Riding macs for careful scrubbers

From: "Boyle's Lore" by Katie Boyle, jointly published by Weidenfeld & Nicolson / ITV Books in 1982.

Question: " Do you know of anywhere I could have a good, solid, old-fashioned riding mackintosh cleaned? Dry cleaners say the rubber bonding would simply fall apart if they cleaned it. People at riding stables tell me to scrub it carefully on a kitchen table, but alas, I no longer have that kind of energy."

Mrs N. Findhom, London SW2.

Katie's Reply: " If you can wait for 'bob-a-job' week or even contact the Scouts, you will have manpower for the job, since you don't feel up to it yourself. The only way to clean a real riding mackintosh is to scrub it as you were told. Use warm water and soap (not a detergent) and then hang it up to dry naturally in a cool place. Any hint of a fire will make the rubber deteriorate. Incidentally, this kind of mackintosh gives the best service. It is old-fashioned, but really sound and solid! "

Pages 127-128 under "Clothes : Cleaning Queries".

Richard

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