Flight Nylon Stains

[Seb Lucas]

Just wanting to check something I have found with the 3 sage green MA1 flight jackets I have owned. They seem to pick up stains quite quickly and end up with small marks that almost look like they are made by grease or oil or something similar. Warm soapy water doesn't seem to remove the marks. Anyone else have this? I've had two Alphas - USA and Asian versions and a USA made Gibson and Barnes.

 

[Sloan1874]

Yeah, I have that. I actually found they appeared after being out in the rain and allowed to dry, as if they were water marks. I just decided that if it got wet enough, often enough, they would all merge with each other. It's one of the reasons I haven't got into them too heavily or spent too much money on them.

 

[devilish]

I wonder if it's something that gets through the nylon and into the insulation layer? Especially with the wool/cotton lining? Hence the fact that outside cleaning fails to work? I have put both a Buzz B-15C Mod. and a newer US made Alpha through a wash in the machine. It took some deep breathing to do with the Buzz, given the price and the relative difficulty of replacing it.
However, they both came out fine. Made sure to gently reshape them and to dry them in naturally warm air.
The very small stain on the Buzz is still ever so slightly visible at certain angles but nowhere near as bad as it was. The one on the Alpha disappeared. I do understand though that putting any of the jackets we love in the machine can be a crap shoot.

 

[bn1966]

My favourite L-2B has water marks again (& probably beer stains too), I'll have it dry cleaned again soon (Bradleys Specialist Dry Cleaners..great for flight nylon). Mostly I don't worry & just wear it...sold a Buzz L-2A partly because I worried too much about it

 

[Harris HTM]

I also had waterstains in my Alpha sage MA-1 (asian made). Went away with dry cleaning. I hope it will get cold again soon, I miss the jacket wearing period.

 

[Seb Lucas]

Water marks? I hadn't thought about that possibility. I figured that because nylon is water resistant it wouldn't stain. Curious.

 

[Seb Lucas]

I wonder if it's something that gets through the nylon and into the insulation layer? Especially with the wool/cotton lining? Hence the fact that outside cleaning fails to work? I have put both a Buzz B-15C Mod. and a newer US made Alpha through a wash in the machine. It took some deep breathing to do with the Buzz, given the price and the relative difficulty of replacing it.
However, they both came out fine. Made sure to gently reshape them and to dry them in naturally warm air.
The very small stain on the Buzz is still ever so slightly visible at certain angles but nowhere near as bad as it was. The one on the Alpha disappeared. I do understand though that putting any of the jackets we love in the machine can be a crap shoot.

My current Gibson and Barnes has 9 separate greasy looking stains on it (upper arms, back and front) after wearing for just two days. They are slightly faded but still looks pretty awful to my eye.