Whether you’re interested in acquiring some new rubber or you already have some latex, storing and caring for your new clothes is essential. Without proper care and storage, you can destroy your expensive items.
Before we dive into this topic, I want to preface this by saying that I’m not an expert. I haven’t owned latex for very long, so I can’t be sure if my methods are safe in the long run. I’d recommend checking out other sources and seeking advice from others to see if everyone generally agrees on a certain method.
That being said, I’ve managed to keep my rubber in good condition since I purchased my first piece in 2021.
In this article, I’ll share my tips for how to care for latex and store rubber clothing. I’ll also provide links to additional resources you may find helpful.
Why care for your rubber clothes?
Latex clothing is expensive. With the sort of money you’ll spend on your rubber collection, you want to ensure that it will last for a long time. Without proper care and storage of latex clothes, your cherished items could crack, become discolored, or become sticky. This can ruin their appearance and even cause discomfort.
Proper care and storage can extend the life of your rubber, ensuring you’ll be able to wear it for years to come.
How to clean latex clothes
First, let’s discuss how to wash your rubber and when you might want to do so. Cleaning latex clothes is one of the most important aspects of caring for them.
Because rubber clothing isn’t breathable, you’ll likely sweat while wearing your new suit or other rubber clothing items. This buildup of sweat, grime, and other substances on your body, such as fragrances, deodorant, and more, can damage latex if not washed away. Plus, just like with regular clothes, you need to keep things clean to eliminate bacteria and other organisms for your own health and safety.
Here’s how you can wash your latex clothing.
Step 1: Rinse/soak your clothes in water
When rinsing or soaking your rubber you need to use lukewarm water or warm water. While you can use hot water, there’s always a risk of deformation or weakening the seams of your suit. This can cause your rubber to fall apart.
Rising your rubber garments first allows you to remove much of the sweat, lube, and shine.
Step 2: Use mild soap
When washing your rubber you should use a mild soap that won’t degrade the latex. Some common household options include dish soap, particularly the non-scented, mild kind. You can also use latex cleansers like Viviclean. Then you can use a soft microfiber cloth or your hands to gently wipe the rubber.
Step 3: Rinse (and shine)
Once your latex is all clean it’s time to rinse. You want to ensure that you’ve removed all of the soap residue. When rising don’t wring or twist your latex garments. This could damage it, after all.
During this step, I generally add some Vivishine to my clean water and let the latex soak for a minute. This helps to ensure your latex doesn’t stick together. It also gives your garments a complete shine, which is better for storage.
Step 4: Leave your rubber to dry
Now it’s time to dry your latex. You can gently pat your latex dry with a soft towel or cloth, or you can hang it to dry. Personally, I lay my latex flat after gently shaking them over the bathtub. Once all of my latex has been removed from the water and shiner, I hang them to dry.
Never use a hairdryer or any other heat.
How to polish latex
Polishing your rubber helps to give it a shine and a slick finish. If your rubber isn’t chlorinated, it needs polish to give it that shiny and smooth look that fetishists long for.
I recommend using Vivishine. You’ll simply spray some onto the latex and use a soft cloth to spread the polish evenly over the surface. You can also use a latex dressing aid such as Vividress to coat the inside of the latex and your skin to make it easy to put on and take off your rubber clothes.
How to store rubber clothing
When it comes to storing your latex, there’s some scientific basis behind the best practices. Latexiom (@ltxiom) conducted a study on the effects of latex stored for extended periods of time. His findings were released on June 20, 2021.
He found that the most important factor in preventing the deterioration of rubber is to protect it from exposure to air.
In the experiment, eight strips of black latex were cleaned with BeGloss Special Wash. Four were then polished with Vivishine. Some of the strips were placed in air-tight bags, some in a dark closet, and others by a window.
The latex exposed to air began to whiten within a few weeks while those that were either polished or in a bag did not. Additionally, the rubber exposed to sunlight had deteriorated more than those in the closet.
The results of the study, while not extensive or done enough times to truly test the results, seem to suggest that rubber will last longer if it is stored in air-tight containers and treated with a latex shiner/polish.
Storage recommendations
Here’s how you can store your rubber clothing:
- Store latex clothes in a cool, dry, and dark place. Avoid storing them in direct sunlight. A dark bedroom closet is a perfect location.
- Make sure your latex is dry before storing them in any bags or containers. Otherwise, you could see mold growth.
- Hang your clothes or place them flat in a drawer/container. Beware that folding your latex can create creases.
- Coat your latex in either a talcum powder (“talc”) or latex polish, such as Vivishine.
How I store my latex
Previously, I stored my latex in some plastic hanging shirt bags once the items were coated in Vivishine. I then placed these bags in my bedroom closet. They were vacuum storage bags, so I got as much air out as I could.
For a while, due to life circumstances, I wasn’t able to wear any rubber for a few months in 2022-2023. I stored my latex in plastic bags in a plastic bin and kept them sealed away. This isn’t ideal, as I worried about how the plastic might affect the rubber and if any creases would form.
Now that my living arrangements have improved slightly I plan to create a new storage solution. I’d like to hang some of my latex again while storing others flat. I’ve acquired some new garment and vacuum storage bags for this endeavor.
General latex tips
In general, you want to be gentle with your latex. Don’t use your fingernails when putting on or removing your clothes, as you could rip your rubber. You’ll also want to avoid wearing any harsh fragrances or deodorants. I’d recommend using something with natural ingredients. If you hang your latex, I'd use a plastic hanger instead of a wood or metal one to avoid puncturing your latex.
Conclusion
Caring for and storing your rubber clothes requires some effort. But it is worth your time in the long run. By following the above steps and referencing other sources to choose your latex care routine you can ensure that your latex will look good and last for years to come.
