How to Wash and Care for Your Polewear (and Keep Your Sparkle Shining)

You've found a RARR piece that fits perfectly, feels incredible, and makes you want to do a little spin just putting it on. Now let's make sure it stays that way.

Polewear takes a beating — sweat, grip aids, floorwork, the washing machine. Here's exactly how to look after yours so it lasts for years, not washes.

How often should you wash your pole wear?

The reason to wash regularly isn't just smell — sweat, body oils, and grip aids break down stretch fabric over time. Washing often (gently) actually makes your pieces last longer than washing rarely but roughly.

The golden rules for washing polewear

1. Hand wash or cold delicate cycle

Hand washing in lukewarm water with a gentle detergent is always the best option. If you're machine washing, use a mesh wash bag, cold water, and the delicate or wool cycle. The wash bag protects the fabric and stops straps getting tangled and stretched.

2. No fabric softener. Ever.

It smells lovely. It ruins everything. Fabric softener breaks down the elastane that gives your shorts their stretch and your bra its support. One bottle of fabric softener does more damage than twenty washes. Skip it completely — your sparkle will thank you.

3. No tumble dryer

Heat is the enemy of stretch fabric. The tumble dryer kills elasticity, fades colour, and can melt adhesive rhinestones. Always air dry.

4. Dry flat, in the shade, inside out

Lay your pieces flat to dry — hanging a wet bra on a hanger stretches the straps. Keep them out of direct sunlight, which fades colours and dulls rhinestones. Turning inside out protects the outside surface and keeps your sparkle extra bright.

Caring for specific fabrics

Velvet and velour pieces

Our velvet pieces (like the Velvet Sparkle collection) need a little extra love. Wash inside out on a cold gentle cycle, never wring or twist, and dry flat away from heat sources. To restore the pile after washing, gently brush with a soft cloth once dry.

Rhinestone and sparkle pieces

• Always wash inside out to protect stones from rubbing
• No soaking — rhinestone adhesive doesn't love prolonged water exposure
• Pat dry rather than rubbing
• Store flat or folded, not scrunched in a drawer where stones can catch on other pieces

Sports bras and bralettes

The underwire-free construction of our bras means they're actually more wash-friendly than structured bras — but the stretch and padding still need gentle treatment. Wash in a bag, cold cycle, air dry flat. Never hang a wet bra by the straps.

Shorts

Our scrunch bum shorts and pole shorts are built tough but the scrunch detail and waistband appreciate a gentle wash. Cold cycle in a bag, air dry. The scrunch will bounce back perfectly every time.

If you use pole grip aids

Grip residue (especially from stronger products like iTac2 or Monkey Hands Gluey) can build up on your fabric over time. If you notice a tacky residue on your shorts or bra, pre-treat the affected area with a small amount of dish soap before washing — it cuts through grip residue without harming the fabric.

Not sure which grip is right for your skin? Read our full pole grip guide here.

Storing your polewear

• Fold rather than hang for everyday storage — hanging stretches straps over time
• Keep rhinestone pieces separate so stones don't catch on other garments
• Padded hangers are fine for display pieces if you want to hang them
• Don't store in direct sunlight — even indirect UV fades colours gradually

Quick care cheat sheet

Look after your RARR and it'll look after you through thousands of classes, shoots, and sparkly moments. Any questions about caring for a specific piece — message us at hello@rarrdesigns.com.au. We're always happy to help.

Browse our full pole wear collection — built to last, made in Australia, XS to 5XL.