How To Care for Waist Trainers and Shapewear

Understandably, your shapewear has become your new best friend! You’re gaining confidence, standing up taller, and seeing the results you want. But this can come to a screeching halt if you don’t preserve the life of the garment. Fully knowing how to care for waist trainers and shapewear will contribute to your overall success while wearing one.

We’re here to help you extend the life of your garment and cover all your bases for proper maintenance. Purchasing a trainer or shaper isn’t like any other article of clothing you’d buy at the mall; therefore, you must care for them differently!

Buy Multiple

A simple yet effective way to care for one garment is by buying multiple. This can help you create a rotation while one is going through a wash cycle. You can continue to waist train on the days the other is drying. This can help you ensure consistency in results and maintain a proper care routine for each trainer you own.

Like many things, resting is essential for optimal functionality. Latex can perform better and like new time after time if you let it rest. It’s best to allow your garment to rest after two to three days of consistent wear and swap it for your secondary option.

Properly Wash Them

There are several steps to washing your garment properly, and that includes the rotation process. It might feel like another daunting chore to clean the pieces often, but understand that the latex and other materials need adequate cleansing cycles to achieve their ideal life span and perform well.

When you purchase your garment, it’s vital you follow that particular set of wash instructions as they can all vary depending on many factors, such as enclosures, boning, and materials. For most non-latex garments, you can wash in a machine on a gentle cycle or handwash with lingerie detergent. This soap is mild and won’t deteriorate the fabric.

Use cold water as this can effectively contract the article back to its original size. Using hot water can damage the overall construction. You also don’t want any excessive agitation since this will wear on the garment.

If your trainer contains boning, latex, or you’re worried about any of the washing processes, you can use two soft microfiber cloths and bowls of soap and water to cleanse effectively. Open your trainer or shapewear and lay it on a flat surface. Submerge one cloth into the bowl of warm soapy water and wipe the garment gently. Then, use the second cloth in clean water to rinse away the soapy water.

The Drying Process

It’s critical that you rinse your garment well so that no soap becomes trapped in the fibers and dries into the materials. This is where your secondary garment will come in handy because the drying process can take a few days for thoroughness. Trapping soap in the fibers can tear apart the trainer and decrease its life significantly.

Air dry your garment by hanging it upside down (hips up, bust down), or lay it on a flat, clean surface.

Do Not Apply Heat

Once you lay your garment flat to dry, you might notice a slight texture. Some turn to ironing and others turn to the drying machine. Please avoid both! Applying heat to a latex garment will completely deteriorate and melt the material and decrease its life.

A cold-water wash will contract the materials for optimal performance, but applying heat will shrink the garment entirely and alter its shape and size. This will make an improper fit, and you may need to start over.

Use Specific Lingerie Detergent

The idea that you don’t need to change your detergent depending on what you’re washing is inaccurate. While it’s a tough debate, it’s essential to note that using specifically formulated detergents can drastically change the wash outcomes for each item. In particular, a lingerie detergent contains less harsh ingredients, which helps delicate construction and materials remain intact.

Detergents with bleach, dyes, fragrances, or alcohol can wreak havoc on your gym waist trainer. Invest in gentle soaps for thorough washings, and for everything in between, grab a spray-and-go cleaner. For any garment containing latex, use baby or gentle shampoo. These formulas aren’t as harsh.

Properly Store Them When Not in Use

An important aspect of knowing how to care for waist trainers and shapewear is understanding how to store them when not in use. After completing the wash routine and allowing enough time and space for a thorough dry, you want to place it in a cool, dry place away from light.

An ideal storage location is the top drawer of your dresser so that it’s accessible and you can ensure proper placement. You don’t want to roll the garment and shove it somewhere because this can damage the construction and decrease its life.

A lingerie hanger or clothes pins work excellent when you don’t have enough drawer space or if you’re worried about damage from shuffling it in and out of the drawer. Place it toward the back of your closet and away from too much light. If it’s front and center, you risk exposure to activity and frequent handling.

Understanding Proper Care for Latex

Latex is a durable and strong material but only in the sense that it provides the best compression. With that in mind, it can become easily damaged when not properly cared for. Not every garment contains latex, so read your garment’s care instruction label to be sure.

If your tag lists latex as a material, this specific set of wash instructions is just for you!

• Hand wash the garment in a bucket of slightly above room temperature water
• Only use a baby or gentle shampoo; lingerie detergent works best in a machine
• Thoroughly rinse the garment without wringing it out
• Lay flat or hang dry in a vented bathroom, avoiding sunlight if possible

We make all our garments with the finest materials that require adequate care and handling. Reach out to Squeeze Me Skinny today to learn more about caring for our waist trainers and shapewear or spray-and-go cleansers!