Caring for Your Bespoke Ice Skating Garments
WASHING CARE is essential to caring for your bespoke ice skating garment
Here are some tips only.
1. Washing - especially in a machine - is not recommended and undertaken at your own risk. Colour bleed can occur when washing even if fabric has been pre-washed. Reds with whites especially are a risky combination as are other dark colours next to light colours & vibrant colours – if you make the decision to wash, then the use of colour catchers are a good idea - but again at your own risk
2. Cold spot wash by hand is much more preferable if you need to wash. Using a cloth & mild detergent, or a very gentle cold hand wash using very mild detergent, dry flat - out of the sun. Never leave your garment wet – I tend to lay a bath towel out – lie the costume out flat on top, then roll the towel up. This will gently remove the wetness and keep it away from the other parts of the costume. Then spread out on an airer to dry.
3. Do NOT wring, dry clean, machine wash, or machine/tumble dry your costume
4. Do NOT use fabric softeners – softeners can destroy many glues holding stoning or embellishments.
5. The process outlined here is using Vodka or rubbing alcohol for freshening up clothes, removing odours, and killing bacteria. This is an old theatre trick for freshening costumes between performances as washing is not practical. If you try this, do so on an inconspicuous part of your costume. There are also commercially available fabric spray fresheners – & you may try them first. These are suggestions only, you do so at your own risk. Note that compared to rubbing alcohol, vodka is generally typically considered to be more gentle on fabrics and less likely to cause damage or discoloration – but you still need to check this process in an inconspicuous area first. It is best mixed equal parts distilled water in a clean spray bottle, with the costume inside-out (if easy to do without snagging), and use for lightly spraying the underarms and crotch area where the bacteria will likely form. Spray lightly and leave the costume to dry naturally. Repeat if you need to. Suggestions only - you do so at your own risk.
6. Do not hang your costume for long periods of time as it may stretch. Instead, preferably, once aired after being worn, store flat in a breathable box, away from heat & light, where it can’t be snagged or pulled by other clothing. Hang it only the evening prior to wearing it and most of the wrinkles will fall out.
7. If you feel the need to iron your costume, you must use great care, using low heat, a protective ironing cloth, and do so at your own risk. Heat will melt the majority of dance materials.