As you may be aware, you will have to clean your latex goods fairly often in order to maintain and prolong the pieces life expectancy. Besides, you want to practice good hygiene and clean your pieces every time you wear them, of course. So, the first thing you want to do is fill your sink, bathtub or bucket with some lukewarm water. You can add a few drops of baby or very mild shampoo to the water, but be careful! Latex is extremely delicate and any hard detergent can cause havoc on the fabric, so you choose very carefully if you will be adding some product to your washing routine.
Submerge your piece into the water and gently swish it around. After a while, take it out and rinse it with fresh water. Again, make sure you are really getting rid of any product leftovers there may be on your piece. When you’re good to go, hang it (no metal hangers please! They stain the fabric) with a plastic or wooden hanger and let it dry completely before storing it. Now, don’t hang in under direct sunlight because the fabric can weaken and discolor and make sure it’s completely dry, without traces of humidity before you storage it.
When you’re confident it’s dry, you can add some silicone to lubricate it and shine it and then let it dry some more. Simply rub some oil in your palm and spread it around the piece. If you’re short on time, you can add the lubricating oil after you’ve washed it and before you’ve dried it. And always make sure the piece maintains its original shape!
After it’s cleaned and oiled up, wink*, you can save it for a next use. You can add a bit of talcum powder on the insides and store it in a dry and dark place, out of sunlight. Don’t leave your piece near anything that’s metal and be mindful about the colors and discoloration; light, white and transparent colors are really delicate so you can store them in a clothing bag. And keep your latex pieces separated from one and other! You should also stay away from mechanical oils, by the way. Always keep in mind latex is a very delicate and fickle fabric, so treat it as such.
When you want to wear your piece, simply add some more talcum to the piece and yourself and help yourself with a little lubricating oil to slide the piece a bit easier and repeat the process when you’re done, wink*.
