Thread: Costume Care & Maintenance

Hello!
Can anyone help me with some tips for Costume Care & Maintenance?
Is dry cleaning good? Do beads fall down?
Thank you in advance!

Originally Posted by ANA_bellydancer

Hello!
Can anyone help me with some tips for Costume Care & Maintenance?
Is dry cleaning good? Do beads fall down?
Thank you in advance!

Never dry clean anything beaded - the chemicals will remove the color from the sequins and beads.

Any soft washing?

there is a thread somewhere about this:

main ideas were
1: spritzing with a 50/50 vodka /water solution

2: after doing a spot test using this method, give it a gentle dunk and swish bath in a clean bin full of room temperature to luke warm water and rinse with cold and lay flat to dry on white towels. (white so towels can't bleed onto costume) - this is my preferred method

Vodka? .w.: Are you sure?

There was a whole thread about this that you can do a search on....and yes I read about the 50-50 solution of vodka and water in a spray bottle. Another advised filling her bath tub up with and adding a very small amount of woolite...another advised changing the linings...hope this helps.

All I did was click on serach and I think I typed in cleaning a costume....how to clean a costume....should you clean a costume....

Oh I need this! I have a beautiful red costume that has a black stain in the skirt. What is it, I hve no idea? It almost looks like marker? I tried spot cleaning and it didn't work? What to do?

Originally Posted by sabrinabellydancer

there is a thread somewhere about this:

main ideas were
1: spritzing with a 50/50 vodka /water solution

2: after doing a spot test using this method, give it a gentle dunk and swish bath in a clean bin full of room temperature to luke warm water and rinse with cold and lay flat to dry on white towels. (white so towels can't bleed onto costume) - this is my preferred method

This is what I do too & seems to be a favorite remedy. The Vodka as it dries removes bacteria and smells and works like a charm.

My challenge is getting candle wax drips out of my veils and skirts from my Shemadan. So far, using an iron with a white towel on BOTH sides of the fabric has been working. Any other ideas for candle wax?

the iron + towel is the best trick for wax that i know.
in a pinch, i've also used some ice in a plastic baggie from the restaurant kitchen to harden the wax and pick it off. this worked right after it happened. not perfect but ok in an emergency.

another emergency trick i've used a lot is baby wipes. it take stuff off of almost anything. - NOT FOR SILK

Originally Posted by AkashaV

There was a whole thread about this that you can do a search on....and yes I read about the 50-50 solution of vodka and water in a spray bottle. Another advised filling her bath tub up with and adding a very small amount of woolite...another advised changing the linings...hope this helps.

All I did was click on serach and I think I typed in cleaning a costume....how to clean a costume....should you clean a costume....

I have a dedicated rubbermade tub for this. I wouldn't use my bathtub b/c of the chemicals I use to clean it. I'd be afraid they'd damage something.

Does it matter which vodka? I.E. is cheap ok?

Originally Posted by sabrinabellydancer

the iron + towel is the best trick for wax that i know.

I haven't done it myself but using a low-heat iron with a paper bag is another remedy.

There are special candle wax removal products, candle stores sell them. I don't know if they're meant for fine fabrics or if they're more for tabletop surfaces. Has anyone ever used one?

(anyone have this product, a remnant scrap of velvet or lycra, and an overwhelming urge to play scientist today?)

Originally Posted by maranajla

Does it matter which vodka? I.E. is cheap ok?

Cheap vodka for the costumes, the good stuff for you. Oh, and having the cheap stuff around may also help deter the teen agers from ever drinking! I know it did mine!

{{{{HUGS}}}

Originally Posted by tahiradancer

Cheap vodka for the costumes, the good stuff for you. Oh, and having the cheap stuff around may also help deter the teen agers from ever drinking! I know it did mine!

{{{{HUGS}}}

She's right, use the cheapie stuff to spritz the cossies. Just as an FYI to folks who are like "VODKA??!!!". Yup. Its an old old old trick used by many dance and theater companies. The ballet company I used to dance with cleaned costumes this way. Take out the swan lake costumes, run the show for three weeks, spray with vodka, pack up the swan lake costumes. Repeat for nutcracker and every thing else. A light spritzing is all you need. leave the costume to air out for a day or to & pack away.

