Cleaning Costumes

[pygmalion]

Any ideas for how to clean competition costumes? I mean, there's beading, glue, and fancy fabrics to maintain. Does anyone have experience with this?

[Vince A]

Care has several costumes and I have two, and we used to take them to "One Hour Martinizing." They do a great job - if you have those in Florida.

This past year, we discovered Dryel (dry cleaning sheets/bag) and do the dry cleaning ourselves, and the costumes come out perfect. Try them . . . the only thing I send to the dry cleaners now is slacks - because the cleaners press them so well!

Crystals will always come off, rips and tears will happen, buttons or snaps will come up off, and zippers will no longer work . . . we have a great seamstress for these things.

[pygmalion]

I read something on another web site about hand washing certain fabrics in cold water in woolite. And of course, always being prepared to re-glue sequins and crystals, because some WILL come off.

[G809]

Hey guys,

I just want to bring this thread back up because I have a costume cleaning issue. I have a white latin dress which I usually clean after comps by putting some shout on and rubbing the tanner stains out, and that usually works just fine. I'm now thinking of putting some stones on it but I'm worried that I won't be able to clean it this way anymore. Is rhinestone glue water-soluble? Should I not rub a dress that has stones on it? I was thinking of just using Gem-Tac and sticking them on, but won't they fall off when wet?

Thanks!

[Laura]

If you stick them on with E-6000 you'll need a crowbar to get them off, so you could definitely still wash the dress.

I've actually machine-washed dresses that have stones stuck on with Gem-tac. I put the dress in a large pillowcase and saftey pin it shut. Then I wash it in cold on gentle with regular detergent (Lyn Wallander suggests Tide, but I just use whatever I have on hand). I pop it in the dryer until its not quite dry, and then lay it flat to dry the rest of the way. A few stones come off but they stay in the bag and I just stick them back on again. Gem-tac is not 100% waterproof, but it generally stays sticky enough to keep the stones on just fine through a washing.

ALWAYS make sure your dress is made from washable material before you try machine washing it! No feathers in the wash! No hand-painted gowns in the wash! No silk in the wash (unless it was already pre-washed before the dress was made)!

[sunderi]

To add to what Laura said:
No fringe in the wash!

I just hand wash my dresses in Victoria's Secret gentle care detergent (I like the smell better than Woolite) and then lay flat to try. It's really rare that I lose a stone in washing (many more of my stones are lost in wearing).

[chachachacat]

Stones fall off seven times. Glue on eight. :D

I was wondering if E6000 is still the glue of choice?

[Laura]

It depends. It will glue anything to anything, practically forever, but I personally can't stand to use it any more and so use Gem-tac.

[chachachacat]

It depends. It will glue anything to anything, practically forever, but I personally can't stand to use it any more and so use Gem-tac.
Why?

[sunderi]

Stones fall off seven times. Glue on eight. :D

LOL!!!!! :lol:

[Joe]

Gemtac is just so much easier to use than E6000. You can basically go back to your kindergarten days for the skill to use Gemtac. :)

[Laura]

It depends. It will glue anything to anything, practically forever, but I personally can't stand to use it any more and so use Gem-tac.
Why?

E-6000 strings, globs, and smells. Also, I can stone a lot faster using Gem-tac, and when you're putting 30 to 60 gross (4320 - 8640) stones on a dress, you don't want to take forever doing it.

[Vince A]

E-6000 . . . go to your local drug store, and purchase an injector + a few spares, commonly known as a hypodermic needle - the ones you can buy - fill it with the E-6000 . . . 25-30 stones in less than 10 - 15 minutes including loading the injector. I'd bet we have done several thousands this way!

Toss the injector when you are done . . .

[Laura]

25 or 30 stones in less than 10-15 minutes? I can do about four times that using Gem-tac, which is a major part of the reason why I switched. And yes, I used to use a syringe -- it's definitely the fastest and easiest way I've found to deal with E-6000.

