Latex

Latex (pronounced ley-teks)

(1) A sometimes colorless, sometimes milky liquid containing protein, starch, alkaloids etc in certain plants, which exists in plants such as milkweeds, euphorbias, poppies, or the plants yielding India rubber, that coagulates on exposure to air.

(2) In chemistry, a suspension of synthetic rubber or plastic in water, used in the manufacture of synthetic rubber products.

(3) In industrial chemistry, a manufactured emulsion of synthetic rubber or plastic droplets in water that resembles the latex of plants. It is used in paints, adhesives, and synthetic rubber products.

(4) A general term, used as noun or adjective for latex products.

(5) In ancient medicine, clear liquid believed to be a component of a humor or other bodily fluid, especially plasma and lymphatic fluid (obsolete).

(6) In computing, as LaTeX, a digital typesetting system for mathematical and scientific formulae layout, based on the code of TeX.

1655–1665: From the Medieval Latin latex (genitive laticis) (clear fluid which is part of a humour or bodily fluid), a variation of the Classical Latin latex (water; liquid, fluid) which may be from the Ancient Greek λᾰ́τᾰξ (látax) (dregs or a drop of wine), from the primitive Indo-European root lat (wet; moist) but etymologists note the semantic shift from "drop of wine" to "water" is undocumented and may indicate origins from separate languages.  It’s also speculative that the Old & Middle Irish laith (liquid; beer), the Old High German letto (clay, loam), the Welsh llaid (mud, mire) & llad (beer), the Proto-Celtic lati-, Proto-Germanic ladjō-, the Old Norse leðja (mud, dregs), the Lithuanian latakas (pool, puddle) and the Old Norse leþja (filth) are related.

From 1835 the word was used in the sense of "the milky liquid from plants", the meaning "water-dispersed polymer particles" as used in rubber goods, paints and other industrial products) dating from from 1937.  Latex was first noted as an adjective in 1954 as a popular (and more convenient) substitute for the classically correct laticiferous.  Thoughtfully, the developer of LaTeX (the TeX-based digital typesetting system) provided a pronunciation guide, the final consonant of TeX pronounced similar to loch or Bach.  The letters of the name represent the capital Greek letters Τ (tau), Ε (epsilon), and Χ (chi), as TeX is an abbreviation of Ancient Greek τέχνη (tékhnē) (the root word of "technical").  Inevitably however, English speaking nerds who haven't read the guide often pronounce it tek.  The noun latexosis is used to refer to an abnormal flow of latex from a plant.  Latex is a noun & adjective; the noun plural is latexes.

Notes on Latex

Latex is a natural material that requires special care not necessary for fabrics. It is sensitive to external factors that cause tearing, discoloration or weakening.

What to avoid

Oil: Oils will degrade latex so avoid any contact with oil-based fluids or solvents, hand creams, grease, leather etc. Always handle latex with clean hands.

Metal: Latex will react with copper, brass and bronze, resulting in stains; even handling these metals before touching light colored latex may result in discoloration.

Sunlight, heat and humidity: Exposure to sunlight or other UV light sources will cause white patches where the color has been bleached, dark colors being especially prone to this.  Exposure to heat and humidity may result in discoloration or degradation.  Latex is flammable and should not be exposed to raised temperatures; this includes radiators, heat sources and tumble dryers.

Rita Ora in Latex, London, January 2023.

Sharp objects:  Any sharp object can puncture or tear latex so observe particular caution with long fingernails; those required frequently to handle latex are recommended to wear cotton or latex gloves.

Flame:  Latex is flammable; it must not be exposed to flame.

Ozone: Ozone is produced from oxygen by UV-radiation from the big industrial fluorescent lamps.  Prolonged storage without a protecting bag will lead to damage not unlike sunlight, the consequences being discoloration and brittleness.

Polishing

Latex can be rendered in a matte or polished finish.  To achieve a shine, coat surface in a silicone lubricant or other latex polish; this may be sprayed or spread, either with bare hands or a soft, lint-free cloth (Don't rub too hard; this can damage latex.  With transparent latex, applying the liquid to both sides will enhance the transparency.

Lindsay Lohan in Latex, 2020.

Cleaning

Latex should regularly be cleaned by rinsing well in warm water.  Some manufacturers recommend using a mild soap, while others suggest only water, the general principle being to follow their recommendations.  To dry, hang on a plastic or wooden hanger or lay flat; latex can be wiped gently with a soft towel to decrease drying time if desired.  When one side is dry, turn inside out and let the other side dry.  When completely dry, separate any latex that has stuck together and lightly dust with talc powder to prevent any further sticking (manufacturers caution against using liquids for this purpose).

Storage

Prepare latex for storage by washing, drying and lightly powdering as described in the cleaning routine.  Ideally, latex should be kept in a black plastic bag in a cool, dry place.  Light and dark pieces of latex should not be stored in direct contact as this can cause discoloration of the lighter.

Demask Latex Shop, Zeedijk 64, 1012 BA Amsterdam, The Netherlands.