TM 10-8400-201-23
5-6.
REPAIR AND MAINTENANCE OF UNIFORMS - Continued
a.
Inspection. Inspect all subject items to determine the amount of repairs needed and whether such repairs can be
accomplished within the organization.
b.
Repair. The following indicated repairs will be accomplished by hand sewing only at organizational maintenance:
(1) Replace missing or damaged buttons.
(2) Re-sew or patch rips, tears, and loose seams.
(3) Re-sew torn-out buttonholes and attach loose belt loops.
c.
Cleaning. Items shall be kept clean by the users, either by dry cleaning, if possible, or wash at low temperature
for a short time, squeeze thoroughly dry.
d.
Direct Support Maintenance.
(1) Preliminary examination and cleaning. Dirt, mud, dust, spots, mildew stain, and other foreign matter shall be
removed with a hard bristle brush or by other means when available. Mildewed and rotton items shall be
discarded. Seams shall be tested by grasping the item with both hands and pulling at right angles to the
seam. Areas to be repaired shall be marked with crayon. Non-specification and personnel marks shall be
erased or obscured.
(2) Dry cleaning and mothproofing treatment. Dry cleaning will be accomplished in accordance with TM 10-300
when cleaned in Army facilities, if cleaned by contract using commercial facilities, the cleaning will be
accomplished in accordance with commercial dry-cleaning practices. The procedure for mothproofing
woolen items by dry cleaning is found in TM 10-300.
(3) Sewing machine repairs, stitching and restitching. All sewing, except emergency repair, shall be machine
sewn. When ends of machine stitching type 301 are not caught in other seams or stitching, they shall be
back-stitched not less than 1 inch at each break. Ends of a continuous line of stitching shall overlap not less
than ½ inch (1.27 cm). Thread breaks (all stitch types) shall be repaired by stitching back of the break not
less than ½ inch (1.27 cm) at end of break. Thread tension shall be properly maintained to avoid loose
stitching and locks shall be imbedded in the center of the materials sewn. Thread breaks in overedge
stitching shall be overlock stitched not less than ¾ inch (1.91 cm) at each end of break. Stitch spacing used
for restitching and other types of seams, shall be the same as in the original construction. Seams with loose
and/or weak thread shall be restitched. For illustrations of the various types of stitches used, see FED-STD-
751. The following types of stitch, thread size, and stitches per inch are to be used as applicable to the
repair (see table 5-1).
5-4