That said, there are times when it's worth it to use the E-6000. If you absolutely want to ensure that no stone will ever come off, even when machine washing, it's the way to go.

[Vince A]

25 or 30 stones in less than 10-15 minutes? I can do about four times that using Gem-tac, which is a major part of the reason why I switched.
Yea??? Well . . . my 15 minutes includes taking it out of the bag, adding the stones, ironing the (whatever), having a quick snack, taking a shower, and then putting it on! Take that . . . :wink:

We also have Gem-tac in the house . . . we actually use whichever one we happen to grab!

[dancing_moogle]

E-6000 strings, globs, and smells. Also, I can stone a lot faster using Gem-tac, and when you're putting 30 to 60 gross (4320 - 8640) stones on a dress, you don't want to take forever doing it.

Doesn't Gem-Tac smell too? I was shopping at Michaels the other day and opened the bottle of Gemtac, just to see what it is and had smelled it. :P :x

How much of a bottle of Gemtac does it take to do 30-60 gross stones?

As for cleaning a dress, how can you wash it when it has a chiffon skirt? I thought chiffon CAN'T be washed, only dry-cleaned. :?

[Laura]

Gem-tac smells, but it doesn't give off noxious fumes like E-6000. Gem-tac also doesn't have cancer warnings on the label.

I think I use about 1/3 to 1/2 a bottle to put on 40 gross of stones. I've never really paid much attention to glue usage. However, I will say that if you're putting on 60 gross, a whole bottle will be plenty.

You can wash chiffon if it's made of polyester. I wouldn't wash silk chiffon, it could shrink funny and crinkle. Most of the chiffon used in dancesport costumes is polyester.

[Joe]

Gemtac smells very much like regular white Elmer's glue.

[dancing_moogle]

Well, if E6000 has noxious fumes and GemTac smells, is there no glue that's 'safe'? :?

[G809]

Gem Tac is safe. Having an subtle odor (which I didn't even notice) definitely does not make it unsafe. I tried it per Laura's suggestion and was very satisfied (thanks Laura! :D ).

[randomMysh]

You can wash silk chiffon, as long as it's dyed with colorfast dyes. Test by rubbing with a damp cloth in an inconspicuous spot first. Of course, this is assuming you'll be able to iron it afterwards, which you will not if you have stones on it. I have yet to see a dance costume made with silk anything--it just wrinkles too much to be packable, and dancers tend to travel.

I always handwash my costumes in lukewarm water and cheap shampoo. Hey, if it's supposed to be good enough for my hair, it should do fine for my dresses! Then lay flat to dry. I use the same method for sweaters. Of course, this is Rhythm costumes. I have no idea how do people deal with those yards and yards of Smooth gowns! :notworth:

[dancing_moogle]

I've actually machine-washed dresses that have stones stuck on with Gem-tac. I put the dress in a large pillowcase and saftey pin it shut.


And how big is this pillow case you use for washing your dress? Would a laundry net also do the job of washing a ballroom dress? Oh, and how do you keep a dress from wrinkling after you wash it (either by hand or machine)?

[Chris Stratton]

And how big is this pillow case you use for washing your dress? Would a laundry net also do the job of washing a ballroom dress? Oh, and how do you keep a dress from wrinkling after you wash it (either by hand or machine)?

No, because the idea of the pillowcase is that it will contain any stones that fall off so that they can be replaced.

[Yliander]

not exactly a cleaning question but this thread seemed like the best place to ask.

Can you iron a dress with stones glued with gem-tak?

I am making a ball dress and am planning to add some stoned detail - figure gluing them on will make it much easier - how ever the fabric is a a washable satin - and once I have washed it - it will need ironing.

alternately i will be taking it to the dry cleaners to be cleaned and pressed as they do a much better job

can the dry cleaners press a dress with tones glued on with gem-tak?

had this thought in the middle of last night - and thought I had better ask the question before I started stoning the dress this Saturday ready to take to Sydney next Thursday

[Joe]

The better question is:

Can dry cleaners clean a dress with gemtac'ed stones?

