When it’s karting time at the Mushroom Rally, many people will rent costumes from us to dress up in. They love to roleplay as their favorite characters, and it’s quite a sight to see the track filled up with people dressed in costume. It makes the experience feel like a real world version of a Mario Kart game.
Some of the more dedicated fans actually own their costumes, and they bring them to the track to race in. Many of these are Mario themed, but not all of them. We get a wide variety of riders who are fans of so many different properties and we all have a blast seeing their dedication and the spirit they bring to the experience.
We admire their dedication to kart racing as a costumed event and not just as a chance to ride around in a go kart. For them, there are always the issues of keeping a costume in good shape, making sure it stays clean, and ensuring that it is karting ready. For those who want their costumes to last a long time and feel comfortable to wear, we have some tips for cleaning the costume.
Hand Wash Costumes
Some costumes are made with delicate components, like sequins or other attachments that could come off if they were washed in a machine. Those will be labeled as hand wash only, so pay close attention to the washing instruction tags on your costume and follow those directions precisely.
If you want to hand wash your costume and ensure that it gets cleaned properly, then you need to use a basin filled with cold water. Use just a little detergent in the water, making sure that you’re using a gentle laundry soap. Agitate the water to mix the detergent in and put your costume completely into the water. From there, you can use your hands to clean the costume, scrubbing out any areas that are soiled or that have stains on them. Don’t scrub the fabric roughly, though, as it may make fragile fabric come apart.
Washing in a Machine
For costumes that can be washed in a machine, you still want to take care with them. Costumes tend to have hanging and attached parts that can easily be caught by the washing machine and snag, leading to a rip in the fabric. To protect your costume from tearing apart in the machine, place it into a pillow case or a laundry bag. Once again, use cold water and a detergent that’s not very strong. Any parts on the costume that have zippers or fasteners need to be closed so that they do not snag while washing.
What to Avoid
There are some common mistakes that people make with their laundry that can really damage a costume. We want to share some of the most common ones with you so that you can avoid them.
Don’t use any bleach on your costume, since that can remove the color and leave large patches of white or light coloring on the fabric. If you have to get rid of stains, use something less potent, like a spot stain remover. Work the stain remover gently over any spots and scrub only hard enough to get rid of the stain and not damage the fabric.
Also be careful about ironing your costume. Use a low heat setting so that you don’t damage and burn the costume. Try not to hold the iron on any one spot of the costume for very long.
Professional cleaning by Imagine Maids is one of the best methods for costume cleaning, but make sure that whoever you hire to clean your costume has experience with that kind of laundry work. If you are having professional home cleaners take care of your laundry, make sure they know what they are doing and that they know to be gentle with your costume when they wash it. Even taking the costume to dry cleaners can be risky if they’re not used to dealing with such delicate materials. For any professional you’re using to clean your costume, check their experience before entrusting your costume to them.
When drying the costume, make sure that you don’t wring it out. Allow it to drip dry instead. The danger of wringing out the costume is that you can make the fabric stretch and permanently damage it.
Once your costume is completely dry, you can store it in a closet on a hanger. This will help it keep its shape and form. It’s probably not a good idea to place your costume in direct sunlight for it to dry, as that can make your colors fade. Instead, allow it to dry out of the sunlight and then place it immediately into a cool, dry place to store. Your closet will work fine for storage, as long as there are no moths or silverfish to damage it there. You can keep mothballs in the closet to keep away pests like these, though.
My Costume Is Damaged. What Do I Do?
If you wear your costume long enough, it will get damaged in time. Something will tear or start to come apart, and you should deal with the problem immediately. Do not try to wear a damaged costume, since the problem will likely get worse and make for a much harder issue to solve.
If you have experience in sewing, you can try to fix the costume yourself, but if the issue is major or beyond your experience, you should not try to handle it on your own. Entrust the costume to an experienced tailor who can fix the costume properly and make it safe to wear again.
Your costume can give you many hours of enjoyment and really enhance the fun of the go karting experience, so long as you take good care of it. Be sure to wash your costume after every use, even if you didn’t wear it for long. Use the techniques listed above to ensure gentle washing and a long lifespan for your costume.