How to Clean Figure Skating Dresses | Golden Skate

How to Clean Figure Skating Dresses

sarahspiral

Rinkside
Joined
Dec 8, 2016
Hi. I have a figure skating dress that I've worn a couple of times. Each time I wear it, I end up getting terrible itching and redness on my skin (under the arms and front of my chest) that occurs right after I take the dress off. The itching lasts for a couple of weeks but it's miserable. I've thought about just buying another dress but this one is made of polyester and spandex so it doesn't seem likely that I would be allergic to that material b/c those are common fabrics. I'm wondering if it might just need to be cleaned since something on the dress is irritating my skin. Does anyone have a suggestion on some way that I can clean this dress? I've thought about hand washing it to see if maybe that would help plus I'd like to clean it b/c it's kinda gross not washing something you've worn twice, lol! But I'm afraid to put it in water b/c I don't know how it's going to look after that...will some of the stones fall off, will it get really wrinkled etc... I've also thought about dry cleaning it but some of the chemicals they use are so harsh...I'm a little hesitant to do that too. Any suggestions??? Thank You!
 

vlaurend

Final Flight
Joined
Jan 14, 2008
Hi. I have a figure skating dress that I've worn a couple of times. Each time I wear it, I end up getting terrible itching and redness on my skin (under the arms and front of my chest) that occurs right after I take the dress off. The itching lasts for a couple of weeks but it's miserable. I've thought about just buying another dress but this one is made of polyester and spandex so it doesn't seem likely that I would be allergic to that material b/c those are common fabrics. I'm wondering if it might just need to be cleaned since something on the dress is irritating my skin. Does anyone have a suggestion on some way that I can clean this dress? I've thought about hand washing it to see if maybe that would help plus I'd like to clean it b/c it's kinda gross not washing something you've worn twice, lol! But I'm afraid to put it in water b/c I don't know how it's going to look after that...will some of the stones fall off, will it get really wrinkled etc... I've also thought about dry cleaning it but some of the chemicals they use are so harsh...I'm a little hesitant to do that too. Any suggestions??? Thank You!

I would never trust a dry cleaner with my competition dresses. I hand wash mine in swimwear cleaner in cool water in the sink. Skating dresses are made from the same material as my swim suits (lycra) so it made sense to me. I haven't lost any crystals yet. One of the skating dress companies I buy from said mild dishwashing detergent works well.
 

sandraskates

Final Flight
Joined
Oct 31, 2006
Country
United-States
Turn it inside out and gently hand wash it in the sink, using cold water and mild soap. Lay it flat to dry.
You can also let it dry by hanging it up but I'd let it be mostly dry before I did that so as not to stretch out the shoulder area of the dress.
 

g8rsara

Rinkside
Joined
May 17, 2018
I’m so glad someone asked this as I’ve been thinking I should wash mine and just hadn’t gotten the energy to look it up or do anything about it lol. Definitely now on my to do this this weekend!
 

karne

in Emergency Backup Mode
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 1, 2013
Country
Australia
Yes, I hand-wash mine. If the stones have been applied professionally they shouldn't come off.
 

sarahspiral

Rinkside
Joined
Dec 8, 2016
I would never trust a dry cleaner with my competition dresses. I hand wash mine in swimwear cleaner in cool water in the sink. Skating dresses are made from the same material as my swim suits (lycra) so it made sense to me. I haven't lost any crystals yet. One of the skating dress companies I buy from said mild dishwashing detergent works well.

Okay, I'll try that. That's a good idea to use swimsuit cleaner, I wouldn't have thought of that. I had thought about Woolite but the swimsuit cleaner may be even better. Thank You!
 

sarahspiral

Rinkside
Joined
Dec 8, 2016
Turn it inside out and gently hand wash it in the sink, using cold water and mild soap. Lay it flat to dry.
You can also let it dry by hanging it up but I'd let it be mostly dry before I did that so as not to stretch out the shoulder area of the dress.

Yes that's smart to turn it inside out so that I'm not touching the glitter and stones as I wash it. I'll definitely lay it flat to dry too, thank you!
 

sarahspiral

Rinkside
Joined
Dec 8, 2016
I’m so glad someone asked this as I’ve been thinking I should wash mine and just hadn’t gotten the energy to look it up or do anything about it lol. Definitely now on my to do this this weekend!

Awesome, I'm glad I asked so others will know the answer too! :)
 

Sunshine247

On the Ice
Joined
Dec 17, 2018
Two things I would check on first. Latex is used in some elastics still and could cause a contact allergy, as well as “sizing” which is a common chemical component in unwashed or new fabric. My girls have allergies so We usually wash items first and can’t use latex. Next, if possible see what the adhesive for the stones are. Most likely they are “hotfix” and can be hand washed but some adhesive is actually water solvable and should be “dry cleaned” you’d have to check to see which one.
 

concorde

Medalist
Joined
Jul 29, 2013
Two things I would check on first. Latex is used in some elastics still and could cause a contact allergy, as well as “sizing” which is a common chemical component in unwashed or new fabric. My girls have allergies so We usually wash items first and can’t use latex. Next, if possible see what the adhesive for the stones are. Most likely they are “hotfix” and can be hand washed but some adhesive is actually water solvable and should be “dry cleaned” you’d have to check to see which one.
Latex contains rubber and rubber is a known sensitizer as se shine mentioned.

Yesterday I picked up my daughter's skating dress from the dress maker. I asked about cleaning. She recommends spot cleaning. She did caution about dry cleaning but more about the dress getting lost than the actual process.
 

vlaurend

Final Flight
Joined
Jan 14, 2008
Okay, I'll try that. That's a good idea to use swimsuit cleaner, I wouldn't have thought of that. I had thought about Woolite but the swimsuit cleaner may be even better. Thank You!

I was specifically told by a skating dress manufacturer NOT to use Woolite.
 

loveohio

Rinkside
Joined
Jul 17, 2017
One of my daughters dresses really needed a thorough cleaning. I put it in a laundry bag used for washing delicates to protect the stones and washed it in the regular washer on delicate cycle in cold water with normal powder Tide. Air dried it laying flat. Came out perfect, and no stones lost.
 
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