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MJTRENDS

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Washing 4-way stretch vinyl

Last weekend I went to Dragoncon where I wore two costumes made of vinyl which I sweat in PROFUSELY! the fabric smells terrible now and I really need to wash it before wearing it again, wondering how I should go about it. I've heard hand wash with cold water and a mild soap (not sure what that means). Any suggestions?

3

Response by: shinyskintight, October 13th 2014 8:34:38 pm

I've found hand washing in cold water and mild soap is the best way. Lay flat on a towel to dry. I like to avoid using hangers because they might leave "shoulder nipples" and possibly stretch out the PVC once it has dried. Mild soap means something without harsh abrasives and/or bleach or chlorine. Pretty much any soap used for washing regular clothes is a mild soap. Some dish liquid's can also be used. Health food stores provide laundry soaps that are about as plain and "mild" as they get. For darker colored PVC I like to use a "dark safe" laundry soap, but it's not necessary. Lightly scrubbing more on the inside of the garment prevents possibly marring up the outer shiny layer of the PVC.

Cheers,

Shiny


Response by: Hot Buttered Ice, November 3rd 2014 6:54:54 am

I have learned from many years of making and collecting pvc (vinyl plastic) and polyurethane garments of all types, that hand-washing them in warm water with a mild shampoo (no conditioner) and rinsing well seems to be the best approach. It cleans away the body oils and leaves no water spots -- especially if you pat them with a dry towel.


Response by: JP, November 26th 2014 1:35:36 am

Might also be worth looking into "wetsuit deodorizer" such as MiraZyme from McNett or Trident Sink-the-Stink.  Dive gear picks up a lot of body stink from long wear (actually, worse, since most suits don't have a way to relieve yourself during a long dive...) 

Besides being stinky, dive gear is expensive and sensitive to chemical rot, just like vinyl and latex, so anything that's safe for use in a scuba suit is probably safe for use on a catsuit.