Care of your Spandex Garment
PRO WRESTLERS: I now have a PDF for how to care for your gear SPECIFICALLY: Click here to download it.
Unembellished Garments:
- To wash untrimmed garments, it's ideal to hand wash, but if you HAVE to machine wash, turn it inside out and wash on a gentle cycle, cool water, with a mild detergent - lingerie detergent is great for this. Tumble dry on low heat, or air dry, laid out on a towel. Do NOT hang a wet garment.
- White or pale coloured outfits have a tendency to stain in certain areas - neckline, sleeve edges, collars, underarm, and crotch. To prevent this staining, you may want to treat these areas (not the whole outfit) with ScotchGuard treatment, following manufacturer’s directions.
Embellished Garments:
Synchro Swimmers:
Rinse your suit out immediately after use, to remove chlorine. DO NOT SHOWER IN YOUR COMPETITION SUIT.
After rinsing, follow washing/drying info below.
All Other Embellished Costumes:
- Immediately after use, spritz sweat soiled areas with vodka. This helps sanitize and prevent bacterial growth / smell, without the need for actually washing it.
- Small areas may be spot washed as necessary. Gently rub affected area with cool water and a mild detergent, rinse thoroughly and allow to air dry.
- If you absolutely must wash your entire competition outfit, hand wash the suit in cool water with a small amount of a very gentle, Spandex-specific wash. (Available in lingerie sections of department stores). Always wash by hand, NEVER in a washing machine.
- Never ring your suit out! After rinsing/washing, gently roll suit in an absorbent towel for a few minutes before allowing to air dry. Never use heat or direct sunlight to dry your skating outfits, and never put them away wet.
- Never hang up a wet suit. If your suit is very heavy from a lot of rhinestones, it may be best to not hang it, even when dry.
- Examine your suit after it dries, make any repairs to lost embellishments if necessary. If storing / travelling with multiple competition suits, find some acid free tissue paper to place between them.