Washing Chef Coats

[lukeygina]

What is the best way to wash your chef coat if your linen service doesn't do it? I wash mine at home and it still doesn't get all the stainds out. I was just wondering if there are any good tips or suggestions.. Thanks chefs...

[siserilla]

A friend of mine told me about this. I'm assuming your coats are white. First she soaks them in Mean green (it's a degreaser, that might not be the right name). Then she sprays some bleach on them and she washes them in bleach as well and they always come out looking great.

[MarkV]

Yeah I'm a big bleach fan even though there will inevitably be some stains that are not of this world and resistant to even divine intervention.

I soak mine in bleach & water first for 15-20 minutes and then wash them.

Mark

[foodpump]

Bleach works, but it also weakens the fabric very quickly. I use Oxyclean, let it soak in the washer overnight, then run it on the long cycle.

[Jolly Roger]

I know this can be expensive, but having them professionally cleaned is the best and most effective. Depending on your place in the kitchen (can guests see you?), you may be able to either get your restaurant to help with the costs or ask if you and the other cooks can have coat service included with the linen service. Many linen companies offer this as a service. The smart-*** in me would also suggest that you wear your apron in such a way that the apron takes the brunt of abuse through your shift. Sometimes, I would wear two aprons, one the normal way and a second folded down and around my waist when I would work broil station.

[panini]

I agree with foodpump. The bleach is very distructive. It will cut the life of you jackets in half and if they are not 100 cxotton will eventually gray the stain in.
He also mentioned oxyclean. My crew now swears buy that. It's now in sams and such and I hear it's economical. We deal with some pretty good stains.
Oh, for blood, hydogen Peroxide.
The best answer to this question is to get yourself into a position where you're not getting dirty

[shahar]

Don't forget the smells. I soak in oxy over night. Wash with oxy and regular detergent. Than wash again in baking soda to deodorize. Once every two months add a bleach cycle.
BTW you got two flaps on that jacket. One for kitchen and one for guests...

[even stephen]

If you have bad stains, throw your jacket away. When I was
younger I used to keep a bucket of water and dishwashing
detergent on the back porch. Every night I would just
stuff them down into the mixture and let them soak for
at least the night. Oxy Clean works well also. Of course
you can always dye them if you work in that type of place.

[MarkV]

Originally Posted by panini

I agree with foodpump. The bleach is very distructive.

We'll find a common ground some day Panini.

Mark

[blueschef]

I usually have a few "utility" jackets for cooking and then some nice jackets to change into to be in view of the guest. I always felt the laundry service does the best job, and if you own your own jackets they seem to last longer with the linnen service.

[Pete]

One that no one mentioned is treating them with a stain stick when you get home. Hit them with some Spray & Wash or stain stick when you get home so the stains don't have a chance to set beofre you wash them. Someone also mentioned a bucket with water and detergent. That also works. Anything from letting the stain dry and set into the fabric. Bleaching works, but as stated before shortens the life of your jackets somewhat, though, as a line dog, I usually replaced my jackets after a year of use anyway. The other thing that bleach does is it strips the blue out of your whites leaving your jackets looking a dingy, off white yellow. That can be counteracted by treating your jackets with a "blueing" agent, found in the detergent aisle. It puts the blue back into your whites making them brilliant once again.

[dinerminer]

Getting stains out is one thing, preventing them is another. A heavy dose a starch while ironing will help prevent many stains and give you a crisp image. Also use the bib on the apron if you have that kind. A lot of chefs these days are going to darker colors that don't stains as well.

[panini]

MarkV,
Didn't notice.
I appreciate the blueing tip,Pete. The crew was looking a little dingy. Thought it was the lights.
shahar, ney,ney Your left side should always be closest to you and cover the heart.

[shroomgirl]

alittle off the subject but still coat related, I had my logo sewn on my latest show coat....after washing the logo moved closer to my arm pit and is not as visable.....next coat will be washed prior to embroidery.

[AprilB]

It works like literal pfm on wine and coffee stains on the rug, I can't imagine it not working on something more basic like whites.

Believe it or not men's body wash rubbed into specific oil stains works great too. I got this tip from my son, who is a trucker and deals with all kinds of oil stains including diesel almost daily.

I tried it on some grease stains on a particularly problematic t-shirt (a colored one at that) and voila.

April