Latex Care

Latex is a natural fabric and needs special care to last for long. It is very strong and elastic but delicate at the same time. Make sure you follow some simple guidelines to preserve your latex gartments so you can enjoy them for a very long time.

How to Store Latex

When you first receive your latex it will be inside a sealed plastic bag and covered with a thin talc layer preventing it to stick to itself. That is the best way to store it for long periods of time. Latex is best stored in a dark envirorment, away from sunlight and ozone. 

If you plan on wearing an item soon, store it dry and lubed in a sealed plastic bag used to freeze food, away from sunlight whenever possible, usually inside a drawer or closet is a good place. Try to remove all the air from the back as you are sealing it, that will save up space and will reduce the ozone.

If you plan on storing that item for longer time without wearing it, use the sealed bags but cover them with a thin layer of talc instead of lube. Talk will prevent it from sticking. 

How to Clean your Latex

First prepare a recipient with warm water (not too hot, not too cold). Gently washing your latex clothing by hand in warm water is usually enough to keep it clean. Gently massage the latex surface with your fingertips to remove any traces of dirt and make sure you wash the inside and out and rinse in clean water. If you have worn it for a long period of time and has some sweat in it, you can use special latex soap by mixing it with the water prior to adding the latex piece.

After that you have two options depending on how you plan to store it. If you want to wear that latex gartment soon, storing it in lube is a good option. Just shake off the excess water and prepare some clean warm water and add some lube inside, use your hands to mix the water with the lube. Once water and lube are well mixed, put the latex piece in. Massage again the latex surface with your fingers until you see a thin layer of lube covering the gartment. Turn it inside-out and repeat the process to make sure both sides are lubed, sometimes adding more lube might be needed when you turn it inside-out. Shake the gartment to remove the excess lube and water and hang in the shade to dry on a plastic or wooden hanger (metals can damage latex). Once the outside is dry (it will still feel lubed) turn inside out for the inside to dry as well. It is very important not storing the latex while still having water, that could cause moisture and damage your latex.

On the other hand, if you plan on storing for a long time with talc, shake off the excess water and hang in the shade. Latex becomes very sticky with itself when it’s dry. After one side is dried, apply some talc and spread with your hands, then you can turn inside out for it to dry and the inside with talk will not stick. Make sure the talk does not get wet or it would keep the humidity.

Some colors or clear latex may become cloudy with residual water after dried, this is normal and it will dissapear once the latex is complete dry and evaporates any moisture left.

If your latex piece has any zipper, split open for it to dry propperly.

WARNING

  • Never wash in washing machine, don’t dry in dryer and don’t iron latex.
  • Make sure you wash the inside and outside of your latex and then rinse in clean water. Soap residue can damage the latex.
  • Don’t use metal hangers, some metals can damage latex. Make sure both sides are dry before storing.
  • A small amount of mild soap can be used to remove persistent marks, but be careful to avoid products containing oils and fragrances. Always rinse several times in clean water.

How to Put on Latex Clothing

There are two main ways to put on latex. 1- Using talc. 2- Using lube (a dressing aid). Many people prefer the lube but we suggest you try both and see which one you like the most.

1- TALC. Some people prefer the dry feeling talc gives. When you clean your latex, make with talc as if you were to store it for a long time, with a thin layer of talc. Then you can put it on just like it is, as talc will help the latex slide and don’t stick to your skin. The pro of using talc, is it is dry, and you will not feel lubed inside, but on the con, you have to clean the latex outside after putting it on to then lube it, so it takes more time.

2- LUBE. The most common way to put on latex is using a dressing aid (lube). If you store your latex with lube, it is already shiny and doesn’t need to be cleaned and shined again. That is a great option if you plan on wearing it often and want to easily and quickly put it on and off without dealing with talc. Just apply some lube on yourself and add some in the gartment inside if necessary.

WARNING

  • Remove all sharp objects before putting on your latex
  • Never use Baby oil or any oil based lubricants! They will degrade and ultimately destroy the latex clothes.
  • Be aware of your fingernails, always try to use the palm of your hand.
  • Whenever possible, use help from someone else specially for large gartments.
  • Avoid longe exposures to sunlight and moisture.
  • Avoid solvents, including nail polish remover.
  • Be aware of Copper and alloys. Even small traces can stain bright latex so be careful with jewelry and coins.
  • High temperature will amage the latex coating, be careful with cigarettes, open fire, etc…
  • Avoid contact with chlorine or bleach, cuch contact will weaken the strenght of the material. This includes pools or spas with chlorinated water.