Corset class – cleaning

If you make your own corset, or if you’ve bought one, at some point you’re probably going to need to clean it somehow….

Caveat & read first

First of all, the most important care instructions should be included with your corset. In a store-bought corset, there must be a label in the garment which includes care instructions (at least according to Canadian labeling laws – your local laws may differ).  However if you have purchased a custom-made corset or have bought one from an independent corsetiere, you may not have a label sewn into your corset and instead should have received care instructions from whomever made the corset.

These instructions supersede any other instructions you might read online, think up, hear from a friend, and certainly my suggestions…  If the instructions say “dry clean only” (and in most cases, that’s exactly what they will say…) you should follow those instructions – to do otherwise is at your own risk…

Some fabrics just shouldn’t be washed.  If you have a leather, fur, suede, or similar corset,  you won’t want to wash it.  While you may consider your potential for risk in cleaning the lining, the non-washable ‘fabric’ shouldn’t be washed. Art corsets (paper, paper mache, plastic, duct tape, etc) should be considered art, and treated as needed to maintain their integrity.

Spot treatment

If there are just small areas needing to be cleaned, you’ll be looking to spot-clean the garment.  First of all you need to figure out what the soil or stain is, what your corset is made of, and where the spot is.

Before using any chemical on your corset, you should test it.  Pick an inconspicuous spot (on the inside of the corset, under the arm, on the modesty panel, or if you were really lucky, on the self-fabric swatch or bag provided by your corsetiere.  Use a small amount of whatever cleaner you want to use on a clean, white facecloth, and ‘clean’ the hidden spot as if it were the soiled area.

• Check the white cloth; did any dye come off onto the facecloth?
• Check the corset; did the cleaner change the colour of your corset in any way?

If everything is good – go ahead and use your preferred cleaner specifically on the small spot needing to be cleaned.  If there are any problems, you’ll want to take your corset to a professional cleaner.

If you have a leather or PVC corset you may be able to simply wipe the spot with a clean, dry cloth.

Different types of ‘soiling’ may require different kinds of treatment.  For instance oily stains (body oil, lipstick, some food, etc) require a lot more attention than dry material.  Consider the type of ‘soil’ in choosing your cleaning technique.

Scents (oh that smokey nightclub…)

I’m ecstatic that bars and clubs in my area have gone smoke-free, but smoke is a pretty common complaint – along with perfume and other scents that your corset may have absorbed.  Different fabrics are more susceptible to absorbing scents too, but there are a few ways you can try to get rid of the scents.

1) Just air it out….  Let the corset hang in a well-ventilated area, with as much air movement on all sides for a while, and mild scents will disappear with time.

2) Fabreeze - Some people have recommended (although I’ve never done it, and thus can’t recommend it) spraying your corset with a scent-remover spray like Fabreeze.  I personally think that Fabreeze smells terrible, so I don’t do it.  The same caveat for cleaning chemicals applies – test first.

3) Vodka - Likewise, some people have recommended (although I’ve never done it, and thus can’t recommend it) spraying your corset with a mix of vodka and water. (I’ve heard of a 10% vodka to water mix, to 50/50% – if you use this technique, please post your recommendation in the comments below!)  The same caveat for cleaning chemicals applies – test first.

4) Association – I’ve never tried this either, but I’ve read people suggesting ‘pulling’ the scent out using either baking soda or Fabreeze. The technique is to put the corset in a container or bag along with a box of baking soda (like you would put in your fridge) or a cloth sprayed with Fabreeze.  With this method the product doesn’t ever touch the corset – but just being in the container with it will ‘pull’ out the unwanted scent.   Once the scent is removed, remove the corset from the container for storage. (I’ll have storage suggestions in another post.)

5) Cleaning – sometimes just airing my corset out isn’t enough for me, in which case I clean it… see below for how I do that.

A corset of mine with the round nylon cord for back lacing. (Shown on a dressform, so it doesn’t fit properly…

My personal thoughts on dry cleaners

Personally, I’ve never worked for a dry cleaner, nor have I really taken many garments to dry cleaners… however I have heard dozens of stories about items being wrecked at dry cleaners while working at fabric stores (where people came in to replace buttons that were melted or destroyed) and for a custom clothing designer (where people came in hoping a damaged garment could be saved or replaced).

My personal opinion of dry cleaners; I don’t use them.

