Washing a vintage N-3B parka?

[D.Crash]

I'm looking at those photos you posted of the Parka, it looks absolutely fine!

I'm not sure what photos you are refering to, because I didn't post any

Well, it's not THAT dirty. I just bought it 3 years ago in used condition without the stains. But after wearing it for 3 seasons and travelling in it, I'd like to refresh the jacket. There are some minor stains on sleeves or pocket flaps, but nothing serious.

But...

Layer up, wear a scarf, you'll never put a grease ring around the collar with a nice military cotton scarf, the worse will be a slight film build up around the hood from exhaling frosty breath,

This is what bothers me. Indeed, that grease and film around the hood are present. It makes jacket look dirty in my opinion and I don't really feel comfortable in public.
I did the thing with a damp cloth and gentle grey soap but it didn't help. Also, a nasty brownish bruise was formed around the hood (on the fabric ring between inner and outside fur). This is even worse than before. I'll give it a shot with a different detergent but I'm afraid it will wash out some pigmentation. That's why I thought about dry cleaning.

I've had a bunch of nomex flight jackets go through my hands and none had ever shown signs of being cleaned

My experience was the same. When I got CWU 36/P it was so dirty, I mean EXTREMELY dirty, that it looked and felt like it was made out of rubber. I've just put it in the front loaded washing mashine and everything was fine.

 

[Dumpster Diver]

American military clothing is never quite the same once it gets washed unfortunately the cotton loses it's "Sheen" a little bit and the colour will lighten a noticeable shade and fade and become a little more soft and dull and it tends to shrink up 3%.

I can't give you a straight answer how to clean the "Frost" mark on the hood and grease is almost permanent unfortunately...That's the rule with bedsheets after about 4 years they are saturated with oils from your skin, and need replacing. That's why I'm suggesting Just live with the stains, you can't have it both ways and wear the Jacket without experiencing the natural wear and tear of daily usage.

I find that it becomes part of the Jacket and over time The Jacket will Just age and start to show more signs of scuffs and stains. I'll have to take some photos of my orange satin Lined 1960's Nylon Jacket that looks like it was worn by a construction worker for a couple of seasons, the cuffs are tattered, and the whole liner is rotten and shredded and completely soiled and falling apart....it's a beautiful thing...something about a piece that shows it's signs of age and wear, it really introduces itself as a thing of pride and functionality for me as a wearer.

 

[D.Crash]

I totally agree that naturally aged clothing looks great. But I feel a bit uncomfortable wearing something that just looks dirty to me.
Here's a photo of what happened after spot cleaning with gentle soap. Grease didn't go away and that yellow-ish bruise appeared. At first photo is not so visible, but second is taken with flash and it shows how it looks in the daylight.


This is how it looks like in reality:


Same thing with a windflap:



Cuffs turned out allright after spot cleaning, only a bit off dye went off:



Otherwise it's a great jacket. Very warm and in a good condition:



My question is: do you think I should try another spot cleaning on the hood and flap area with some stronger detergent? I'm afraid It would ruin the die. Or should I just wear it? Would you wear it?
I'm aware that I might seem to be looking for non-existent problems but I'd rather be careful, as these parkas are hard to get in my country.

 

[Harris HTM]

I totally agree that naturally aged clothing looks great. But I feel a bit uncomfortable wearing something that just looks dirty to me.
Here's a photo of what happened after spot cleaning with gentle soap. Grease didn't go away and that yellow-ish bruise appeared. At first photo is not so visible, but second is taken with flash and it shows how it looks in the daylight.
View attachment 202631

This is how it looks like in reality:
View attachment 202632

Same thing with a windflap:

View attachment 202634

Cuffs turned out allright after spot cleaning, only a bit off dye went off:

View attachment 202635

Otherwise it's a great jacket. Very warm and in a good condition:

View attachment 202636

My question is: do you think I should try another spot cleaning on the hood and flap area with some stronger detergent? I'm afraid It would ruin the die. Or should I just wear it? Would you wear it?
I'm aware that I might seem to be looking for non-existent problems but I'd rather be careful, as these parkas are hard to get in my country.

I own a 1982 Greenbrier. I sent it to my dry cleaner and came back safe and sound, no issues whatsoever, but keep in mind that I have removed the white synthetic fur (was in decomposing state).

 

[D.Crash]

Are you able to tell what chemicals were used? As I wrote before, lady in my local dry cleaners refused to take it, saying that jacket may be destroyed during the process. She suggested to take it to a place which is using petroleum.

 

[Harris HTM]

Are you able to tell what chemicals were used? As I wrote before, lady in my local dry cleaners refused to take it, saying that jacket may be destroyed during the process. She suggested to take it to a place which is using petroleum.

Next time I'm there I will ask them but judging from the smell no petroleum is used.

 

[Doctor Damage]

My question is: do you think I should try another spot cleaning on the hood and flap area with some stronger detergent? I'm afraid It would ruin the die. Or should I just wear it? Would you wear it? I'm aware that I might seem to be looking for non-existent problems but I'd rather be careful, as these parkas are hard to get in my country.

I don't think you're going to harm the dye unless you use bleach or some serious cleaner, which you shouldn't for any number of reasons beyond harming colours. I guess I'd try it again with normal detergent or even hand soap. At some point, though, some stains will never be fully removed but if the coat is now clean then just wear it. Who knows, maybe you'll get run over by a bus next week, and the coat will outlast you. Just wear it.

 

[Ernest P Shackleton]

Try some Tide. Not all clothing detergent is created equal. I don't know what they do with it, but as a general, everyday cleaner and spotter, it works better than any other non-specialized detergent I've ever used. It's like Dawn in that way. Sure, you can use other things to clean your X, Y, and Z just fine, but when you want something to really take on the grease, you go to Dawn. I sound like a commercial for these brands, but unless I want to employ some specialty product, yet want the utmost best performance, Tide and Dawn seem to be the tools. And now that I said that, if you don't mind running water over the spots, Dawn might be better than Tide. Dilute the Dawn with a little water (maybe 75/25) and let it sit for 15-30 minutes. Then, rinse. You do need water involved though. Water activates the Dawn. With Tide, you can let straight soap sit and hopefully break up the spotting. Oh, and use a soft toothbrush to lightly scrub the areas before you let it sit. I've used Dawn to remove a pure lanolin stain. If it doesn't work, you're probably stuck with the stains.

But then those areas will be so clean that I would guess they'd stand out, which would be odd.