Latex Care
A tear is not the end of a garment — not with latex, and not with us. A properly bonded repair can be nearly invisible and last for years. But the quality of the fix starts with how the piece arrives. Here is exactly how to prepare your latex before you send it in.
Latex is one of the few materials that repairs beautifully. Because it bonds to itself, a clean tear or a stressed seam can be patched or re-glued so well that you would struggle to find it later. That is the whole reason a Vex piece is built to last decades — it can be maintained, not just replaced. But a repair is only as good as the surface it is done on. Oil, powder, old shine, and dust all interfere with the bond. Ten minutes of prep before your garment ships makes the difference between a fix that disappears and one that lifts.
Not every repair is the same, and knowing what you are dealing with helps us quote and route it correctly. Take a close look in good light and identify which of these you have.
A straight split or a small hole with intact edges. These are the most repairable — the edges realign and bond back almost seamlessly.
A seam that has lifted or opened, often at a high-stretch point. Very fixable, and usually a sign the piece needs a gentler dressing routine going forward.
Latex that has been over-pulled and gone thin or lightly torn along a stress line. Repairable, but tell us — these need reinforcement, not just a patch.
Zippers, D-rings, and studs that have pulled loose. These are mechanical repairs — note them separately so we can source the right part.
Use a dedicated latex wash to lift body oils, sweat, and residue. Avoid household detergents and anything with solvents or conditioners — they leave films that block adhesion. Rinse in cool water and handle the piece gently around the damaged area.
Skip the shine spray, dressing aid, and talc entirely on the repair. Those are exactly the barriers we have to strip off before we can bond. A clean, matte, product-free surface is what we want to receive.
Let the garment air-dry fully — inside and out — before packing. Hang it away from direct sunlight and radiators, both of which degrade latex. Trapped moisture in a sealed package can mark the material in transit.
Include a short written note: where the damage is, what type it is, and how it occurred if you know. A dressing tear, a snag, and an aged seam all get treated differently. Photos of the spot before packing help us prepare.
Fold loosely along existing lines — never crease a repair area — and place the piece in a latex storage or garment bag so it cannot rub against packing materials. Dust the inside lightly with talc only if the garment will be sealed against itself, then box it so it cannot shift.
Reach out first so we can confirm the repair is one we take, give you a rough turnaround and cost, and send the correct return address. Do not ship a garment in without checking — a quick message saves time on both ends.
What You Will Need
Viviclean Wash ($33) is the latex-safe cleaner to prep the surface. A Latex Storage Bag protects the piece in transit. For small at-home fixes you would rather handle yourself, the Latex Repair Kit ($64.99) includes three 10x10" patches in your color plus adhesive.
Viviclean Wash Latex Repair Kit Shop all careMost damage is worth repairing. A clean tear, an opened seam, or loose hardware on a piece you love is almost always cheaper to fix than to replace — and with latex, the fix holds. The pieces we cannot save are usually ones that have degraded overall: latex that has gone sticky, brittle, or discolored from age, heat, sun, or contact with oils and metals. That is material breakdown, not a single injury, and no patch reverses it. When in doubt, send us a photo and we will tell you honestly.
A Vex garment is 0.45mm latex sourced from England, cut and built by hand in California by a team that has been doing this for twenty-six years. It is made to be lived in and looked after — and when something happens, it is made to be repaired. Prepare it well, and the fix will be nearly as good as the day it was made.
Built to last, made to be mended
Get in touch before you ship. Send us a photo of the damage and we will confirm the repair, the timing, and where to send it.
Start a Repair Request Shop Care & ShineComments will be approved before showing up.