I wash a lot of my costumes in a woolite bath--in a dedicated dishtub as someone else mentioned. After I rinse, I squeeze out the water and then roll each piece in a clean dry towel to remove excess moisture. I lay on a flat rack to dry. Never hang dry. the weight of the costume will pull the shape.I only wash after every 2-3 wearings. In between I use a vodka spritz or febreze & let it air out for at least 24 hours.

Originally Posted by tahiradancer

Cheap vodka for the costumes, the good stuff for you. Oh, and having the cheap stuff around may also help deter the teen agers from ever drinking! I know it did mine!

{{{{HUGS}}}

..l;,

I've been checking the kitchen and I found a bottle of Smirnoff ..g.:
For russian ballet costumes, it sounds good. For egyptian costumes I'm not so sure ,f::

Cleaning costumes is becoming an egyptian revenge on alcohol prohibitions

..l;,

I use plain old Dawn. I spot clean with it then rinse. Once it's all rinsed out I wet the entire piece so it won't watermark. I've used this technique on lycra and chiffon with no ill effects so far.

If you use the vodka method....I'd make sure you weren't anywhere near a flaming cheese "opa" saganaki....:)

Originally Posted by maranajla

Does it matter which vodka? I.E. is cheap ok?

I should bloody think so. Good vodka is for drinking not cleaning!

However, do check, when buying cheap vodka, that it is actually vodka and not some form of "vodka drink" like Gimlet, otherwise you'll inadvertently squirt your costume with a bunch of sugar and crud as well as the cleaning power of grain alcohol.

Originally Posted by theothershimmytwin

If you use the vodka method....I'd make sure you weren't anywhere near a flaming cheese "opa" saganaki....:)

... And make sure the only flaming thing is me!

..l;,

Originally Posted by Andrea2

I use plain old Dawn. I spot clean with it then rinse. Once it's all rinsed out I wet the entire piece so it won't watermark. I've used this technique on lycra and chiffon with no ill effects so far.

What is old Dawn? ..c::

Originally Posted by ANA_bellydancer

What is old Dawn? ..c::

..l;, I meant 'plain old' to be the adjective for Dawn (like 'nothing fancy'), not 'plain' for Old Dawn. I do use the original blue kind. Sorry to confuse you with my poor grammar!

Dawn is a brand of liquid dish soap sold here in the U.S. It has magical spot-removing qualities, LOL.

Dawn is a liquid dish soap which has an ingredient that helps to break down grease and oil.

{{{HUGS}}}

Originally Posted by Andrea2

..l;, I meant 'plain old' to be the adjective for Dawn (like 'nothing fancy'), not 'plain' for Old Dawn. I do use the original blue kind. Sorry to confuse you with my poor grammar!

Absolutely not! You explained pretty good! I just didn't know (another) meaning for "dawn" ..l;,
Thank you!

Originally Posted by dunyah

Dawn is a brand of liquid dish soap sold here in the U.S. It has magical spot-removing qualities, LOL.

If it's the name of an american brand, how did you want me to know? ..l;,

Just another question: if I spritz with a 50/50 vodka /water solution, how much is necessary for a single costume? How big must the bottle be?

Originally Posted by ANA_bellydancer

Just another question: if I spritz with a 50/50 vodka /water solution, how much is necessary for a single costume? How big must the bottle be?

You don't need to use much. I use a spray bottle which I got from a plant store. It probably has about 12 oz. capacity. 12 oz of this mixture will last, for me when I am dancing a couple of times a month, several months. If you are dancing more often, probably a month. You don't have to soak the costume. In fact you don't' want to because of potential damage. You just want to get the lining damp enough that the odors are eliminated and any bacteria is discouraged from growing.

And remember to allow plenty of time to dry before you put the costume away!

{{{HUGS}}}