How to Wash Your Cheer Uniform

Your uniform is what you wear to assemblies, performances, games, etc. etc. Let's be honest and admit that no matter what precautions you take it will get dirty some way or another whether it's eating and dropping food on it or simply walking by an old and tattered school desk with led on the side. Here's how to wash your uniform when things like this do happen!

Picture from Google Image Search

Step #1: Beforehand buy a good detergent. (Tide is highly recommended.)
Step #2: Bring your uniform to your washing machine and decide which garment will be washed first. All four (shell, skirt, liner, and bloomers) must be washed separated, and since they take about an hour to wash separated (so 3-4 hours all together) you should decide which needs to be the most dry. In fact sometimes uniforms take a little more then overnight to dry so you should try to wash it early in the day.
Step #3: Put garment into washing machine and set others aside in a clean space. Add Tide detergent, and set on "cold water," and on "delicate" or "hand wash, " pending on which your washing machine has listed it under.
Step #4: Once garment is done take out of the wash and hang dry it. You can do it the old fashion way and put it on a clothing line or if you're like me you'll just set it on your dinner table to dry. (if putting it on a table make sure the table doesn't have an spills or crumbs)
Step #5: Repeat for each garment.

Washing Late @ Night

• If life happens and you weren't able to clean your uniform the night before you need it you should make the decision on whether or not to clean it, because it may not be dry in the morning. Sometimes when this happens to be I hang the four garments up in front of a fan on high and hope for the best. They're usually a little damp in the morning but once I wear it and walk around in it, it's dry.

Lettermen Jacket & Boxes

• Cheerleaders carry their boxes to and fro at every game, and the Varsity girls are usually dressed in their lettermen jackets to fight the cold. The boxes and the jackets sometimes don't mix and as the season goes on the box wear out and start leaving paint on jacket sleeves. This is an easy fix with a wash cloth and a bit of aloe vera. The aloe vera not only takes off the paint but it also "massages" the leather.

Gum

• It's high school and dealing with gum will happen daily, whether it's on the floors or the blenchers. Sitting on gum sucks (I know from experience) and it's even worse when it's when you're wearing your uniform skirt when doing it (also from experience). What I used from fighting the gum off my uniform is hot water and a lot of scrubbing, then when that didn't quite cut it I used delicate carpet cleaner and it worked like a gem.

 

A lot can happen in the course of a game or a pep rally, just make sure that your uniform doesn't pay the consequences. Keep it clean and take care of it.

 

Love,

A Cheerleader