Whether you’re shopping at Bloch, Freed, Só Dança or any of your local dance retailers, dancewear can be expensive. So, you definitely want to take care of it to ensure it lasts long, shines bright, fits well and smells fresh. Here are some simple tips on how to wash and preserve your dancewear.
#1. Cool down.
Be sure to wash your dance clothes in cold water. This prevents shrinkage, which is important for already form-fitting dancewear. Cool water also keeps colours from bleeding together.
#2. Control the stink.
Don’t let your dance clothes sit and marinate in sweat. Take care of them straight away after your sweaty dance class or long day of rehearsals. For extra stinky clothes, soak them in a mixture of cold water and a half cup of white vinegar for 30 minutes before putting them in the wash. It sounds funny, but you can even put your clothes in a plastic bag and stick them in the freezer if you can’t get to them right away. The frigid temperatures will kill odour-causing bacteria until you have time to get to your laundry.
#3. Wash with care.
Set your washing machine to the “delicate” cycle, and use less detergent than the bottle suggests. For smelly clothes, add a half cup of white vinegar to the load. For best results, you can also use detergents specially made for athletic wear such as Halo Sports Laundry Liquid or Ariel Platinum PODS® + Febreze Odour Defence. Hand washing is also a great option, especially for those leotards and tights and other spandex clothes that you don’t want to stretch out or shrink down.
#4. Turn your clothes inside out.
The stink-causing bacteria builds up inside your dancewear, so flip your tops, pants and leotards inside out to get the most thorough clean. This will also prevent colour-fading in the wash.
#5. Air dry is best.
Try to avoid machine drying your dancewear if possible. The high heat can damage the fabrics and even make the smells worse. Instead, hang your items up on the line or in your laundry room; laying clothes flat to dry can cause a mildew smell. If you are desperate for clean dancewear or need to throw your dancewear in the dryer, use low heat and no dryer sheets, which can cause pilling on spandex fabric. In addition, never dry your dancewear with puffy sweatshirts, towels or clothing with zippers or embellishments that could snag your delicate dancewear.
