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Washing a NOS M65

Hi Guys;
I need to wash a NOS M65 that has accumulated some storage dust and dirt. Any special instructions that I should follow? The label just says something like "return to laundry for cleaning to preserve water repellancy" or something similar.
Thanks and Kindest Regards,
Tom
 

unclegrumpy

Well-Known Member
Once you wash it, it won't be NOS anymore, because the sizing will wash away, so it might be better to just be left alone.

That said, if it is not dirty, but just dusty as you said, the mildest thing you can do is wash it in the bath tub with cold water and no soap. You will pretty quickly see if that is enough to get it cleaner. Lots of times if something is essentially unworn, the dust and dirt is sitting on top of the fabric, and if it was treated, it will just wash away.

To get it clean, you might need to add some soap, but I would go as mild and as little as possible. Woolite is good, but so is a squirt of regular old dishwashing detergent like Dawn or something similar. Lots of times the closet dust has an element of greasiness, and dishwashing detergent does a nice job of cutting that.

If the jacket is truly dirty, you are going to have to up it to laundry detergent, but I would still do the washing in the tub and use cold water.

The next step is to lay it out flat and let it dry slowly. I like to sandwich things like this between towels as first step to blot out as much of the water as I can and press it back into shape. Don't put it in the sun, just let it take it's time to dry.

These jackets were made to go in the washer, so you could aways do that, but it won't look new anymore.
 

foster

Well-Known Member
If it is just storage dust, compressed air blown from the inside to the outside might accomplish some of the desired effect without changing its NOS state.
 

unclegrumpy

Well-Known Member
foster said:
If it is just storage dust, compressed air blown from the inside to the outside might accomplish some of the desired effect without changing its NOS state.
Good point.

Sometimes just putting an item out for a day in the sun and shaking it out a few times works too. Especially if you are keeping it as a collectable rather than something you are going to wear.
 
Thanks Guys! I'm more of a wearer than a collector and plan to use this one for hunting, fishing, outdoor activities, so keeping it NOS is not really an issue. I just wanted to make sure that they were not meant to be dry cleaned only. I appreciate the info.
Best regards,
Tom
 

foster

Well-Known Member
These days, the "Dry Clean Only" tag is something I interpret as:
"The manufacturer assumes no responsibility for shrinking or fading of this garment if washed conventionally".
 
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