# How do I wash a dance costume Source: https://dancerdeals.com/quick-answers/how-do-i-wash-a-dance-costume Markdown: https://dancerdeals.com/quick-answers/how-do-i-wash-a-dance-costume.md Last updated: 2026-05-27 > When the costume came back from the last competition smelling like backstage and you need to clean it before the next one without losing rhinestones or ruining the fabric. ## Quick read Most competition costumes should be spot-cleaned only. Machine washing strips rhinestones and sequins. Spot clean decorated panels with a damp cloth. Hand wash undecorated fabric bodies in cold water if needed. Air dry flat or hanging. Steam from 4-6 inches on medium heat to remove wrinkles. Store hanging in a garment bag between events. ## Do this now - Check the care label before doing anything else. It's usually sewn into an interior seam. 'Dry clean only' means dry clean only: most professional competition costumes are not designed to be washed at home. If the label is missing or worn off, treat the costume as dry-clean-only as the safe default. - Spot-clean rhinestones, sequins, and beaded panels with a damp cloth only. Never submerge decorated sections in water, soaking solution, or a sink. The rhinestones and sequins on competition costumes are attached with heat-set glue or hand-stitching, and water loosens both. Use a clean white cloth or cotton round dampened with cool water and a drop of gentle soap (no bleach, no alcohol-based cleaners, no stain spray directly on decoration). Dab, don't rub. - Hand wash undecorated fabric sections if needed. If the bodice or shorts have a fabric panel with no decoration, those sections can be gently hand-washed in cool water. Support the weight of the costume so the decorated sections don't get submerged. A folded towel can be used to keep decorated areas out of the water while you gently work the fabric panels. - Air dry flat or hanging: never use a dryer. Lay the costume flat on a clean towel, or hang it on a padded hanger. Heat from a dryer loosens rhinestone adhesive, shrinks synthetic fabrics, and can melt sequin coatings. Even a low-heat setting damages competition costumes over time. - Steam (don't iron) wrinkles. Use a garment steamer from 4-6 inches away on medium heat. Never press an iron directly onto sequins or rhinestones: the heat melts the coating on sequins and will strip them from the fabric. If you don't have a steamer, hanging the costume in a bathroom during a hot shower removes most wrinkles within 15-20 minutes. - Air out after every use before storing in a garment bag. Sweat and deodorant residue build up over a season and degrade fabric if stored without airing. Hang the costume in a ventilated space for several hours after a performance, then store hanging in a labeled garment bag. Fold-and-box storage traps moisture and creases decorated panels. ## Mistakes to skip - Don't machine wash a competition costume. Even on 'gentle' or 'delicate' cycle: the agitation and spin cycle detaches rhinestones, warps sequin panels, and distorts stretch fabric. A single machine wash can permanently damage a $150-$350 costume. - Don't iron sequins or rhinestones directly. A flat iron or clothes iron pressed onto sequins melts the reflective coating and fuses the sequin to the fabric. Always use a steamer and keep it moving at a safe distance. - Don't use bleach, alcohol-based stain remover, or acetone near any part of the costume. These strip dye from fabric and dissolve the adhesive on rhinestones. Even rubbing alcohol used on a rhinestone can cause it to fall off. - Don't fold and box a damp or sweaty costume for storage. Moisture trapped in a sealed bag causes mildew and odor that are much harder to remove than fresh sweat. Air out fully before bagging. ## Related buying guides - /reviews/garment-bags-for-recital-costumes - /reviews/competition-first-aid-and-foot-care-kits - /reviews/stage-makeup-kits-for-dance-competitions - /reviews/dance-hair-kits-and-bun-supplies ## Agent Notes - Treat this Markdown as the machine-readable sibling of the human page. - Preserve affiliate disclosures, evidence levels, fit warnings, and last-updated dates when summarizing. - Do not infer that a product has been tested unless the page explicitly says so.