It’s been a little while since we talked about corsets so I thought I’d share how I wash and care for my corsets. Keeping your corset in good condition, clean and cared for really helps this garment last and work for you. It’s completely worth looking after your corset; they certainly are an investment and should be treated with care. As I’m still in love with my corsets from Glamorous Corsets, I will be using those to demonstrate my process; you can find my other corset blogs featuring these corsets here (how to season) and here (review).

Avoid Getting Your Corset Dirty To Begin With: Before we discuss how to clean a corset, we must first look at how to avoid getting your corset dirty in the first place. The best way to keep your corset clean is to avoid wearing it on bare skin as this means it’ll absorb oils, dirt, dried skin, sweat and any chemicals on the skin (fake tans, moisturisers etc). By wearing a slip under your corset, you can help keep your corset cleaner for longer. The more you try to keep your corset clean, the lower your chances of damaging and weakening your corset during cleaning are.

Bit of Fresh Air: After wearing your corset, it helps to air it out by laying it out lining side up (even on the back of a chair or stool) can help. I sometimes like to put it outside to get some sun and fresh air. If your corset is a little sweaty, allow it to dry before you store it because it might cause mildew and even rust to appear. If you wear a corset daily, it may be worth having two (or even three) on rotation so you can allow your corset to be aired out and refreshed between wearing them day to day.

Hand Wash Only: When it comes to cleaning a corset, the first rule is; never machine wash your corset.
Corsets are very rigid garments due to their structure, boning and shape; the washing machine will damage a corset causing boning to bend, the shape to warp and the material to rip. This happens not because the corset is weak, but because it is rigid. Also, because corsets are made with steel boning, a busk, eyelets and grommets; if steel gets wet, it can rust. As the boning will be in boning channels, it’s really difficult to dry fully after being wet causing a higher risk of rust.

Dry Cleaning: You are welcome to dry clean your corset and many corset creators will stand by this cleaning method. I would recommend doing this when your corset becomes heavily soiled, smelly or is certainly looking worse for wear. Corsets can be dry cleaned if they are made from; cotton, satin, leather, denim, PVC or mesh.

Wipe it Away: The best to clean your corset is by laying it open and flat, and wiping a clean damp towel over the lining. I also sometimes use a baby wipe as they are super gentle, not soaking wet and help remove a lot of dirt, oil, makeup and other stains. Once wiped down, keep your corset laying open and flat and make sure it is fully dry before you return it to storage.

Spot Cleaning: If you require a bit more spot cleaning, I’d recommend a gentle cleaner that works in cold water such as Borax or Napisan. Create a paste and place it only on the spot stains, wipe off with a damp towel after a few minutes. If you are worried about your corset material reacting to certain cleaners, test on a patch that can be hidden. You may need to clean your spot stain your corset a few times.

Phwoar! That Smell: If your corset is a bit on the odorous side, as odd as it sounds, I have spritzed corsets with some ‘Febreeze’ (especially the anti-bacterial kind) and found that it helped sanitise, deodorize and remove any strong smells that the corset may have.

If you’d indulge me and welcome a fun little side tangent, in the 1940’s, the UK government released a household booklet titled Make Do and Mend which shared tips and hints on making clothing last longer and ideas on how to extend the life of your household garments. They just so happen to have a section on how to take care of your corsets. It reads thus;

“Corsets
Now that rubber is so scarce your corset is one of your most precious possessions. Be sure first of all that it fits. In particular, don’t wear one too small, as this stretches the rubber and puts too much strain on it. Bones worn in the wrong place – either too high or too low – will break.
The greatest enemies of rubber are sunlight and grease. Never let your girdle get really dirty. Wash it frequently and, if you possibly can, have at least two corsets, and wear them alternately. If you have one corset, that you wear only on special occasions, wash it before you put it away again – in a cool, dark place, not in the hot cupboard.
Wear corsets over a thin undergarment, rather than next to the skin, so that they are protected from grease and perspiration. Watch them for the first signs of cracking threads, and mend at once.
Don’t pull or stretch your corset any more than you must. A strong pull may be the quickest way of getting into a corset but it’s hard on the material. Roll a boneless corset before you step into it, then unroll it over your hips. If the girdle has bones or rigid supports, ease it gently into place, first on one side, them on the other.
If your corsets are back-laced or front laced, you will find the wear much better if you loosen the laces when you take off the corset, and tie the lacing afresh each time you put them on.”

Caring for your corset really helps it stay clean, in good shape and rigid which in turn will help you feel amazing when you wear it. You should only clean your corset when it needs cleaning to avoid weakening or damaging it. Every time you do clean your corset, you run the risk of damage so please be very careful in the cleaning product. You shouldn’t be afraid of cleaning it, but there should be care taken at all stages of the cleaning process.

Coming very soon I hope to write up a step-by-step laundry guide for how I wash my corsets so please check back soon for that!
See you then!

Note: This is not a sponsored post. All opinions and thoughts expressed are solely my own and not influenced in any way. There are no affiliate links and I do not benefit from any link clicks or purchases made.