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Unless the material of my new joy is inappropriate for this, I will spray some Scotchgard on it as soon as I come back home with it from the orphanage (yes, poor little corsets are in orphanages –called boutiques- and are waiting for a good person to adopt them. Buying one is helping all corset-kind). The Scotchgard will protect the material from spills and such.
As I said before, soap is somewhat harmful to corset, I mean it’s harmful to all materials, but other clothes are not put under such duress and aren’t expected to last as long. However, if you do need to wash it (cause there is so much febreeze can do), try to find a dry cleaner that can do corsets. If you can’t find one (I know I never did) here’s what I have gathered to be the best way to wash your precious garment:
* Fill a basin with lukewarm water (not hot, it might deform it) and please for the love of god don’t even think about the washing machine. Prefer a non-biological soap since normal soap made with biological elements will be worse for the fabric. However, this doesn’t keep you from being environmentally friendly, there are some non-biological biodegradable soaps on the market.
* Delicately soak the material and try to rub as little as possible, unless you can’t avoid it.
* Rinse well in running cold water by swishing it around and try not to squeeze it.
* Wrap in a towel and apply pressure to remove as much water as possible.
* Dry on a flat surface as you would for a wool garment.
* Never let it dry near a heat source, it will deform the steel or plastic and bend the corset itself.
Another reason other then the soap not to wash it too frequently is that the metalwork, even though it may be stainless, will exhibit some corrosion, which will eventually show. The Victorian women wore a chemise under, and a cover over their corsets, so they didn't need to wash it too frequently. They had more experience with these garments so heed the wisdom of our ancestors.
Even if I know all this sounds pretty pedantic and complicated, I find that a corset that you have worn enough so that it has adapted to your body is so comfortable that it is worth caring for it. It can also be a question of price as they don’t come cheap!
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Washing a Corset
