6.3 Costume Cleaning

Insist that actors wear underclothes, and change them regularly. This will help protect the costume from stain and smell. Actors can also be made up while in their undergarments and put costumes on afterwards.

Insist that actors and make-up crews protect the costume during make-up application, and insert towels completely around the neck to protect the costume from make-up smearing.

Be aware some people may have allergic responses to spray cleaners. Dry cleaned costumes should be taken out of bags to air them out before being worn.

Rental costuming needs to be protected and generally not cleaned in any manner. The company who rented the costumes will generally be responsible for their cleaning. This cost is normally included in the rental price of the costume. If you see a tear in the fabric or a seam that is coming loose, report it to the costume department. The costume must be repaired before going into storage.