Most of the time clothing items are constructed without fabric being pre-washed; pre-washing fabrics for mass production just isn’t cost-efficient.  However, pre-washing fabrics can do a number of things – it removes excess sizing, removes some excess dye (but not always all), softens fibers, pre-shrinks fabrics, etc.  If a garment is made up with fabric that has not been pre-washed – then all of those negatives can happen to your garment if you wash it.  That’s why clothing makers put “dry clean only” on a lot of garments – even those where the fabrics don’t normally need to be dry cleaned.  Basically, it puts the problem in the hands of the dry cleaners or customer and out of their hands…

Cleaning

Since I make most of my own corsets, I know how the fabrics have been treated before the corset was made.  I also am aware of the condition of the boning and other material that has gone into the corset – thus I know exactly what kind of cleaning I can do.

If you don’t make your own corsets, here are some things to be aware of:

1) Rust – if water sits on the bones for a while, rust can form.  Additionally, although most “white bones” are covered (the white materials), I have seen bones where the white plastic has split – rust is a definite factor with those.  Plastic bones are not affected by water.  You can reduce your risk of rust by ensuring that your corset dries quickly (but without excess heat which can cause other problems).

2) Colour bleeding – just like when you’ve washed your white towels with the red t-shirt – dye can bleed.  This isn’t a big deal if you wash your corset by itself, and the trim, laces, and lining are all the same colour, but if you have a black corset with white piping or lace, this might be a concern.  There are ‘dye magnets’ that may help with this – but if you have a high-contrast corset, you may wish to test for colour bleeding before washing your corset, or send it to a professional cleaner.

3) Shrinkage – while it’s not going to make your 30″ corset a 24″… fabric can shrink.  More importantly, it can shrink differently in each direction.  This means that the fabrics, held in place with your boning, can seem to ‘warp’ if they shrink.  You can minimize shrinkage by avoiding high heat, using mild cleansers (if any) and minimizing agitation (rubbing).

4) Changing the texture – while washing can soften fabrics, sometimes it can also change the texture through shrinkage or changing the sheen of the fabric.  I’ve found this most frequently happens with those “Chinese brocades” that are commonly used for corsets, and a lot of silks. Your best bet to avoid this is to test the fabric in an inconspicuous spot, and follow the suggestions for shrinkage.

5) Warping – you will also want to avoid warping your corset in the cleaning process.  This is pretty easy to do – avoid washing machines, avoid wringing the corset to dry, and avoid rolling the corset in a towel in a way that doesn’t follow the direction of your boning. You’ll also want to avoid excessive heat which can warp plastic boning, and avoid laundry dryers.

6) Bleaching – obviously… avoid bleach! You’ll also want to avoid any cleaners that might bleach colour out of the corset fabric.  Don’t forget the power of the sun; the sun can bleach colour out of fabrics as well- so as tempting as a bright sunny window might be for drying your corset, keep that in mind.

My techniques

As I mentioned, I make my own corsets and thus know what is safe for them.  Your experience may be different, but here is what I do:

1) First I handle any spot-cleaning that might be needed.

2) Next, in a large sink I will use a very mild laundry detergent and a sufficient amount of water to hand-wash the corset in lukewarm water.  I rinse in the sink.

3) Next, I hang the corset by the laces from two plastic coat hangers in my shower, and ‘hose’ them off. If the corset just needs to be rinsed, I’ll skip steps 1 & 2 and go straight to this step.

4) To dry, I hang the corset by the laces from the two plastic hangers so that the two sides of the corset stay apart, and let it drip-dry in the shower, which has decent ventilation.

5) I don’t store the corset until it is completely dry.

Other cleaning options

Some of the other techniques for cleaning that I’ve heard from fellow corset lovers include:

“I wash my corsets by hand in the kitchen sink and then hang them by their laces over the shower rod. I use a free and clear laundry detergent.” – Isabelle

“Corsets are dry clean only, as any steel boning would rust if left wet” – Sassy

“Hand wash the corset in warm water with a mild powder and rinse in cold running water. Don’t wring the corset, and then wrap in a towel to remove moisture. Dry on a drying frame away from heat.” – Lisa

“Mix a mild washing powder with warm water and sponge the corset to clean.” – Mata

If professional cleaning is your preferred option

As you know, I personally don’t use dry cleaners, but, if your corset label instructs “Dry Clean Only” and you don’t want to risk your investment by using any other option, you’ll want to pick the RIGHT cleaner.

Dry cleaners don’t see a lot of corsets.  They’re unusual garments, and have a few aspects that require unique treatment and care.  Taking your corset to the closest strip-mall dry cleaner might be a bad idea.  I remember a wedding dress where all of the bustle-ties were cut (rather than untied) in order to clean the skirt… your loopy laces could suffer the same fate if the cleaner was equally as oblivious.

Generally speaking, I’d suggest finding out which cleaner in your area specializes in wedding dresses. A cleaner who works with wedding dresses has probably seen a few corsets, and will understand special treatment for fine fabrics, embroidery, boning, and lacing. Talk to them in advance and ask about their experience with corsets and how they intend to clean yours. Alternately (and harder to find) you can look for a cleaner who specializes in theatrical and ballet costumes.

