# Have you ever purposefully driven your car over your clothes? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 5, 2002, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-purposefully-driven-your-car-over-your-clothes/127181 "2002-09-05T20:49:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![cainxinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7bcc69/32.png) [@cainxinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cainxinth)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2002, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-purposefully-driven-your-car-over-your-clothes/127181/1 "2002-09-05T20:49:51Z")
A friend of mine told me that his old college roomate had an unusual preference for running over all his new clothes with his car because it gave them a soft, weathered feel. I have a shirt or two that I’m considering trying this on, but I wanted to ask if anyone else does this and if they could offer any tips before I do something I may regret. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2002, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-purposefully-driven-your-car-over-your-clothes/127181/2 "2002-09-05T21:03:44Z")
You didn’t blow your budget buying these clothes, did you? I mean, if it turns out to be kind of an awful idea, you’re going to be able to replace them, right? Have you considered just washing & drying them a few times? Or buying your clothes at St. Vincent de Paul? ---
**Author:** ![cainxinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7bcc69/32.png) [@cainxinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cainxinth)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2002, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-purposefully-driven-your-car-over-your-clothes/127181/3 "2002-09-05T21:16:24Z")
No, I didn’t buy anything at all. I have three old t-shirts that have been washed and dried many times, but the material is still very rigid and coarse. Fabric softener didn’t do the trick so I thought I’d resort to more forceful means. ---
**Author:** ![samarm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4da419/32.png) [@samarm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samarm)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2002, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-purposefully-driven-your-car-over-your-clothes/127181/4 "2002-09-05T21:22:30Z")
I don’t know about a “soft weathered feel”, I’d say you’re more likely to get a “greasy tyre marked feel, with bits of gravel” ---
**Author:** ![cainxinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7bcc69/32.png) [@cainxinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cainxinth)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2002, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-purposefully-driven-your-car-over-your-clothes/127181/5 "2002-09-05T21:59:41Z")
I would wrap them in a garbage bag first. I was more worried about the pressure putting permenant marks or tears in the fabric. ---
**Author:** ![breaknrun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bbce88/32.png) [@breaknrun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/breaknrun)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2002, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-purposefully-driven-your-car-over-your-clothes/127181/6 "2002-09-06T00:09:06Z")
I dunno about other clothes but washing new jeans with vinegar seemed to soften them up nicely. ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2002, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-purposefully-driven-your-car-over-your-clothes/127181/7 "2002-09-06T00:24:47Z")
I think it is a bad idea. Several washing cycles sound like a better idea to me. ---
**Author:** ![Savaka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/858c86/32.png) [@Savaka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Savaka)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2002, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-purposefully-driven-your-car-over-your-clothes/127181/8 "2002-09-06T01:58:52Z")
Yes. Definitely put them in a garbage bag filled with vinegar before you run them over with your car. Then set them on fire and extinguish them with Cream of Wheat. That ought to give you just the texture you’re looking for. ---
**Author:** ![samarm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4da419/32.png) [@samarm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samarm)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2002, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-purposefully-driven-your-car-over-your-clothes/127181/9 "2002-09-06T02:02:59Z")
Savaka: best laugh I’ve had all day. 😃 Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Savaka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/858c86/32.png) [@Savaka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Savaka)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2002, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-purposefully-driven-your-car-over-your-clothes/127181/10 "2002-09-06T02:33:05Z")
‘Tweren’t nothin’, **samarm**. You have to admit, I had a lot to work with here–a totally serious discussion about the best way to run over your clothes. God I love this message board! ---
**Author:** ![cainxinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7bcc69/32.png) [@cainxinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cainxinth)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2002, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-purposefully-driven-your-car-over-your-clothes/127181/11 "2002-09-06T05:17:19Z")
It’s my fault, everything I do is totally serious (except when I’m drunk…like now for instanced). Well, I’m throwing caution to the wind and running my damn car over three t-shirts tomorrow. I’ll let you know how it goes. ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2002, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-purposefully-driven-your-car-over-your-clothes/127181/12 "2002-09-06T12:46:38Z")
Since you’re looking for advice and not facts, I’ll move this thread to IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![LifeOnWry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/96bed5/32.png) [@LifeOnWry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LifeOnWry)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2002, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-purposefully-driven-your-car-over-your-clothes/127181/13 "2002-09-06T13:19:45Z")
The only time I’ve run clothing over with my car was one Halloween when a frend asked me to make her an unusual costume. She decided to go as human roadkill, so I laid an old torn tee-shirt and jeans in the driveway, ran my car through a puddle of diluted black paint and then over the clothes. The effect was a good one, but we did not notice the clothing to be significantly more comfy. ---
**Author:** ![slortar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6bbea6/32.png) [@slortar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slortar)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2002, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-purposefully-driven-your-car-over-your-clothes/127181/14 "2002-09-06T15:07:16Z")
Personally, I found the same treatment works wonders on roommates. ---
**Author:** ![xizor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xizor/32/102_2.png) [@xizor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xizor)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2002, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-purposefully-driven-your-car-over-your-clothes/127181/15 "2002-09-06T17:16:37Z")
If you are unsure, maybe just try running over a sleeve with a skateboard first. To get the feel for it. ---
**Author:** ![TVGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/82dd89/32.png) [@TVGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TVGuy)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2002, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-purposefully-driven-your-car-over-your-clothes/127181/16 "2002-09-07T16:13:20Z")
Sure - it’s one of the best ways to break in a new, stiff motorcycle jacket. I’ve done this with a number of new very stiff leather jackets. Just put them in the driveway and run the Jeep back and forth over them a dozen times or so, then clean with a good leather cleaner - it works really well actually. Of course it helps to make sure there isn’t any grease or oil on the part of the driveway you choose and that your vehicle isn’t dripping to the point of dripping on the clothes. Dry tires, dry asphalt or concrete and you’ve got it made. ---
**Author:** ![cainxinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7bcc69/32.png) [@cainxinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cainxinth)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2002, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-purposefully-driven-your-car-over-your-clothes/127181/17 "2002-09-09T23:12:09Z")
Leather jackets are another story but, it turns out driving your car over a t-shirt is about as silly an idea as it sounds. My roommate and I spent a half hour rocking my car over four shirts in a garbage bag, first flat and then rolled up, to little effect. There was some improvement, the material thinned out slightly, but nothing worth the effort. Well, I’m off to pick up some vinegar and cream of wheat. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2002, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-purposefully-driven-your-car-over-your-clothes/127181/18 "2002-09-10T12:41:05Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Savaka \* > \*\*Yes. Definitely put them in a garbage bag filled with vinegar before you run them over with your car. > > Then set them on fire and extinguish them with Cream of Wheat. That ought to give you just the texture you’re looking for. \*\* You left out “Apply _I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter_ when on sale at Safeway”. 😃