Caring for your costume

As far as we are concerned costumes should be part of everyday play and so they simply have to be durable and of course washable. As part of our fabric selection and testing process our little uniforms are laundered over 40 times to make sure they keep their shape and colour so that they can go on playing for years.

To make sure you get the most out of your brand new uniform we have put together some guidance on how to best care for them.

Laundering costumes

1. Preparation

Close all velcro, buttons, and fasteners before washing- it reduces the risk of damage to the fabric and embroidery during washing cycles.

Treat any stains before washing. Stains can become “washed-in” otherwise. It is important to treat stains individually. So as not to push the stain further into the fabric start on the reverse side of the fabric when treating stains. Begin with cool water and try to rinse the stain out, working up to warmer water and some detergent.

2. Washing

Whilst our little uniforms are made from commercial uniform-grade cotton and so can withstand a very hot wash we recommend that all our uniforms are washed at 30°C/85°F. We are environmentally conscious when choosing a washing detergent and Ecover is a brand we recommend. We have used it when testing and we are delighted with how well it cleans at low temperatures.

Do not use a brightening or whitening detergent as these will cause the vibrant colour of our costumes to fade.

3. Drying

It is always best to dry clothes on a clothesline in the open air. It reduces wear on the clothes and obviously uses far less energy but, being realistic, that is not always possible. Our little uniforms are all suited to tumble drying but they must be dried gently to avoid damage. Don’t crank up the heat, keep it on a low setting and you will not only reduce the energy used but also avoid extra creases and protect delicate areas such as embroidery and reflective tape.

4. Ironing

To avoid wrinkles then don’t let the washing sit. Once a wash is finished take it out of the machine as soon as possible. The same with drying, if you leave warm clothes in a drier sitting in a bundle then they will crease and be much harder to iron.

When ironing your new costume use a low- medium heat and avoid ironing directly onto the reflective tapes- they will melt.

Now that you know how to care for your little uniforms so that they can last for years of imaginative play, why not check out our range here