Your turn!

How do you clean and care for your corsets? Leave us some comments in the field below!  If you want more information from my “corset class”, just follow the category link!

Corset class – A hole in one

Grommets and grommet setters

There are a lot of different types of grommets (along with eyelets) that you can find in your local fabric store, craft store, specialty store or online.  First off, there is debate about what is what – so I’m going to tell you the terms I use for different things, and we can go from there.  You might disagree with my definition, but that’s fine, just roll with me for the time being!

• I generally refer to one-piece items as eyelets.  These are usually smaller than what I call grommets.  You make your hole, push it through, and then from the back use a tool and a hammer to roll the barrel of the eyelet down (or splits it to splay it out on the back side)  to reinforce the fabric (or paper).  You can find these in scrapbook supplies, fabric shops, and I’ve seen them in the leather section of craft stores too.  You can also find a pliers-like hand tool to close the eyelet as well.
• I refer to two-piece items as grommets.  The first piece looks very much like an eyelet, but then there is an additional washer on the back to reinforce the fabric.  The tool rolls  the grommet down (it should not split and splay) to reinforce the fabric.  You can use a pliers-like hand tool, a hammer, shaped anvil and a setting tool, or a press to install grommets. These are also available in a range of sizes, though usually larger than eyelets.  Some people simply refer to large items as grommets and small ones as eyelets, but I prefer the one-piece/two-piece distinction.

In my experience, without the use of the shaped anvil, grommets and eyelets both have a tendency to get squished.  Since I like a uniform look in my grommets, this bugs me.  With the washer on the back, the item seems more secure, and less likely to rip out of the fabric.  When eyelets split and splay on the back side of the fabric, this can catch on other garments or on your corset lacing and be uncomfortable to wear.

So, let’s go forward with the idea that you’re going to use grommets in your corset for the lacing! How do you set them?

There are three tools/methods to use:

• 

  The pliers-like hand tool from Scrapbook.com

  A pliers-like hand tool – These are commonly found where ever you buy your grommets, and they are fairly simple to use, but I find difficult to use well and consistently.  The advantage – they’re quiet, portable, and affordable.  If you are the kind of sewer who is up until 3am sewing for an event the next day – your downstairs neighbors will appreciate you using this method instead of the following method with a hammer!  However, I find that it’s difficult to get consistent results with this tool, and if you use a variety of sizes of grommets, you’ll need a new tool for each size.  I found that I needed a lot of hand strength to use this – which was fine on the first five or eight, but around the 15th grommet, I was in a lot of pain.

• 

  Grommet setting tool with anvil from Tandy Leather

  A hammer, shaped anvil & a setting tool – This is another affordable option. You probably already have the hammer, so you just pick up the anvil and setting tool with your grommets.  Don’t worry, the “anvil” is more of a ‘receiving base’ and is about the size of a stack of 6 nickels.  You’ll also need a flat, sturdy surface – like the floor or a work bench, and a mat or something (like one of those self-healing mats or a cutting board) to avoid scratching your surface (or your floor).  This is slightly less portable (because you’ll need the hammer, but much more portable than the next option.  I find that the results are pretty good with this method, and fairly consistent, though every now and again there will be a mis-shaped grommet.  This however is NOISY, and you likely won’t win any favors from anyone trying to sleep or watch tv while you pound away.  Like the pliers-like hand tool, you’ll need a different tool and anvil for each size of grommet you use.

• 

  Craftool hand press from Tandy Leather

  A press with a shaped die – This is my preference for reliable and consistent results.  I would say only 1/100 grommets ends up being mis-shaped when I use this, and that is almost always due to my carelessness or trying to do things too quickly.  Using this is incredibly quiet, and you don’t need a lot of hand-strength to operate the press. The downside – it’s heavy, not really portable at all, expensive, and hard to find.  You’ll also need a different die for each grommet size you use, and the dies themselves are also expensive and hard to find.  With that being said, you can also find dies for making a hole in the fabric, for installing snaps, studs, rivets and other repetitive tasks.

Feedback

I think it’s pretty clear which method I prefer, what about you? Leave a comment in the box below and let me know!

If you’re  just joining me… click the Corset Class category (on the right hand side, or this link) to read all of the posts so far in the Corset Class.

Corset Class – down to the weave

Shopping for fabric

Fabric photo by Litlnemo

While you’re at the fabric store picking up your pattern (or browsing online) you likely will also be tempted to pick up fabric and notions as well.

