As lovely and expensive as your Latin dance costumes may be, they withstand a lot of harsh conditions while you perform in them. Layers upon layers of suntan lotion, bronzing powder, makeup, deodorant, perfume, and sweat are absorbed by the material, which will affect its quality in the long run.

Keeping your Latin dancing costume clean can be difficult, but it's a great way to preserve them. Before you toss your dance costume in the washing machine or a garment bag, consider the following tips we will provide for keeping it looking brand new and ready for your next special occasion. In this post, we will discuss how to clean and maintain a Latin dance costume so that it remains in good shape for all your future performances.

How to properly clean a Latin dance costume

Before you start washing your Latin dance costume, you must choose an appropriate cleaning method. Dry-clean? Machine wash? Handwashing? Some materials can withstand the heat of dry cleaning, while others may be washed in the machine, and others require special care. You should dry clean, durable fabrics such as wool, leather, pleather, velvet, chiffon, leather, and satin; however, you should find a dry cleaner that has experience handling dance costumes and elaborate, detailed garments.

Polyester, cotton/polyester mixes, nylon, and acrylic are machine-washable. Hand-cleaning is required for garments made of delicate materials such as lace, linen, Lycra, or tulle, as well as those embellished with sequins or rhinestones, which are quickly ruined by a dry cleaner or washing machine.

If your costume includes feathers or a delicate fringe that could unravel, it's a good idea to wrap them in a plastic bag and secure them with a rubber band to keep those portions from becoming wet while washing.

You can use a colour-safe carpet stain remover to remove any highly tenacious stains left by the tanner. We suggest that you perform a patch test before applying a new product, then leave it on for thirty minutes before washing - it should work like a charm.

Then, depending on the size of your costume, fill your cleaned sink or bathtub with lukewarm water and a delicate fabric wash. Suppose tannin causes the water to turn brown. Drain and refill as often as necessary to get a milky-white hue, re-adding fabric wash and pumping the outfit in your hands throughout the process. As much as possible, leave your weak components to the side. Then, drain the sink and squeeze the dress to remove the majority of the water.

After washing, lay the garment flat on a dry towel and roll it up to absorb more water and weight before hanging it up to dry. Even though this is the most secure method, you may lose a few rhinestones. It is usually a good idea to have a few extra to repair your dresses as needed after washing.

When wearing dancing costumes, we suggest using hand sanitiser and deodorant. It prevents odours and bacteria much more effectively and will make washing them much more manageable. So now you'll have even more reason to use all the hand sanitiser you've stocked up on.

Make your costume wrinkle-free

To begin, verify if ironing your dancing outfit is safe by checking the label or instructions provided by the manufacturer. Make sure your iron is on its cool setting, flip your costume inside out, and put a thin towel between the iron and the costume fabric if necessary. If ironing is not a good option for your costume, you can utilise steam as an alternative. The moisture can also help naturally flatten wrinkles in delicate textiles or outfits with sequins or rhinestones.

Taking good care of your shoes

With many shows and events, you'll want to invest in some dance shoes that are just for performing. They're relegated to your practice closet when they've worn out their welcome as competition shoes. Good reason to get new dance shoes!

Keeping odour eaters in your shoe bags is a fantastic idea to avoid unpleasantness. It's also a good idea to store them separately from your other dance shoes in a box or bag.

Make sure you get some heel caps online and put them on all of your dance shoes to extend their lifespan. Soak them in hot water first to make putting them on your heels much simpler.

Even if the soles of your well-worn practice shoes show signs of wear and tear, that demonstrates how much you've been practising! With a touch of a tanner, you can cover up the wear and tear between the heel and toe areas where you've been brushing so hard.

You must ensure that the shoe is completely dry before putting it away once it has been thoroughly cleaned. You can keep the shoes in a shoe bag for a long time. You can buy one online for a relatively low price. When it comes to shoes, on the other hand, you want as much room as possible for the shoe to breathe. Otherwise, they'll perspire, allowing bacteria to flourish and resulting in soiled, musty shoes. Keep your shoes away from the plastic bag they came in when you bought them.

Store your costumes the right way

Only store your dancing outfit after it has been cleaned and dried correctly. Mould can grow on clothing if it is stored in its moist state. As soon as they've been thoroughly cleaned and dried, store your costumes away from direct sunlight, which might fade the colour, in a plastic bin in a temperature-controlled room (just in case!)

Your Latin dance costume can be stored in a suitcase if you don't have enough room in your closet. To keep your outfits fresh, separate them by style and place a silica gel packet inside each garment bag. Use clothing bags on top of each other and fold them in half to reduce wrinkling.

Now that you’re well aware of how to properly care for your Latin dance costumes, feel free to search for a new outfit on our site for your next celebration. At Charismatico, we provide a huge selection of Latin dance dresses and attire that will make you feel and appear as though you are dancing in the streets and plazas of Mexico and Argentina. We are confident that we have the one-of-a-kind Latin dance costume that you'll want to wear even when you're not dancing! You must choose a blue Latin dance dress that reflects your individuality, sense of style, and, of course, the event.