Latex Care
Below is a care guide to help best ensure you can enjoy long term use of your rubber. You can also check out our Top 10 Latex Do's and Don'ts and our Latex Care videos on our Eagle Leather Community Television Network Youtube Channel!
GETTING INTO YOUR RUBBER
- Do not try to hurry into your outfit as this is when accidents such as tears are most likely to happen.
- Get a friend’s help where possible to get into and out of your rubber.
- Remove any jewelry, including body piercings as they can catch on and tear your garment.
- Clean your hands and make sure your nails are smooth to prevent stains and tears.
- Stand on a non slip surface such as a towel or rubber matt when dressing, which will absorb excess talc, spray or lube.
- To avoid the garment sticking to your body, apply fragrance free talc or silicone based lubricant to your body and the inside of the outfit before slipping into the garment.
- Wipe off any excess talc / lube with a damp cotton cloth.
SHINING YOUR RUBBER
- There are a huge number of products on the market to ensure your rubber stays shiny and protected.
- Our preference for shining is to use leading latex polish brands like Black Beauty, Vivishine or Pjur Ultra Shine, or non-sticky silicone based lubricants (like Fusion or Swiss Navy).
GETTING OUT OF YOUR RUBBER
- Don’t tear off your rubber in a moment of unbridled passion. Fun? Sure! But it’s also a surefire way to fast track damaging your latex. Not so fun!
- It’s best to get a friend’s help where possible to get into and out of your rubber.
- Gently unzip/unbutton as required and then roll the garment off your body.
- It can also be useful to disrobe in the shower as it can be easier to clean the garment while you are wearing it rather than after you have taken it off.
WASHING YOUR RUBBER
- Never machine wash, tumble dry or iron your rubber!!!
- Rinse your rubber in lukewarm water with a small amount of mild dish detergent.
- Clean both the inside (for sweat/talc/lube) and outside (for dust, polish, dirt) of the garment.
- Drip dry the item overnight and reverse for drying the inside as required.
- Once the item is completely dried and aired, keep your item conditioned spray it inside and out with a protectant such as Black Beauty.
STORING YOUR RUBBER
- After you have sprayed a protectant on your rubber, turn it inside out and store it in a dark, cool place.
- Ensure no metal buttons/press studs or zips are in contact with the rest of your garment by covering these sections with tissue paper during storage.
- We prefer to store our rubber in plastic bags in black plastic boxes to ensure the items are kept away from the damaging sun and to keep them from drying out.
- Other alternatives are hanging your rubber upright in a suit bag or laying it out flat in garbage bags.
- Keep different latex garments of varied colours separated in plastic bags/garbage bags to avoid bleeding of bright and dark colours onto pale and transparent colours.
THINGS TO AVOID
- Direct sunlight: will discolour and degrade your latex. Store your latex out of the sun.
- Washing Machines, Tumble Dryers and Irons: latex is delicate and must be cared for by hand. It does not withstand any kind of heat.
- Oil based lubricants and creams: will degrade your latex quickly. Do not use oil based lubes to get into your outfit and try to avoid body moisturiser too. Use a silicone based lubricant to ensure your skin stays moisturised without damaging your rubber.
- Perfume and makeup will also degrade your outfit. Put perfume and makeup on before getting dressed and avoid spraying perfume on areas where the latex will be placed.
- Metal: Keep latex away from metals at all times. Keep jewellry to a minimum where possible.
- Latex hates heat, so avoid naked flames, heat, fire and cigarettes.