we all know that looking your best requires spending some money. i have noticed, however, that many dancers are willing to throw away shoes or clothing that still has a few months, or even years left of good wear to it. this is a thread for us all to share some tricks we've learned about repairing our own stuff. here are some of mine:
problem: lace trimming that won't stay down. this can be a tricky problem to fix on fabric that isn't easy stitchable such a sheer fabrics, mesh, etc.
fix #1: super glue it. yeah, i know it sounds ridiculous, but it works. buy the paintable kind of glue and apply a very thin layer to the underside of the lace, press it down for a few seconds and TA-DA! it's washable as long as you use a delicate cycle
fix #2: fabric glue it. this is a little "safer" than super glue, since it's meant for fabric, but i've found it usualy doesn't hold as well either.
problem: scratched up shoes, white showing through the black, silver showing through the white, etc.
fix: for black shoes, use a black sharpie. ghetto? sure, but i PROMISE you can't tell -and- it'll save you buying another 60-100 dollar pair of shoes just because you have a scratch. for white shoes, use a white out pen. it's less noticable than the paint on kind. i assume you could use other colored acrylic paints or markers for other colors of shoes, but you'd have to be carefull with matching the color.
problem: stains that you've already fucked up. this means you didn't take the proper care to get the stain out and already washed it (thusly setting the stain in).
fix: if you've tried getting it out, and nothing is working, and you're about to toss the item, go buy some RIT color remover. it's possible that it will fade the item you're washing. it even says on the box "fades most fabircs" but amazingly, i've found that this almost never happens. what does happen, is that it gets the stain out. my point is, if you're ready to toss it anyway, the color remover is like 2-3 bucks and widely available at most drug stores, department stores, etc. why not give it a shot? it usualy works best on stains like markets, nail polish, cranberry juice, anything that "dyed" the fabric. organic stains are usualy easily treatable with regular stain removers first.



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Unless it seems like a fine fabric (linen or silk or something), you could test Stainstick or a stain removing detergent on the hem (inside) to make sure it's colorsafe and then soak the stain, in cold water and the stain remover. Cold water and stain remover does a lot. You might need to scrub a little with a wash cloth or toothbrush. Carefully. It's hard to tell with out knowing the sort of stain.


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