Dance Fabric & Costume Care:
Combining several different fabrics to create a dance costume, then adding decorations such as feathers, fringe, rhinestones, appliqués, sequins or pearls basically makes a costume ‘no wash’, ‘no dry clean’ unless the embellishments are removed first. Also it seems a general rule that the brighter the colour, the less colourfast they are.
However during construction, or if the costume is very simple, you may want to hand wash, spot clean or iron/steam some components - so here is a basic guide.
Lycra / Spandex / Mesh with no further adornment:
CARE: Cold or warm gentle hand wash. Do not use any soap, detergent, oxyclean or products containing bleach.
DO NOT: Rub or soak.
DRY: Rinse then lay fabric/garment on a towel and roll up to remove excess water and dry out of direct sunlight.
DO NOT: Use an electric dryer, dry clean or iron.
AVOID: Rough surfaces, contact with sunscreens, make-up, perfume or deodorants which will all damage
the fabric
Lycra / Spandex, metallic, holographic, mystique type, or glitter/sequin fabrics, or any costumes or leotards adorned with rhinestones:
CARE: Add 2 – 3 tablespoons of table salt (this is a sanitizer) to a sink full of cold water. Hand wash by gently swishing fabric/garment around. Soap is not recommended.
DO NOT: Rub or soak.
DRY: Rinse then lay fabric/garment on a towel, roll up to remove excess water and dry out of direct sunlight.
DO NOT: Use an electric dryer, dry clean or iron.
AVOID: Rough surfaces, contact with sunscreens, make-up, perfume or deodorants which will all damage
the fabric
Chiffon / Polyester:
CARE: Cold or warm gentle hand wash. Do not use any soap, detergent, oxyclean or products containing bleach.
DO NOT: Rub
DRY: Rinse, spin, dry in shade, warm iron or steam if required. Dry clean ‘P’
Brocade:
CARE: Cold or warm gentle hand wash. Do not use any soap, detergent, oxyclean or product containing bleach.
DO NOT: Rub, soak or wring.
DRY: Rinse, dry in shade, warm iron if required on wrong side but take care if brocade contains lurex type fibres. A pressing cloth is recommended. Dry clean ‘P’
Silk:
CARE: Cold or warm gentle hand wash. Do not use any soap, detergent, oxyclean or product containing bleach. Hand wash by gently swishing fabric/garment around.
DO NOT: Rub, soak or wring.
DRY: Rinse, lay fabric/garment on a towel, roll up to remove excess water and dry out of direct sunlight.
Cool iron on reverse side using a pressing cloth, or steam. Dry clean ‘P’
Fringe:
CARE: Cold hand wash. Do not use any soap, detergent, oxyclean or product containing bleach.
DO NOT: Rub or soak – many types of fringe are not colourfast! Always test a piece first.
DRY: Rinse then blot to remove excess water and dry out of direct sunlight. Dry clean ‘P’
Appliqués, Feathers, Flowers, Sequin Trims, etc:
Washing is NOT recommended for most embellishments and please talk to your dry cleaning expert if you have to go down that path. They will probably recommend embellishments are removed first.
And finally:
'Plastic' storage bags are great for transporting costumes around but NEVER store your costume in them long term. They prevent air circulation, which can lead to mildew/mold and cause fabric breakdown over time, especially with lycra/spandex/elastane products. Some 'plastics' also contain chemicals that can yellow pale colours.
If the worst happens and your costumes gets a bit 'whiffy', most odours can be removed by lightly spritzing the inside of garments with a mix of half and half distilled water and Vodka (just use a really cheap one). Lipstick and other small marks can be gently spot cleaned using a very mild soap and COLD water, working from the outside of the mark to the middle. Blot well to dry. Sometimes fabrics may show a water stain after cleaning but these marks will probably never been seen ‘from stage’.