Latex Prep / Clean / Finish
Congratulations on your purchase of a Lady Lucie Latex item!
Your purchase will arrive with you in its natural “talced” state, so once you have tried it on and checked the fit you will need to first wash, and then polish your latex using silicone lube.
Click for our recommended silicon lubricant care products and nipple pastie spirit gum glue.
Washing / Polishing Your Latex
Approximate preparation time = 5 minutes (excluding drying time).
The latex sheeting we use has a coating of fine talcum powder all over it, which protects it and stops it from sticking to itself. This is what how you will receive your latex, however, if there are traces of this on the latex when it is being worn it will affect the shine.
Follow these instructions to clean and polish your latex.
1- First hand wash your item in a sink or washing bowl of warm water, using a little mild detergent (washing up liquid is fine) to remove the talcum powder. Do this by swishing it around in the water and rubbing the surface gently with your hands, inside and outside.
2- Next, rinse the latex thoroughly in fresh warm water.
Hang your latex up to drip dry on plastic or wooden hangers (not metal), turning the garment inside out so it dries on both sides. You could also use a soft, lint free cloth to dry your item, rubbing gently in circular motions. Once dry, the latex will be in its natural sticky state. Take a small amount of Pjur silicon lubricant in the palms of your hands or in a soft cloth, and rub on the inside of the garment, then turn inside out and do the same.
Fill the basin again with more warm water and add some Vivishine to the water. We use 2 caps full for a large load, and ½ a cap full for a small load - for example, one dress and a pair of gloves should need approximately 1 cap full. Stir the Vivishine round in the water and add the rinsed latex, swishing it around as well as lifting the latex fully out of the water. The silicon oil in the water should thoroughly coat all over the surface of the latex. Then hang the latex up to drip dry on plastic or wooden hangers, turning the garment inside out to make sure it dries properly. Once your items are dry, they will already have good shine to them from the Vivishine coating. You can now wear them, or store them ready to wear next time.
Corsets can be cleaned in this way using a sponge - do not submerge in water!
Dressing
- For tight fitting garments, take a small amount of Pjur and rub it on your skin, especially on the parts of most friction, this will help it glide on easily.
- If you have long fingernails, you might want to wear a pair of cotton gloves to help protect from ripping.
- Once dressed, you can rub some more Pjur on the outside of the outfit. I even take a handbag sample out with me to polish through the night to make sure I stay super shiny.
- For hoods or items to be worn close to the face, talc the inside and polish the outside with Pjur.
- For stockings with full feet, you might want to talc just inside the foot area - we find this stops the foot slipping around inside the stocking whilst walking.
Cleaning and After Care
- After wearing your rubber, repeat this washing and polishing process.
- Store your latex out of sunlight.
- For lighter colours, ensure that fastenings are separated by tissue to protect the latex from staining.
- Some loose fitting latex items such as jackets, peplums and circle skirts should be stored hanging so they do not appear creased.
- If you look after your latex well it will look great and serve you well for many years!
