp!) get closer to nature.
If the kit is so filthy as to be unhygenic, brush off the worst, hose down the kit and scrub it with a stiff brush using an old toothbrush in seams and welts, dry it naturally. If desparate to shift stains try vinegar, in various dilutions and as a last resort pure soap flakes and warm water.
John

 

[malcolmc]

I continued to use the stained pouches and it seems the stains are disappearing on their own! I was vaguely aware the army changed to man made materials to aid cleaning of kit in hostile environments but I didn’t expect it to be virtually self-cleaning. I’m well impressed; strikes me the military do know a thing or two about kit. Thanks to all of you who offered advice but for now I’m just going to carry on using it and see what happens.

 

[Jackdaw]

The Army changed to man-made kit to stop it soaking up all available water and making it ten-times heavier! The old 58 pattern webbing used to weight a lot when wet. I used it on the Endurance course during my Commando training, then halfway through we changed to PLCE and you could really tell the difference. Only problem was with the old boys with their, "in my day it really was a course cause the old webbing was heavier!".

You just can't win!

 

[markw]

Lets not forget the main motivation for changing kit is ussualy the 'Cheapest Tender' syndrome (mmmmm initiall runs of the SA80 ). I joined up in the last days of 58 pat webbing the SLR (now that was a gat :notworthy) and steel helmets. Lots of changes were a foot. Tnankfully we always go a lot of slack in what and how we carried it.

Certainly remmeber mudding kit up and looking for faded combats as opposed to bright new shiny DPM. A necessity realy.

Mark

 

[spamel]

I loved the way 58 shrank so that you couldn't get your water bottle out and started to dehydrate!! Or the fact that you needed help from your mates to do the belt up, or trying to get a poncho, water proofs and an NBC suit into the bum roll!!! :aargh4:

 

[jamie6754]

The best way i have found to clean PLCE pouches is to use a strong scrubbing brush with hot soapy water it may take a few attempts to get them totally clean, instead of using the washing machine cause i have found in the past using a washing machine does damage the cordura on the inside

 

[leon-1]

When I HAD to clean PLCE, the method used normally was bass broom and a hose pipe, generally it was left as it was or just brushed off with a clothes/nail brush (anything that had stiff fibres).

 

[malcolmc]

Thanks for the additional info.

I thought you service types had to have kit in pristine condition for parade, or am I living in the past again?

 

[spamel]

We tend not to go on parade in our exercise kit, it has years of ingrained cow and sheep poo for that authentic "german livestock field" look!!