Polymer Button Care

Buttons made from polymer clay are very durable and require very little care.  The main thing to remember is DO NOT DRY CLEAN them.  It is recommended that you handwash them to be on the safe side, but they are machine washable and can be tumble dried on low.  High temperatures will soften the clay a little which is the main cause for cracking and breaking.  If you want to place buttons on high stress areas, use a button with a shank instead of one with holes.  A good examble of these types of areas is a waistband. To see some examples of button washing trials by Sarajane Helm (before and after pics) click on the buttons below.  The clay holds up beautifully!  Please note that some of the buttons in the trials were coated with metallic powders which do wear off.  I do not use these powders on my buttons at this time.  It has been recommended that you cover painted buttons or designs made with powder with tin foil if you want to machine wash them.  I will be doing my own study using varnished buttons soon.

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