How to Care for Latex Clothing

Co-authored by Jessica Gibson

Last Updated: August 25, 2021 References Tested

Latex is kind of a strange material for clothing—although it's a natural form of rubber, you can accidentally damage it. Fortunately, as long as you're gentle with the items and you store them properly, your latex clothing can last for years! Read the most common questions about caring for latex to learn simple dos and don'ts.

Question 1 of 6:

How can I wash latex clothing?

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Submerge the latex in soapy water to remove sweat and lubricant. Fill a bowl or deep sink with warm water and add 1 squirt of liquid dish soap. Swish your hands in the water until it suds and push your latex clothes into it. Swirl the garments around until they're soaking wet.^{[1]
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- The dish soap helps remove talc, sweat, and lubricant that you might have used to slide the latex clothing on.
- Most latex clothing manufacturers caution against washing latex in the washing machine, but others say it's fine as long as you put the inside-out latex into a laundry bag and use the machine's handwash setting.^{[2]
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Rinse the latex in warm water to remove the soap. Drain the sink or dump out your bowl of soapy water and rinse it out. Then, fill the bowl or sink with fresh warm water and swish the clothes around again so the soap rinses off.^{[3]
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- You can rinse the clothes another time if they still feel slick after just 1 rinse.

Question 2 of 6:

How do I safely dry latex clothing?

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Use your fingers to wipe away excess water and let the clothes air dry. Lift the clothes out of the water and hold them over a sink or bowl. Squeeze the latex from the top down to the bottom so most of the water drains off. Then, lay the clothes flat on a dry towel or on a clothes drying rack.^{[4]
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- If you use the clothes drying rack, keep in mind that the clothes will keep dripping, so you may want to set the rack on a towel.
- Wait until the latex is completely dry before you store the clothes.
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Avoid drying the clothing in a dryer and don't use an iron. If you're in a hurry to dry your latex clothing, you might be tempted to toss it into a dryer, but don't! If you use a dryer or iron, you could melt the latex so it fuses together. You'll also weaken the latex so it wears out faster.^{[5]
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- Don't send latex clothing to the dry cleaner since dry cleaning is also rough on the material.

Question 3 of 6:

How do you keep latex clothing from sticking to itself?

Rub cornstarch or talcum powder over the entire latex garment. Once your latex clothing is completely dry, lay it flat and sprinkle cornstarch or talcum powder evenly across the entire surface. Use your dry hands to rub the powder over the garment. Then, flip it over and sprinkle the other side.^{[6]
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Research source} Be aware that government agencies like the FDA are testing talcum powder for asbestos, which has been linked to cancer when it's inhaled.^{[7]
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- If you don't have cornstarch or don't want to use talcum powder, try baking soda or tapioca starch.
- Don't forget to sprinkle powder inside the garment, too. It might be easiest to flip the clothes inside out before you sprinkle more talcum powder over them.

Question 4 of 6:

What can I use to shine latex?

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Rub silicone lube or latex polish across the surface to get a great shine. If you're using a squeeze gel, squirt a coin-sized amount onto your fingers and rub the product into the latex. If you're using a spray, spritz the latex and then rub the latex until it's shiny.^{[8]
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- Polish your latex clothes when you're ready to wear them. If you'd rather store them, keep them coated with talcum powder.
- Don't use an oil-based lubricant to polish the silicone because it can break down the latex.
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Wipe a lint-free cloth over the latex if you want a buffed look. If you're not going for a super shiny look, rub a dry lint-free cloth over the polished latex to take off some of the shine. Keep rubbing in a circular motion until the latex is as matte as you like.^{[9]
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Question 5 of 6:

How should I store latex clothing?

Put talced clothes into a bag or garment bag and store them in a dry place. Let your latex clothes dry completely, rub talcum powder onto them, and put them into a clean plastic bag or a garment bag. You can stick the bag into a cupboard or drawer until you're ready to wear your latex.^{[10]
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- Keep the bag with the latex clothes away from heaters or damp spaces to protect the latex.
- Don't leave the latex out in direct sunlight since the UV rays will discolor the latex and make it disintegrate faster.

Question 6 of 6:

How can I protect latex from damage?

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Hang your latex clothes so they don't form creases while they're stored. Pop your dry clothing onto a wooden or plastic hanger so it hangs neatly. Then, stick the hanger with the clothes in a garment bag or large plastic bag before you hang it in the closet. Your latex won't crease or stick together if you hang it instead of folding it.^{[11]
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- Don't hang colorful latex next to other colorful latex on the same hanger or the colors could bleed together if they're too close.
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Keep the clothing away from direct sunlight and heat. Although you can wear latex clothes out on a hot, sunny day, you don't want to expose the latex to these conditions for a long period of time. This is because the latex can fade and start to break down. Since latex burns really easily, you should also keep it away from open flames or fire.^{[12]
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- You should also keep latex clothing away from oil and grease since these can break down latex.

Warnings

Studies suggest that talcum powder that contains asbestos can cause cancer. More research is being done to determine if asbestos-free talcum powder has the same risks.^{[13]
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