I received an interesting question the other day: how do you keep your sleeves clean while riding around in a wheelchair? I’m not going to beat around the bush it is a challenge, but there are ways to minimize the dirt that will accumulate on your cuffs and sleeves.
First, make sure your wheelchair has side panels to protect your clothes and is wide enough so you can tug the sides of your jacket in there when you open the front button. When rolling around in a wheelchair dirt will get on your clothes but you can take up habits and make small adjustments to your garments to make them more “wheelchair-proof”.
Second, the sleeves of your shirts and jackets have to be the right length with enough room at the shoulders so you can move freely. Sleeves that are too long will not only get dirty but will also have more wear and tear.
Third, I always check weather forecasts before leaving home to see if it will rain or it has rained where I am heading because roads can still be wet, and moisture will slowly soak into your jacket and even your shirt while riding. A light raincoat that covers your legs and protects your sleeves is a quintessential element of your wardrobe as a (wheelchair) gentleman or lady.
Fourth, are the adjustments you can make to your jackets and coats as a wheelchair gentleman to prologue their lifespan. Riding in a wheelchair is very demanding for the underarm and the end of the sleeve of a jacket, reinforcements on those will extend the lifespan of your beloved piece considerably. I use two kinds of reinforcements particularly elbow patches and an additional trim around the edge of my jacket sleeves and on all my coats.
When your cuffs or sleeves are dirty despite all these precautions, and at some point they will be, the only solution is elbow grease!
