Cleaning and Storing Halloween Costumes

According to an article on Forbes.com, Halloween ranks number four in holiday spending behind Christmas, Thanksgiving, and Easter. Furthermore, they say that the average costume, whether it is homemade or purchased, will cost around $28. If you have more than one child, Halloween costumes could end up being a really big expense. So why not hand-me-down Halloween costumes instead of purchasing new every year? With just a little bit of time and effort, you can have them prepared for storage quickly so that they are ready for use again down the road. Here are our recommendations:

• Never store a costume, or any garment for that matter, without cleaning it first.  Dirty garments tend to attract insects and bugs.
• Always check the care label and follow its instructions.
• Stop by one of our locations if you have questions about the instructions or the costume itself.  We’ll be happy to take a look at it and let you know if you can safely clean it at home or if it requires professional cleaning.  We’ll also let you know if it is a disposable costume.
• Once it’s clean, store it in a clean, cool, dry, and dark location – all four are important in order to keep your costume protected.

Read our blog post for additional information on storing out of season garments.