For your first corset – stay simple. While of COURSE you want to make a black leather corset with hand-embossed edges and contrast piping… or a gold butterfly brocade corset with hand-beading and a matching ballgown skirt… your very first corset is very likely to be ‘not-quite-perfect’. Plus, you’ll be using a bunch of new tools and techniques. So, with that in mind, keep your fabric choices inexpensive and easy to work with. (Of course, I say this even though my first corset was a brocade, my second was a sheer fabric with flocking, and my third was pvc…. but do as I say, not as I do!

I won’t give you a list of fabrics to choose, but here are some traits you’ll want to look for:

• non-stretch
• firm, even weave
• affordable
• sturdy
• opaque (not see-through)
• washable

… and here are some traits to stay away from:

• Stretchy fabrics
• Sheer fabrics
• Fabrics with a very loose weave or floating threads
• Very expensive fabrics (metallic, silk, etc)
• “Sticky” fabrics (like pvc, latex coated spandex, vinyl, etc)
• Hard-to-sew fabrics (like leather, velvet, fun fur, etc)

I would recommend avoiding these fabrics too, unless you’re feeling especially ambitious:

• Fabrics with an obvious direction or nap (these will just be slightly more challenging – if you’re set on them and have worked with them before, go ahead)
• Fabrics with a large print (if you are fussy and want to match prints)
• Fabrics that are marked “dry-clean only”

Of course, once you get really good at making corsets, all of these not-recommended fabrics can make it back up on your to-do list – but to improve your chances of first-time success, stick with the recommendations to start out.

How much fabric?

I recommend making a corset with a lining, an interlining, and a fashion fabric.

• The fashion fabric is the fabric that everyone will see. This can be something decorative (I’d recommend a pretty printed quilting cotton for your first corset), or something plain if you prefer.
• The lining fabric will only be seen by you (and anyone who sees your corset before or after you wear it) so it can be plain or as wild and wacky as you like. This is a good way of using up fabrics that you might have once loved, and now aren’t as fond of anymore. I generally use a cotton broadcloth for this layer myself.
• Finally there is the interlining. This is the layer that will do all of the hard work, like carrying your boning and your waist stay. Some corset makers will skip the interlining layer and put their support in the lining. Others make four-layer corsets with two layers of interlining. I prefer a three-layer corset myself (I generally consider four layers to be a bit of overkill.). Coutil is recommended for this layer, however I generally use a very sturdy cotton (like a canvas) mostly because I can’t get coutil locally, and having it shipped in gets expensive!

You’ll need to get fabric for all of these layers. Your pattern envelope will instruct you how much fabric to get, but a good rule of thumb is to get the length of your corset. So, if you are doing an underbust corset that goes from under your bust to just below your waist, you’ll need a lot less than someone doing a corset dress! For larger individuals, fabrics that will need to be laid out using a ‘with nap’ direction, or for very narrow fabric, you will need more. For fabrics that are likely to shrink considerably, you should also purchase more fabric to account for this.

For your interlining (or the most sturdy fabric you get, purchase an extra 10 (approx) inches beyond what you need – you’ll be using this for your lacing strip during your fitting.

What about muslin?

One important step in using a new pattern is making a ‘muslin’ (so called, because muslin fabric is affordable) which is just a mock-up of the finished garment in an inexpensive fabric. This way you can work out all the fitting issues and kinks in something cheap, before cutting into something expensive. The problem with a corset, is that you practically have to get 80% of the way complete before you can try the garment on to see if it fits. (Unlike a dress, where you could sew the body and a single sleeve, but omit the facings, hem, collar, etc in order to try it on.) Because of this, we’re going to be working with less expensive fabrics to start out, and will modify the corset from there. This means you might have a totally wearable ‘muslin’ when you’re done if you’re fortunate!

A note on breathable fabrics

A lot of people really believe that natural, breathable fabrics are superior, (cotton, linen, silk, wool) or that at minimum the lining that touches your skin should be a natural fiber (namely cotton). I personally disagree. Corsets are going to be hot simply because they’re so darn tight. Having a breathable fabric that tight against your skin is never going to be as comfortable as a lightweight floaty sundress in an natural fabric. That being said, I personally don’t LIKE a lot of synthetic lining fabrics, and find that the cost of cotton broadcloth is much nicer than the cost of a really nice rayon lining. I also consider how a fabric will sew, how it will wear, and how easy it will be to clean.

In contrast, some people believe that the only thing you can line a garment in, is lining fabric. Others will say that the only correct fabric to use is linen (typically those who do historical corsets) or coutil (a special fabric made especially for corsets). If any of these ‘rules’ ring true for you, and the type of corset you want to make – go for it!

Feedback

We’re off to a good start – what other corset-making topics are you interested in?  Share them in the comments, and I’ll try to do a future post about them!