How to Clean Costumes
When it comes to cleaning food stains or accumulated dust off a costume, you have to take a little extra care. Throwing a costume in the washer or even taking it to a dry cleaner can deteriorate the quality of the costume, especially since most costumes are made with cheap materials and basic stitching. Most store-bought costumes weren't meant to last long. But if you are careful when cleaning them, you can prolong the life of your costumes and wear them year after year. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
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Dry-clean costumes made of wool, pleather, rayon, or velvet. Find a dry-cleaner that specializes in costumes or evening wear such as ball gowns and wedding dresses.
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Hand wash costumes made of cotton, lace, tulle or Spandex. Fill a basin with cold water and add a small amount of laundry detergent. Knead the costume with your hands, then rinse it well and hang it up to dry.
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Machine wash costumes made of polyester, nylon or acrylic on a cold setting. If the costumes have beads or sequins on them, hand wash them as described in the second step. For white costumes, add a little bleach to the washing machine.
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Avoid washing extremely old, delicate or valuable costumes. Instead, use an odor-eliminating spray, testing it first on a corner of the fabric. Spray the costume well and hang it up in a well-ventilated area.
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Store costumes in a dry, cool place, in a sealed container where animals and mold cannot get to them. Hang them in a garment bag if possible to avoid wrinkles.
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Tips & Warnings
After washing, dry costumes in full sunlight to make them smell fresh.
Use moth balls or cedar when storing your costumes to keep them fresh.
