Latex Rubber Garments: Care, Maintenance, and Repair

Cleaning

Once you've sweat or done who knows what in your latex, it is going to need cleaning. What I do is fill either the sink or bath with 3 or 4 inches of lukewarm water (no soap), turn the garment inside out and swish it around. Then I hang it on a plastic hanger right side out until dry on the outside, then turn it inside out until dry on the inside.

Lubes & Powders

I recommend Eros Body Glide as the best solution for slipping into your tightest latex garments. You (or a close personal friend) rub a little all over your body and slide right in. I also like this product on the outside of my garments (see “Shining” below), and it's a great personal lube as well!

Or you can do it the old fashioned way and use any non-scented powder. Liberally cover the inside of your garment, then shake out any excess before pulling it on. If you're having trouble getting a garment on then you're just not using enough powder or lube.

Shining

The longer you have a garment and the more often it is shined, the shinier it will remain. While it seems that getting a good shine would be easy, it requires patience, a gentle touch and practice.

Shine is a matter of personal preference. There are some colors I don't like to shine. I prefer a matte look on turquoise. Likewise, shining products are a matter of preference, based on desired effects, status and ease. I prefer a high gloss, wet shine for going out. For this I use the same Eros Body Glide mentioned above. There is a particular pleasure in using a product made just for your special garment.

Spreading this lubricating shine with bare hands is a task which others will gratefully perform.

For the super-fast shine and for damaged garments, silicone spray is good, but only if you have strong lungs. If you can get it, try to use the silicone that is used on fruit.

There are cheaper products, such as Armoural, found at auto supply or hardware stores, that provide a nice shine, but of course you must avoid getting them in your mouth.

Other than silicone, which is sprayed directly onto the garment and left to dry, the application of these products is the same:

Spray or spread a liberal amount onto the garment and gently smear it with a soft, lint-free cloth (we use shop towels) or bare hands until the surface gleams. DO NOT rub hard. At best you will merely wipe away all the shine, and at worst you may damage the surface. You do not want to wipe OFF the shining product...merely spread it around. You will need to check your work under good lighting and do touch ups as required.

Precautions

Avoid or at least be careful of sharp objects like jewelry and long nails, cigarettes in clubs, and those that come up to you and stretch the latex just to hear it snap (I usually discourage that with a crack of the bullwhip!).

Copper will stain latex and once it does it will not go away.

Never use oils and latex together because the latex will gradually disintegrate. So if you plan on something slippery, make sure it is water based, like Cult Lube or Shining Spray.

Do not store latex near sunlight or it will chalk or turn white. Try silicone to hide the white if this happens.

Tears and Repairs

Should a seam split, I suggest returning the garment to the manufacturer for repair. If you want to try it yourself, the simplest approach is to think of it as an inner tube repair and buy a patch kit. It won't look great but you will still have your garment. You can also send it to a professional here at The Baroness for custom repairs. Tears are not the result of manufacturer's defect, and are not covered under our warranty. However, if a seam should split on any Baroness garment, you can return it to us for repair under warranty. Click here for details.

Storage

Some believe latex must be stored in a bag; full of powder, in a dark dry place or, of course, in a special climate-controlled closet for latex only. However, I wear latex all the time and much prefer to see all my choices brilliantly shined and ready to wear. If you aren't going to wear the garments often, be sure they are dry and stored away from the sun. I don't recommend hanging latex on wire hangers or by the straps, as that can stretch it out of shape. Something I did just discover and I think may only be true with molded latex is: DO NOT store latex next to leather as it seems to melt it. (None of the Baroness’ elegant, provocative latex fashions are made of molded latex, except the gloves).