Not all costumes make it past one night of wear but if you’re like me and my friends, we often mix and match and borrow from each other year after year and so we like to preserve what we can.
Here’s how to safely wash and store your Halloween Costumes:
Like all garments, your costumes most likely have a care label sewn into the material telling you what it’s made of and how to launder it.
♦ If it says Dry Clean Only, bring it to us! We will gently wash and dry the item per it’s care label and return it in like new condition. We currently wash many costumes used in local community and school performances and we’ll handle them with expert care!
♦ If the care label tells you to hand wash it, we can do that too. If you’d like to hand wash it yourself, turn the items inside out and let them soak in a sink or tub of cold water with mild detergent. Gently scrub areas that may have gotten extra dirty from sitting or spilling food and/or areas with clear stains like perspiration and deodorant. Adding white vinegar to the water mix will help rid stains and odors. If you’ve encountered any terrifying stains, here’s how to rid of some of the most common Halloween related stains.
♦ Reshape items and lie them flat to dry. You can hang them to dry as well if it won’t misshapen/stretch the garments. I’ve noticed shammy cloths/towels aid in speeding up the dry time when I lay my garments flat on top of them.
♦ If the item says it can be machine washed (it’s most likely polyester, nylon or acrylic), once again, follow the care label and choose the proper temperature and setting per it’s instructions.
♦ Once washed and dry, store your costumes in a clean, cool, dry space in a closet, sealed tote or even a drawer away from moisture and mildew.
S.O.
