tallchick

How often do you wash your leaders? And when do you replace them?

wesing

My leaders are printed not to get them wet. I supposed they could be dry cleaned. They get dusty but not really dirty, so I haven’t thought about replacing them.

GEMRM

I haven't had to wash mine, I think they don't really get very dirty and so I don't see a need ...yet...
I made mine from a heavy muslin. I think I would consider replacing them if they began to be unstable (i.e. stretched in places) or if they seemed to shift. I use Leadergrips with mine as well vs pinning, so maybe if you pin that might make a difference? I can't say, just posing it as a thought that may affect wear...

sewbizgirl

I have a sit down, so no leaders to worry about.

Christine-

I'm not sure but I think she might mean they need washing because they are stretched out of shape. Washing brings them back from what I hear. Mine are stretched now and probably need to be replaced rather than washed.

dunster

I wouldn't consider washing them. The canvas they're made of would probably shrink and might not hold its shape that well.

I replaced my leaders once, after I moved from OR to CA. They had been wrapped around the poles during the move and got pretty dirty. If not for that, I would not have replaced them.

Bobbielinks

The Leaders on my Gammill are made of canvas, so would probably shrink if they were washed. They still look like new after 20 years. I figure if a person takes care of them, they should stay clean and not need washing.

quiltedsunshine

I washed a set, and it shrunk very badly. The bad thing about that is that the Velcro didn't shrink, so it turned into a puckered mess that couldn't be used.

jmoore

Mine are also heavy canvas but I’ve only had my my LA about a year so I’m hoping not to have to replace them for quite sometime.

ckcowl

I’ve never washed mine. They were replaced once- but only because I purchased a new ( upgraded) machine, table everything and it all came with new ones. I still have the old ones- they were about 15 years old and there’s nothing wrong with them. The new ones are 6-7 years old now and they are still like new.