I've washed mine 2 or 3 times, the vest and neckseal at least once. Gloves and hood also. I've done some sweaty troops and like my costume to be fresh. I used spray paint and dye to weather my costume so it is pretty permanent. Drying does remove some paint, so like in the case of my cape, I reapplied some scorching after washing. I washed it to aid in the frayed look at the edges of the damage. My cape is cotton canvas so I also ironed it to make it flat and droopy again instead of puffy.