Historically corsets were always worn over another layer e.g a Chemise, that was easily washable and usually made out of breathable natural fibres. This protected the corset from sweat and direct contact with the skin, furthering the life of the corset. This is still a really good way to make your corset last, wearing it over another layer like a slip dress, vest or even a tube top will keep it cleaner and elongate it’s life. Corsets also have metal components including eyelets and sometimes steel boning, avoiding water stops these parts going rusty.

For my painted pieces I use a textile medium to make the paint more pliable and last on fabric. I heat set the finished painting which should be able to withstand gentle hand-washing (Technically will survive a cool machine wash though I don’t recommend this as the corset boning may warp!). Overall though I’d avoid washing the painted section as much as possible to make it last.

For needlepoint and embroidery pieces I recommend consulting a dry cleaner. I cannot list the specifics of every fabric due to many pieces being vintage though a lot of the needlepoints are wool which may shrink if hand-washed or leak dye onto backing fabrics.

Overall, for every corset I recommend wearing the corset over another washable layer when you can and spot cleaning (directly targeting any stains)/hand cleaning specific areas (e.g. underarms) with a wet cloth and gentle detergent when needed. Avoid submerging the full corset in water and if unsure consult your local dry-cleaner or email me.

I make a mixture of pieces so it’s difficult to make a collective care method for every piece, you’re always welcome to message or email me about specific corsets and I’ll help as much as I can! Also I would love these pieces to last for as long as possible though understand many are delicate due to beading, painting and vintage components, in the case of any damage due to wear and tear I can advise on the best way to repair a piece.

Thank you! <3