Working on an airline is a tough job, you work long hours and travel all around the world in a matter of hours. When you're always on the job, it's hard to think about the state of your uniform. After a few hours your uniform can go from being crisp and fresh to covered in sweat and all sorts from passengers. It can be tempting to just bung it all in the washing machine, but your uniform needs to be properly taken care of. In this businesses you need to always look presentable, even after a 12 hour shift. So below are some of the uniforms you'll find on board, what they tend to consist of and what you need to do with each piece.
Male Pilot Uniform
- Hat-It can be very hard to clean hats, but one tip is to keep the hat dry at all times. You can buy water repellent spray which can help to protect it over a longer period of time.
- Blazer-One thing you need to remember with blazers is that they need to be brushed daily and aired. Once inside the plane you can remove your jacket and place it somewhere that it can be aired.
- Shirt-The collar on a shirt is the most stubborn for sweat stains, you can keep this nice and white by using a stronger cleaner on the collar when washing.
- Tie-It might be tempting at the end of the day to pull the thin end of the tie out of the knot, but this ruins the shape of the tie. Simply do the reverse of how you tied it.
- Trousers-Just as with a blazer you only need to brush these off and wash them once every 2-3 days of wear.
- Leather Shoes-To keep your shoes in tip top shape you should keep them polished, make sure they are clean with no dirt before polishing.
Female Pilot Uniform
- Hat-To stop your hat from smelling you can use deodoriser to keep it smelling fresh before you decide to wash it.
- Blazer-Sometimes the stitching can come loose on a blazer, if you notice any loose stitching you need to get it fixed by a seamstress asap.
- Blouse-To stop your blouse from getting stained under the arms use a really good deodorant that lasts for as long as you can find it, many go up to 48 hours protection.
- Scarf-These are very delicate and need to be washed with care, do not use bleach and only hand wash.
- Leather Shoes/Heels-To stop your shoes from wearing down you can go to a shoe repair shop and get metal put on the heels. You may sound a little louder but your shoes will last a lot longer.
Male Cabin Crew
- Suit-It may sound silly, but you really must get the exact measurements when getting a suit as an ill fitting suit can hinder you and make you uncomfortable.
- Tie-You need to wash your ties according to the material, if it is made with silk it is dry clean only whereas cotton or wool ties can be hand washed.
- Shirt-It may sound odd but you should avoid putting these in a dryer, as these are what show the yellow stains more. Instead hang them out to dry.
- Leather Shoes-Always remove laces when cleaning/polishing your shoes, if they become tatty simply replace them.
Female Cabin Crew
- Hat-Depending on the type of materials used you can wash your hat in the dishwasher on the top shelf (with no detergent).
- Dress-To stop your dresses from becoming creased simply hang them to dry naturally rather than tumble drying. You may not even have to iron it!
- Blouse-Remember to pre-treat problem areas of your blouse before placing it in the washing machine, this will help keep them bright white.
- Waistcoat/blazer-Do not take an iron to your waistcoat or blazer, steam them instead as this doesn't harm the material and gives a smoother look/feel.
- Scarf-Always fold scarves away neatly and delicately iron. A tip would be to iron them with a towel between it and the iron.
- Skirt with Tights-If you find that your tights ladder throughout the day, and you don't have any spare, you can stop them from laddering further by putting clear nail varnish at the end of the ladder.
- Trousers-When wearing trousers try not to overload any pockets you may have, this can cause holes and loose stitching.
- Small Leather Heels-They can hurt your feet after a long while, so protect both your feet and in insides of the shoe by adding a foam insole.
Article written on behalf of uniformtaxrebate.co.uk