Ironing it yourself may be a little difficult, and you may not reach the level of "wrinkle-free" but I would imagine you could do so with a press cloth.

[Yliander]

The better question is:

Can dry cleaners clean a dress with gemtac'ed stones?

Ironing it yourself may be a little difficult, and you may not reach the level of "wrinkle-free" but I would imagine you could do so with a press cloth.cleaning isn't really to much of an issue as it's kinda a one of wear dress - but having it pressed properly with gem-tac stones is rather important for it to look good on the night

My mum & I are making the dress so press cloth isn't a problem

so is the answer yes you can iron it at home and or get it pressed by a dry cleaner with out issue?

[Merrylegs]

I thought the rule was to never dry clean a dress that has had stones glued onto it. The glue will breakdown and you'll get a dress back with no stones left on it. Maybe this refers to one type of glue and others are safe to use.

Why not pop it in the clothes dryer for 10 minutes or hang it in the bathroom when you shower? Away from the shower, of course!

[Standard Dancer]

I'm a bit confused after reading this thread ... I'm having a dress made and will be stoning it myself afterward with Gem-Tac. I'll ask the dressmaker how to clean the fabric, but what about stones and glue? Can those be drycleaned or not...?

[Katarzyna]

I heard that gem-tac turns yellowish after dry cleaning...

[Yliander]

I thought the rule was to never dry clean a dress that has had stones glued onto it. The glue will breakdown and you'll get a dress back with no stones left on it. Maybe this refers to one type of glue and others are safe to use.

Why not pop it in the clothes dryer for 10 minutes or hang it in the bathroom when you shower? Away from the shower, of course! sadly the dress comes out to wrinkled from washing for this to work. It's masde from a satin - so will either have to iron it myself - or get it pressed by the dry clearner. Do you think there would be a problem having it pressed not cleaned by a dry cleaner?

[Chris Stratton]

Ballgowns with stones really aren't made to be cleaned... there are ways you can do it to an extent, but it's going to be a rare and potentially labor intensive process - things like sponging it out, washing the liner while keeping the rest fairly dry, etc may need to be considered.

Dryer sounds like a good way to remove stones

For the wrinkling problem, I'd probably be tempted to dry the dress flat until it was just slightly damp, then hang it and hope the wrinkles come out that way. With stretch fabrics you don't want to leave them hanging for more than a few days, but with satin the answer to the wrinkles might just be to hang it for a few weeks. You might also experiment with no-contact steam, either from one of those little generators (which don't seem very good) or from hanging it in the bathroom during a long shower.

If you are going to iron it, use a low temperature.

[skwiggy]

Hanging it in the shower will help. The no contact hand held steamer works like a charm.

[Merrylegs]

What about getting a dress "steamed" rather than "cleaned"? Ya know, like you see in the cothing stores, it looks like a vacuum cleaner but it emits steam.

[Chris Stratton]

Ballgowns with stones really aren't made to be cleaned... there are ways you can do it to an extent, but it's going to be a rare and potentially labor intensive process - things like sponging it out, washing the liner while keeping the rest fairly dry, etc may need to be considered.

Dryer sounds like a good way to remove stones

For the wrinkling problem, I'd probably be tempted to dry the dress flat until it was just slightly damp, then hang it and hope the wrinkles come out that way. With stretch fabrics you don't want to hang them wet or even leave them hanging for more than a few days, but with satin the answer to the wrinkles might just be to hang it for a few weeks. You might also experiment with no-contact steam, either from one of those little generators (which don't seem very good) or from hanging it in the bathroom during a long shower.

If you are going to iron it, use a low temperature.

[Merrylegs]

Ballgowns with stones really aren't made to be cleaned... there are ways you can do it to an extent, but it's going to be a rare and potentially labor intensive process - things like sponging it out, washing the liner while keeping the rest fairly dry, etc may need to be considered.

