Washing Halloween Costume

I don't think you'd have a problem just washing the hem. I even washed the bottom half of a wedding dress and it came out fine. You need to use woolite or mild detergent and hang up afterwards. Get the excess water out by pressing the garment between two towels.

Wash it by hand!! That would be your best bet. Some of these costumes are so fragile they'll fall apart in the wash machine. Yes, I found out the hard way!! lol!! I've never had any trouble washiing them by hand and then just laying them out or hanging them up to dry.

Good luck!!

It truly depends on what it is made of and what trim it has etc.
I have washed all sorts of Halloween costumes the kids have had for dress up and such and never had a problem. I ran them through the washer with a little bit of detergent and cold water. I always hang them to dry no matter what it's made of. I try to turn them inside out to protect any decorations etc on them.
Without seeing it I can't tell you if your particular one would do well in the wash or not.
If anything, you can wash the hem in the tub with a little bit of detergent to get the hem clean.

I would say hand wash or put it in a net garment bag (the kind for dedicates) to wash and line dry. Be sure to line dry!

Try just washing the hem part by hand with woolite.

They are made of cheap, synthetic, fire retardant fabrics. Many times if you wash them, they are no longer "fire retardant "and cannot be sold as "safe Halloween costumes".

Some times the colors bleed or can shred..

Worst case, you could cut the bottom of the hem off and make it a shorter dress.

Do not use Woolite --- it is actually not good for fine fabrics. Try using a baby wipe along the hem.

Depending on what it's made of, you may be able to wash it on the gentle cycle or hand wash it.

Whether or not you can successfully wash it depends on what it is made of. (Rayon and acetate do not wash well.) And how it's constructed. Some interfacings shrink when gotten wet. Fabric that has been stiffened usually doesn't wash well. If this is a qualty costume costing $35 or more, has firm interfacing or none at all and doesn't crease when you crumple it,it probably can be washed. But do keep in mind that it may look less fresh especially if it has been treated to be more crisp.

My granddaughter had a Disney piglet costume which we washed often. She then had a Disney Snow White costume which I don't think we washed but yet it looked good for several years. A bit of grime lent an authentic look to it. We did spot clean it from time to time As I recall.

I would spot clean the hem using very little water if the soil bothers you. Do just a small section and let it dry so that you can see the effect. I have found that machine washing and drying works best over hand washing. The wrinkles stay in when line dried.

With the exception of acetate and rayon most man made materials wash well. It's the trim and findings (interfacing and linings) that usually prevent successful washing. I've successfully washed many dry clean only clothes. The manufacturer puts the dry clean only label on clothes to be on the safe side.

If it's too dirty to wear then it can't hurt it to wash it. IF it's not wearable then it's going to be replaced. That's when I would go ahead and wash it and if it doesn't hurt it GOOD! If it destroys it then no loss.

I have washed several Spiderman (and other superhero) costumes many times. They show some wear but really not too much. I think the boys are rougher on them then the washing machine.

Since this is her Halloween costume, I would not want to take a chance on putting it through a wash cycle. It might be just fine, but it really might not be.

I would hand wash it. Just a coupe of drops of detergent in the sink with water. Plunge it a few times, rinse it out and let in hang dry. You can try the washing machine after Halloween if she wants to use it to play dress up.

I throw everyone of them in the washer. My daughter used to wear them all year round. They no longer fit and all of them went in the washer and right over to kid to kid for resale.

Hi, I received a used ladybug costume for my five month old. It did say not washable, maybe due to the delicate wings on the back, but I washed it anyway with a whole load of other clothes. Plus, our washer does not have a delicate cycle, but everything was just like before they were washed, even the tulle wings. Maybe you can pre-treat the stains, then put on a delicate short cycle? I don't know the specifics of your costume, or the delicacy of it, but maybe I was just lucky, I don't know. I hope you find a solution!