Shining Your Latex Garment

Information from www.nimueslatex.com website Updated: 2001

Shining Your Latex Garment

The shine of your garment can be enhanced with a silicone-based polish, such as Armor All or other rubber/vinyl conditioners. Do not use oil-based lubricants! They can destroy the material. Use a soft cloth when polishing; an abrasive cloth could scratch the fabric.

During the first treatment, mist one side of your garment with the conditioner, and then let it sit until almost all of the conditioner has been absorbed. Then flip your garment over and repeat on the other side. You can wipe any excess off with a soft cloth. It may take two or three treatments to achieve a nice shiny, mirror-like finish. For transparent garments, you will probably want to treat the inside of the garment also. This will increase transparency.

For subsequent treatments, simply spray the latex with STP's Son Of a Gun (or whichever rubber conditioner you are using), and wipe it off with a soft cloth.

Wearing Latex

Latex is a fragile material and can tear easily if pulled too hard in one place. It will be easier to pull on your garment if you dust the inside of the garment with talc or baby powder, or treat it with the same conditioner you used to shine the outside. You may want to wear light cotton gloves if you have long fingernails. Slide your hand flat between the skin and the garment and pull away with your whole hand, shifting the latex as you do so. Repeat and shift until your garment's in place.

Stay away from flame and fire (and cigarettes) while wearing latex: the material burns very easily. Also avoiding handling light-colored latex after handling copper, brass, or bronze, as these can discolor latex.

Cleaning and Storage of Latex

Wash your garment in clean warm water, with no soap or detergents. Wipe with a soft towel, and lay the garment flat to dry.

Store your latex in a dry place, away from heat and sunlight

Dealing with Tears

When dealing with latex, a small tear can very quickly become a large one. Don't despair if your latex begins to tear! As long as you repair the rip when it is small the garment will still be usable.

To patch a tear in your latex garment, you will need the following items: rubber cement, medium grain sandpaper, rubbing alcohol, and a small latex or rubber patch.

First clean both surfaces that you are going to glue together with the rubbing alcohol (If there is STP's Son Of a Gun, or another rubber conditioner, residue on the surfaces you wish to glue, prolong emersion in soapy water may be necessary to clean the latex).

Your next step is to lightly buff both surfaces with sandpaper. This will enhance the strength of the bond.

You're ready to apply the glue! The latex will curl up but don't worry, it will gradually uncurl as it begins to dry (you might have to help it uncurl if the latex has stuck to itself). For this reason, it is better to glue a small part of the patch at a time, rather than the whole thing at once. When the glue is still tacky, but not wet, you want to press the two surfaces together. Run your fingers down the seam, or roll a pen or other cylindrical object down the seam to remove all the air. Let your latex dry for a couple of hours (overnight if possible) before testing the patch.

This procedure may take a couple of tries to work, but be patient and keep trying. Contact Nimue if you have any questions or need more help. If you're having trouble with this procedure or don't have the time and would like us to take care of it, check out our repair services. Diagnosis of the damage is free!

Latex can be a very rewarding material. With proper care and handling, your garments should last a long time!

Jump to: Main Page • Micropedia • Macropedia • Icons • Time Line • History • Life Lessons • Links • Help
Chat rooms • What links here • Copyright info • Contact information • Category:Root