How to Wash Sequin Clothes
Turn inside-out, cold hand wash, no agitation, dry flat. Spot clean only where possible.
Never machine wash, tumble dry, or iron over sequins. Machine agitation snaps the attachment threads. Heat melts plastic sequins.
The fragile element is the thread, not the sequin. Each sequin is held by a thread through its central hole. Once snapped, sequins cannot be reattached without hand-stitching.
Types of Sequins
Plastic (acrylic/polycarbonate) sequins
The most common type in modern garments. Lightweight, available in any colour, inexpensive. Vulnerable to: (1) heat — hot water above 60°C and ironing warps them permanently; (2) harsh solvents — acetone (nail polish remover) dissolves them; (3) mechanical stress from agitation that snaps the attachment thread. Plastic sequins are relatively tolerant of mild detergent and cold water.
Metal (aluminium, brass, copper) sequins
Heavier, typically silver or gold-toned. More durable against heat and mechanical stress, but vulnerable to: (1) oxidation and tarnishing from harsh detergents, bleach, or high pH; (2) rust and corrosion if the garment stays wet; (3) verdigris (green patina) on copper/brass alloy sequins from prolonged moisture. Dry promptly after washing.
Hand-stitched sequins (couture/vintage)
Each sequin individually stitched, typically on delicate silk or chiffon base fabric. The base fabric is often dry-clean only regardless of the sequin type. Any moisture treatment risks distorting the base fabric. Professional dry cleaning strongly recommended. If hand washing, test on an inside seam first.
Embroidered sequins (sequins + beads or thread)
Combined with embroidery thread, glass beads, or metallic thread. The weakest element determines the care method. If glass beads are present, agitation can crack them. If metallic thread is present, it may tarnish or bleed colour. Cold hand wash or professional cleaning only.
Hand Washing Steps
The only safe method for most sequin garments.
Turn the garment inside-out
Turning inside-out before washing protects the sequin surface from friction against the wash basin and against your hands during washing. The base fabric is exposed to the cleaning action; the sequin face is protected. This is the single most important protective step.
Fill a basin with cold water and add a small amount of mild detergent
Cold water only — water above 40°C begins to soften and warp plastic sequins, particularly smaller ones with less structural rigidity. Use a mild, non-enzyme detergent or a delicate detergent (Woolite, Delicate, or similar). Enzyme detergents are unnecessary — sequin garments rarely have protein stains that require enzymatic treatment.
Submerge gently and move slowly through the water — do not agitate
Gently move the garment through the water with slow sweeping movements. Do not scrub, wring, twist, or squeeze. The goal is to allow the detergent solution to reach the fabric through gentle movement, not mechanical action. Pay attention to body contact areas (underarms, collar, waist lining) which accumulate the most sweat residue.
Rinse gently in cold water
Drain the soapy water and refill with clean cold water. Move the garment through the rinse water as gently as the wash. You may need two rinse cycles to remove all detergent residue — residue left in the fabric can dry stiff and attract more soil.
Remove water without wringing
Do not wring or twist the garment — this applies direct tension to the attachment threads. Instead, carefully lift the garment from the water supporting its full weight (to prevent stretching), lay it flat on a clean dry towel, fold the towel over the garment, and gently press to absorb water. Do not rub.
Dry flat and away from direct heat
Lay the garment flat on a clean dry surface away from direct sunlight, radiators, or hairdryers. Hanging causes the weight to pull on the attachment threads of all sequins below the hang point — for a heavily embellished garment, this can cause thread failure along the entire length. Do not tumble dry under any circumstances — the drum agitation and heat both damage sequins.
Spot Cleaning — Treating Specific Stains
Spot cleaning (preferred method)
For small marks, spot clean the affected area only rather than washing the whole garment. Dampen a soft cloth with cool water and gently blot (not rub) the stained area from the outside. For grease or oily marks, apply a tiny amount of mild detergent to the cloth and blot. Rinse the spot with a clean damp cloth. This avoids unnecessary stress on the rest of the garment.
Sweat and deodorant marks (lining)
Sweat marks typically appear on the interior lining of a sequin garment, not on the sequin surface itself. Spot clean the lining interior with a damp cloth and mild detergent. Gently work from the inside, keeping the sequin exterior face-down. Allow to dry completely before storing.
Drink spills on sequin surface
Blot immediately — the smooth sequin surface repels liquid better than fabric, so fast action usually prevents absorption. Use a clean dry cloth to blot the liquid off the sequin surface. If any residue remains on the underlying fabric between sequins, dampen a cloth and blot very gently.
If You Must Machine Wash
Machine washing sequin garments is strongly discouraged — it is the primary cause of sequin loss. If machine washing is unavoidable: (1) place the garment inside-out in a mesh laundry bag; (2) use the most delicate cycle available (gentle/hand wash cycle); (3) cold water only, never warm or hot; (4) very low spin speed or no spin — the centrifugal force of spinning places significant stress on attachment threads; (5) mild non-bio detergent. Accept that some sequin loss is likely with machine washing, even following all precautions. A heavily embellished vintage or couture piece should not be machine washed under any circumstances.
Ironing and De-Wrinkling
Never iron over sequins directly. Plastic sequins melt, warp, and fuse to the iron plate at temperatures as low as 150°C — well within the range of normal ironing temperatures. Metal sequins can scorch and tarnish. If the base fabric needs pressing, iron inside-out on the lowest heat setting, and use a pressing cloth between the iron and the fabric. For structured garments, hanging in a steamy bathroom is safer than ironing — steam relaxes creases without direct contact heat.
FAQ
Can you machine wash sequin clothes?
Machine washing is not recommended for sequin garments. Drum agitation snaps the threads attaching sequins, causing irreversible sequin loss. If machine washing is unavoidable: place inside-out in a mesh laundry bag, use the most delicate cycle, cold water only, lowest spin speed, and mild detergent. Expect some sequin loss regardless. Heavily embellished, vintage, or couture pieces should only be hand washed or dry cleaned.
How do you get sweat smell out of sequin clothes?
For sweat smell in sequin clothing, spot clean the interior lining — this is where sweat accumulates, not on the sequin surface itself. Dampen a soft cloth with a small amount of mild detergent, gently blot the lining interior, then rinse with a clean damp cloth. For persistent odour, hand wash the whole garment cold following the full procedure. White vinegar (few drops in rinse water) helps neutralise odour compounds without damaging plastic or metal sequins.
Can you iron sequin fabric?
No — never iron directly over sequins. Plastic sequins begin to warp and melt at around 150°C, which is well within normal ironing temperatures. Metal sequins can tarnish and scorch. If the base fabric needs pressing, iron inside-out with a pressing cloth, on the lowest heat setting, pressing around the sequined areas rather than over them. Hanging in a steamy bathroom is a safer alternative to ironing for most sequin garments.
Why do sequins fall off after washing?
Sequins fall off when the attachment thread breaks. Each sequin is held by a thread running through a small central hole — the same thread that was hand or machine-stitched during garment manufacture. Drum agitation in a washing machine applies repeated mechanical stress to these threads until they snap. The solution is cold hand washing with minimal agitation — never machine washing. Once a thread breaks, the sequin cannot be re-attached without skilled hand-stitching.
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