Halloween Costume Care

thehigherstandard | May 10, 2010 |

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Many people spend way too much time searching for, deciding upon, and purchasing a Halloween costume for this year's costume party. However, the more they blindly rush into the process, the more likely their Halloween outfits will only last one year. Costume shoppers would be better served to take their time and consider factors other than what they look like immediately upon putting on the Halloween get-up for the first time. The following factors will help get the most out of your Halloween costumes.

First and foremost, you need to buy a costume that fits. Seriously! Purchasing an outfit that is either too large or too small will cause it to bunch, drag or pull, all of which will prematurely cause the grim reaper to visit the costume. Accordingly, you need make sure the costume will fit you. One method to insure a proper fit is to read the user reviews posted on the online costume shops that you visit. Many times, if a costume is running big size-wise, the reviews will say so. If an angel's halo is easily broken, you can find that information there as well. Additionally, search the Halloween costume review websites to find costumes that have built in features that add flexibility and adjustability.

Second, sometimes a costume shopper must admit that he or she needs a custom fit costume. The problem, however, usually comes when deciding where to buy such an outfit. Search online to find costume specialists or manufacturers that specialize in creating outfits that will meet your specific needs. Ideally, you will want to find a manufacturer that can create your costume from scratch, thereby giving you the ability to assist in the design of the Halloween costume.

Third, please, please, please wash your costume. Nothing can ruin an outfit faster than last year's funk. However, you need to properly wash the costume according to the manufacturer's recommendations. For example, if the costume says that it should be dry cleaned, do yourself a favor a dry clean the costume. On the other hand, if an outfit allows you to hand wash the costume, try to use a detergent containing very gentle ingredients, such as those made for nightgowns, bras, and other lingerie. If you elect to machine wash the costume (and the recommendations provide that it is acceptable to do so), use the gentle cycle, using as little agitation as possible. As an added precaution, try not to use a laundromat machine as they tend to have a build-up of bleach and detergent residue that can cause damage to the costume.

Fourth, if you happen to get a stain on your Halloween costume, do yourself a favor and properly clean it as soon as possible. How, exactly, you clean that stain will depend, of course, on what kind of stain it is. Here are some common stains and simple ways to clean such stains:

• Stains caused by face makeup are very common during the Halloween season. Use a dry cleaning solvent or a pre-wash stain remover to clean these types of stains.

• Another common stain is the result of chewing gum. As most mothers can tell you, slap a piece of ice to the gum residue after removing as much of the gum as possible, and you are on your way to treating that stain. Once you have done that first step, apply a heavy duty liquid detergent or pre-wash stain remover to complete the stain removal process.

• Caramel, hot chocolate and other similar candy stains are a third category of Halloween related stains. To treat these types of stains, soak the costume in cold water. Thereafter, spot remove with a quality pre-wash stain remover or heavy duty liquid laundry detergent.

• For those children and adults that like candy apples (and other holiday fruits), they can attest that sometimes the stains are not from the caramel or chocolate but, instead, from the fruit itself. You can remove fruit stains by running cold water over the stain and, therefore, treating it with a liquid laundry detergent.

• Additionally, candle wax stains are surprisingly common during the Halloween season. Dry cleaning solvents are very good at removing candle wax from your costume.

• Finally, it is inevitable that nail polish will occasionally stain a costume. While extremely difficult to remove, using nail polish remover periodically can slowly fade the nail polish stain.

A final consideration in trying to get the most out of your costume is how to store it until next Halloween season. Many times a higher quality costume will include a garment bag in which it can be stored. However, if you simply stick it in the garage or, heaven forbid, the attic when you are done for the year, do not complain when it is ruined the next year. If possible, store the costume on a flat surface in an air conditioned and humidity-controlled room.

For the more expensive costumes, an alternative (albeit a more expensive option) is to leave your costume with a professional costume company who will store it properly. There are some definite advantages to these types of costume storage companies. First, they will usually clean and repair, if needed, the costumes before it is needed for the next event. Second, they will store your costumes in a dry and safe environment. In fact, their insurance policies will usually protect you in the event it is damaged (i.e., water damage, theft, or fire) in their care. Third, they are set up in a way that allows them to ship your costume back to you prior to your festivities; these storage facilities also usually offer return shipping after your event is completed. Finally, they will send you a bill for their services, usually on a quarterly basis. Talk about convenience!

So there you have it. After all of the time, energy and money invested in finding the perfect costume, you owe it to yourself (and your wallet) to properly care for your costumes. Following these basic Halloween costume care ideas will help prevent your outfits from prematurely visiting the grave.