Halloween costumes come in many forms. There are homemade and crafty costumes made from fabric, paper, boxes, and unconventional objects such as jellyfish costumes made from umbrellas. Then there the ever-convenient store bought costumes. Many are made from synthetic materials like polyester, acrylic, and nylon. These are all machine washable materials; however, others have fins, some have wings, some have sequins and sparkly things. With such decorations sewn or glued onto a costume, can these be washed with regular laundry?
If you plan to wear a costume more than once, you may need to clean it. Before doing so, always check the cleaning instructions; however, for costumes where the instructions were removed or lost, consider these tips.
What is the material? Is it synthetic? Is it cotton? Is it linen? Is it wool? Does it have embellishments like sequins, beading, bells, and such? Is this a simple costume or is it complex?
For costumes that are free of sequins and other embellishments, you can wash them like regular laundry if made of nylon, polyester, acrylic, cotton, and linen. Use a laundry bag to protect them, especially any made with delicate materials like nylon. Stay clear of overstuffing the washer and use cold water in the delicate cycle. Line-dry the costume and use the lowest temperature if ironing.
If a costume is made of machine washable materials but has embellishments like beading, sequins, or anything else, consider handwashing them. Use a light amount of detergent in cold water when washing. Don’t wring them out like a towel, and do not hang these to drip-dry. The added embellishments can weigh down the underlying material and pull and rip at the seems or result in generally undesirable stretching. It’s best to gently squeeze the material and set flat on a drying rack. Or you could just take the costume to a dry cleaner.
October for many ushers in the holiday season beginning with Halloween. October can be a very busy time for families and individuals who participate in the festivities. From shopping for the right costume or crafting your own or that of your children’s to decorating inside and outside, you may find yourself running short of time to keep up with regular chores. Consider using Easy Kleen’s laundry pickup and delivery service. While you get ready for Halloween, we can take care of all your laundry, including machine-washable costumes.
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