How to Refresh Your Dance Wardrobe for Summer

You’ve worked hard this year, and so has all your dancewear. We recommend giving it some TLC. Pointe spoke with Pasadena Civic Ballet’s costume master Jose Reyes for his best tips on cleaning for dancers, including getting out stubborn smells, taking care of delicate materials, and knowing when it’s time to throw those old tights out.

Dance Bags

Your trusty dance bag deserves a refresh before summer classes begin. If you use a typical cotton or canvas tote, treat any stains with a stain remover like OxiClean—just use a small amount first to make sure it doesn’t bleach the fabric. The bag can be machine washed on cold and hung to dry.

For a duffel or backpack made of nylon material, Reyes recommends using a wet rag to first wipe down the fabric inside and out. If needed, dip the rag in a mix of warm water and a small amount of detergent for sticky spots or stubborn marks. Drying the bag outside in the sun can help with any odors, or an odor-fighting air freshener can work in a pinch.

To keep your bag smelling fresh longer, try tossing in some baking soda sachets. These can be purchased from a grocery store or easily DIY’d with fabric scraps and a needle and thread or a ribbon. Baking soda absorbs smells without covering them up, although you can add a few drops of essential oils for a fresh scent.

Leotards and Tights

The trick to washing clothing made with elastic, like leotards and tights, is keeping them from being stretched out. “Never put them in the dryer,” says Reyes, as the heat can weaken the stretch fabrics. He recommends washing delicate items in a tub (or, if you’re at a summer intensive, a sink or bathtub with a stopper). Dip the items in warm water mixed with your preferred detergent. (Reyes recommends OxiClean or LA’s Totally Awesome All-Purpose Cleaner.) Gently swirl the clothes and let them soak without scrubbing. Then drain and repeat with clean, cold water. “Don’t wait too long before doing your laundry,” Reyes warns. “Sweat can break down fibers and damage the elastic in clothing.”

For drying, hang leotards and tights over plastic hangers, or, if they are especially delicate, lie them on a flat surface and sandwich them between two clean towels, pressing the moisture out gently until dry.

Reyes notes that tights can become slightly stiff or itchy once washed, but that can be remedied with a little fabric softener. Once pink or white tights get that dirty-dishwater color, it’s time to retire them from the stage and open a fresh pair.

Costumes

Costumes are often too bulky to be washed or are made with materials that can’t get wet, like silk or velvet. If the same costumes are worn year after year by different dancers, it’s important to keep them looking and smelling fresh with proper care and storage.

Reyes uses the costume shop classic: vodka in a spray bottle. “Just straight vodka, no flavors, no water added,” Reyes says. Vodka can kill bacteria that causes smells. Ask a parent or dance teacher to mist it over your costumes, leaving enough distance that the material isn’t saturated.

If possible, store costumes in a temperature-controlled environment. Reyes stores costumes in plastic bins and in an air-conditioned room.

Canvas Ballet Flats

Your canvas ballet slippers likely show evidence of hours of dancing. While leather flats and pointe shoes should never get wet, most canvas shoes can be spot-cleaned with a rag dipped in water and detergent, or even dunked in the same tub as your tights and hung to dry. Just be warned that your shoes might fit more snugly than they did before they were washed.