Over 6 Years of Fun in Wet Clothes

Interactive:  Chat  Forum  Mud  Stories   Page 25  Be a trendsetter and wear stylish clothes when swimming or splashing around. Magazine Fashion Photos Sports Teenagers Vacations

Fabric Care

WARNING: Hot water, chlorine and salt water may damage some Lycra/Spandex fabrics. Use only warm or cold water.

Since LYCRA® is usually the minority component in a given fabric, let the other fibers guide your care instructions. If other fibers or the trim or binding of a garment require handwashing, dry cleaning, or low-temperature washing and drying, their needs will determine the care instructions. LYCRA® will easily withstand repeated cleaning of all these types. When in doubt, wash or dry clean according to the primary fiber in the blend.

No Chlorine Bleach

To improve the life and look of garments with LYCRA®, the only thing that should be avoided is chlorine bleach. Aside from that, your customers need only provide the care determined by the other fabrics. Exposure to chlorine can lead to discoloration, growth and eventual breakage of LYCRA®.

All-fabric bleach can be used for laundering of garments with LYCRA®. It is particularly useful in preventing any graying of the fabric caused by absorption of soils and detergents.

Laundering

Machine washing and tumble drying are the preferred manner of laundering.

If the other fibers in the garment are machine washable and dryable, this should be the recommended method for cleaning. The heat generated by machine drying will help recover any lost stretch that occurred during the wearing of a garment. Thorough washing, rinsing and drying in machines brings out the best in LYCRA®.

Dry cleaning

Dry cleaning LYCRA® is no problem. Although some solvents may temporarily swell the fiber, proper rinsing provided by a professional dry cleaner recovers all stretch and recovery properties of the garment. LYCRA® does retain the odor of dry cleaning solutions a little longer than most fibers, but it will quickly disappear with a little airing.

Cleaning Common Fiber Blends

Most fiber combinations with LYCRA® can be cleaned by following simple guidelines for each.

Cotton

Cotton plus LYCRA® garments should be hand or machine washed, and tumble or hand dried.

Nylon/Polyester/Acrylic

Hand or machine wash garments fashioned with nylon, polyester, or acrylic fabrics that have been interwoven with LYCRA®. To dry, tumble or hang dry.

Rayon/Acetate/Tri-Acetate

Garments made with rayon, acetate, or tri-acetate fabric plus LYCRA® should only be dry cleaned.