Dryer sounds like a good way to remove stones

For the wrinkling problem, I'd probably be tempted to dry the dress flat until it was just slightly damp, then hang it and hope the wrinkles come out that way. With stretch fabrics you don't want to hang them wet or even leave them hanging for more than a few days, but with satin the answer to the wrinkles might just be to hang it for a few weeks. You might also experiment with no-contact steam, either from one of those little generators (which don't seem very good) or from hanging it in the bathroom during a long shower.

If you are going to iron it, use a low temperature.

Alright, wise-guy! I missed your post. :wink: :lol: :lol:

[Chris Stratton]

Acutally it was supposed to be an edit, not a repost, but I hit the wrong button and didn't notice.

[Merrylegs]

Well, it's still funny. I was skimming the thread and missed your post.

[Yliander]

thanks for all the advice - based on what I have read here - will have to rethink the decoration of my dress - as it would seem that I can't have it pressed/ironed properly if I stick stones on.


-note this isn't a dance dress - it's a dress for an ordaniary ball -

[Chris Stratton]

A social gown is likely not to have nearly as many stones as a competition gown so it might be more reasonable to use sew on stones or sequins, which might (perhaps, not sure) survive dry cleaning better. I don't think glue on stones are common on evening dresses, but sewn on tubular glass beads, etc are. They aren't as dramatic, look nice up close if your eye isn't used to rhinestones but don't do much from spectator distance. Of course the beaded dresses are made where labor is cheap.

[Katarzyna]

There are some cleaning places for competition gowns. Chrisanne has one that costs like $75, but at least you know the dress will be safe... so that's another option...

[Yliander]

There are some cleaning places for competition gowns. Chrisanne has one that costs like $75, but at least you know the dress will be safe... so that's another option...for comp dress I would spend that - but for a ordaniary dress which has cost me less than $30 fabric and pattern to make I don't think so - especially as will most likely only wear it the once.

[Chris Stratton]

especially as will most likely only wear it the once.

That kind of suggests its own solution, doesn't it?

As for the Chrisanne, service one possibility is that they may have figured out that one of the new methods (perhaps pressure liquified CO2?) does not damage the glue, another is that they have staff skilled at using manual method efficiently.

[Katarzyna]

There are some cleaning places for competition gowns. Chrisanne has one that costs like $75, but at least you know the dress will be safe... so that's another option...for comp dress I would spend that - but for a ordaniary dress which has cost me less than $30 fabric and pattern to make I don't think so - especially as will most likely only wear it the once.I was just mentioning an option.. yes, 75 is too much to spend for a 30 dollar dress...

[Yliander]

I was just mentioning an option.. yes, 75 is too much to spend for a 30 dollar dress...

especially as will most likely only wear it the once.

That kind of suggests its own solution, doesn't it? It just needs to be pressed/ironed so that it can be worn in the first place

[Katarzyna]

It just needs to be pressed/ironed so that it can be worn in the first placeCan you iron it yourself through a towel?

[Yliander]

It just needs to be pressed/ironed so that it can be worn in the first placeCan you iron it yourself through a towel?that I can do have plenty of pressing cloths - but was hoping to be able to send it to a cleaners for pressing as they do a much better job of it than I can plus it saves me effort as the skirt on it is very full and long

once again thanks for all the help

[Chris Stratton]

It just needs to be pressed/ironed so that it can be worn in the first place

Wash and press it before stoning.

[tanya_the_dancer]

I asked the lady I bought my dresses from and she suggested to gently handwash them and then lay them flat to dry out.

[gracie]

I just washed my dress that has 100 gross of stones, beads, and sequins in a pillowcase on delicate with Tide and it looks great- only lost 5 stones! Thanks for all the great advice on this thread!

