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Caring for your Corset

"In order to sustain the life of your corset, it is necessary to care for it properly."

Do not roll your corset for storage. Store it flat, ideally between two layers of clean unbleached cotton cloth. After each wearing, air your corset out. You can lay it flat on a sweater drying rack or hang it by the laces over the back of a chair or a coat hanger with half of the corset on either side. This will prevent any stretching that is going to occur from the weight of the corset, as it will be the laces that hold the weight and not one of the corset panels.

It is not a good idea to let others wear your corset. Over time the fabric will stretch to conform to your body shape as it is repeatedly worn. It will fit you like a second skin! Plus, you may not want to chance someone else soiling it, as the cleaning of corsets can be very tedious.

Corsets are a bit of a cleaning challenge due to their construction consisting of heavy tailoring and an inner skeleton of metal hardware. The best way to avoid cleaning difficulties is to avoid soil and sweat by wearing the corset over another piece of clothing. Victorians wore chemises to keep body soil of oils, dirt, and sweat away from their corsets. Modern day wearers sport baby tees, chemises, camisoles, or anything that suits their fashion needs. If you chose not to wear anything under your corset, make certain that it is aired out well in a dry ventilated area.

I know this sounds a bit peculiar, but avoid washing your corset as much as possible. I wear mine quite frequently and wash it only once a year. If you perspire heavily, I would suggest cleaning it more frequently.

If you must use soap and water to clean it, wash in a large sink so that the corset is flat during the cleansing process. Add a tiny drop of a mild soap or gentle shampoo (baby shampoo preferably) to luke warm water as it is running so bubbles are created. Wet your corset and let it soak for 5 to 10 minutes. Gently move it around to help loosen the dirt. Rinse in luke warm water until there are no more bubbles in the run off water. Do NOT wring it out! Place the corset flat between two clean towels of a color similar to the corset and press the water out gently. Lay the corset flat to air dry.

If you would rather avoid this entire washing hassle, take your corset to the dry cleaners! I would recommend this for corsets made with more than one color and corsets that are definitely made of dry clean only fabrics. Call your local theatre company to find out which dry cleaner they use or is the most reputable for dealing with such tailored items.

Enjoy and have many wearing adventures!