How To Clean Your Dancewear

With so many recitals and rehearsals, you need to take care of your dancewear to ensure it lasts a long time and you get the most out of them. If you don’t take care of your clothing, it can increase the wear and tear, shortening the lifespan.
We’ve listed here some of the most common components of a dancer’s outfit and how to clean them.

Tights and Leggings

All tights and leggings should, ideally, be hand washed in cold water with a gentle detergent. If you have to wash them in a washer, they should be placed in a mesh bag before being put. Use a gentle cycle, cold water, and a mild detergent. Do not put them in the dryer, air dry away from direct heat. If they must be dried quickly, use the air only tumble cycle on the dryer.

Leotards

Always look at the tag and washing instructions before trying to remove stains. For heavy body soil and perspiration, use a solution of bleach and cold water. Follow the instructions on the bleach bottle then soak the leotard at least two hours, or if the stains are bad, overnight then wash them as usual.

Tutu

The biggest challenge in washing tutus is to prevent them from being crushed by other clothing. To wash a plain tutu, fill a large sink or bathtub with lukewarm water and a small bit of a mild detergent. Swish the tutu gently through the water. Drain the tub and refill with clean water to rinse. Remove the tutu, shake gently to remove as much water as possible, and then hang to air dry.
If the tutu has a metal hoop, it should be removed before washing. The metal can rust and ruin the tutu. If there is added trim, it should be removed to prevent fading. Beads and sequins that are glued on and not hand-sewn may come off during washing.

Other Dancewear

Not all dancewear is that difficult to wash. Dancewear that is similar to streetwear or exercise clothes, for example, jazz pants, men’s tights, t-shirts, and shorts made of nylon/spandex and cotton blends can be washed and dried in the washing machine and dryer like regular workout clothes.
You can wash the garments on a regular cycle – high or heavy cycles are usually ok, especially if the clothes are dirty or soiled – in cold water to prevent color bleed. Do not use fabric softener, as it can ruin the fabric and make the material less breathable. Air dry the dancewear or Dry on a light or gentle cycle. Because the material is light and breathable, it usually does not take long to dry. Sometimes the heat can shrink the garments slightly, but they usually stretch back to their original sizes when worn again. If the shrinkage bothers you a lot, simply wash the items in the washing machine and lay them flat to dry.

Conclusion

You no longer have to worry about those embarrassing sweat stains anymore. Hopefully, now you have a good idea of how to clean, prevent wear and tear and increase the lifespan of your dancewear.