Latex Care

How to clean?
A good solution for cleaning your latex, is to fill a sink or bath with lukewarm water, with no soap, turn the garment inside out, and swish it around. Then hang it on a plastic hanger right side out and then turn it inside out until it is dry on the inside.  It should be stored with unscented baby powder on the inside and polished on the outside with a good latex preservative.

We know sometimes our garments may contact liquids other than water.   Be aware some soaps are harsh to latex and will damage or weaken it over time.  Anything with chlorine or bleach should be avoided and any such contact will weaken the materials even if quickly rinsed.   This includes swimming pool or hot-tub water.

What Lubes & Powders I should use?
We recommend Vivishine Dress, as the best solution for slipping into your tightest latex garments. You rub a little all over your body and slide right in.  Some people prefer to use any non-scented powder baby powder.  If you do this, you should liberally cover the inside of your garment, and then shake out any excess before pulling it on.   Be careful of pulling too hard on the seams, if you’re having trouble getting a garment on then you’re just not using enough powder or lube.

How to make it shine?
A good shine takes time.  The first time you polish your garment it will look shiny but quickly dull as the oxygen in the air interacts with the chemicals.   Each time you wear and polish the garment the longer it will keep its shine as the pores in the latex will absorb the polish. While it seems that getting a good shine would be easy, it requires patience, a gentle touch and practice.   Be careful to polish but not rub the garment as its possible, over time, to develop weak spots in areas.  If you feel heat from friction you should stop and use either more polish or a different technique.

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. 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 that certain others will gratefully perform.

There are cheaper products, such as Armor All and similar products, found at auto supply or hardware stores, that some people recommend using, this is not something we can advise.  Armor All is not designed for long contact with the skin and is poisonous if swallowed.

Other than silicone, which is sprayed directly onto the garment and left to dry, the application of these products is pretty much 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.

Any 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

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.

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

How to prevent tears and how to repairs?
Should a seam split, I suggest returning the garment to us 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. Tears are not the result of manufacturer’s defect, and are not covered under our warranty. However, if a seam should split on any Catfish garment, you can return it to us for repair under warranty.

How to 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.  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.   The big thick hangers for coats are the best way to hang them.  You want to distribute the weight as much as possible away from the seams.

And most important is leave the latex clothes far away from metals and moisture!