[tanya_the_dancer]

Resurrecting this because I need advice on how to clean a comp gown. I found that I got some stains on it from the tanning solution (I had airbrush tan done before the comp). I talked to the rep for the company which made the dress and she suggested using a product called Oxyclean on the stain and washing the dress on delicate in a pillowcase. Anyone has done this with an expensive dress? Any other options?

[Larinda McRaven]

Who made the dress. Where did they get their fabric?
As said above most well made dresses can simply be handwashed and layed flat to dry. In all of my years dancing I have never ruined a dress doing this.

[tanya_the_dancer]

Who made the dress. Where did they get their fabric?
As said above most well made dresses can simply be handwashed and layed flat to dry. In all of my years dancing I have never ruined a dress doing this.

Dore. I have no idea where they get their fabric.

[Larinda McRaven]

A lot of Dore dresses use Chrisanne fabric. I know that Dore also gets dresses wholesale from other companies around the world, all of them reputable, so the fabrics should be colorfast. I would not hesitate to just dropit in the tub with a few inches of cool water and some soap. It never seems to matter which soap I use, although I have heard that Woolite has a bad reaction to Pro-Tan, so I never have used it.

I smoosh the dress around in the water and gently scrub some extra soap on the tan spots. Rinse is well. Put it on some towels and roll it up. Stomp on it a few times. And then lay it out flat to dry.

I try to do it all rather quickly since some companies use water soluble glue and I don't want it to soften and drop the stones. I never lose more than a few.

[fascination]

dore recommends swishing it around in tide....at least that is what they told me...although I now see that they also recommend oxyclean...hmmm

[fascination]

I do what larinda does...I fill the tub full of medium temp water and a bit of tide...I will also spot scrub the nastiest spots then swish the dress around in the tub and then pull it out and tle it dry flat on a towel for two days, and then re-stone as needed

[Larinda McRaven]

Chrisanne does NOT advocate hand-washing the dresses.

A year ago in Las Vegas my protan leaked out and got on a Chrisanne dress. I was staying in the room with the Director of Chrisanne for the US. She had to leave the room when I washed the gown, she was so scared. But I assured her that it would be fine. And it was. She always tells people "Well we don't recommend it, but Larinda thinks its okay, go ask her to do it"

[fascination]

really...wow...I suppose they recommend the $80 custom cleaning option?...I've washed my chrisanne by hand that way 5 times now

[Larinda McRaven]

They used to hand out the little flyers for a dry-cleaning company. I don't know if they even do that anymore.

[fascination]

they do...i'm just tight

[Joe]

I thought dry cleaning fluids don't play well with rhinestone glue?

[fascination]

dunno...not gonna find out...but i guess these places, whatever they do, specialize in ballroom gowns...first of all...I'm not sending my gowns anywhere...

[fascination]

case in point...the way the schedule at wisconsin is going to be set up, i'm gonna need nearly all of them...unless I want to dance later in the day in my same stinky gown...did I mention I sweat alot?....not gonna happen...I can hardly find windows of time to re-clean and re-stone them myself let alone send them somewhere and hope they come back

[chocolatchica]

Why?
I hear it makes everything really stringy. You know from how thick the glue is. The it makes it look like you have sprider webs all over your dress. II havent tried it but hearing that is enough for me. Plus I know someone stoned their cell phone with it and the stonning work looked great but the strings of glue totally ruined it. I guess you really have to know how to properly use the glue before using it on at $3000 dress

[tanya_the_dancer]

Just wanted to give you an update. I washed my dress with oxiclean and it totally removed spray-tan stains from it, and all stones stayed in place. Looks like that stuff is great for stains in general.

[fascination]

I also find that my dore gowns tend to stay stoned, lol

[tanya_the_dancer]

I also find that my dore gowns tend to stay stoned, lol

I lost a couple of stones so far, in the place where our bodies touch in closed hold. I was a little worried about it, though, because when the dress was wet, the stones which are glued to the lacy parts started looking as if glue underneath them was melting, but once it dried, it went back to normal.

[fascination]

yep...just gotta leave em alone til they dry...any brand