The dress is such an important part of any special event that you could even call it an investment or valuable keepsake. Whether you want to preserve your dress for the memories or wear it again and again? Do you know how to clean the dresses and resist wrinkle? Following these maintenances and cleaning tips will help keep it as beautiful as the day it arrived.
Why Dry Clean only?
Dry Cleaning can extend the life of a garment. Proper handling and cleaning of your dress will have the following benefits:
- Your dress will maintain a fresh appearance longer
- Color fading will be minimized
- The useful life of fabric will be extended, making your purchase last longer.
– Many of our dresses have delicate trim, beading, embroidery or other embellishments that could be damaged by machine or hand washing.
– Dry cleaning minimizes the need to use dryers, irons and steamers to dry or remove wrinkles. Heat can be damaging to the fabric of our dresses.
Stains:
Accidents happen, but spills need not ruin your beautiful dress or your night. If treated promptly, many stains can be removed and your dress will be as good as new.
Dry cleaning stains:
- All of our dresses are dry clean only.
– Take stains to a professional dry cleaner as soon as possible for best results.
– Tell the cleaner what caused the stain so they can treat it properly.
Treating stains at an event:
If a stain happens in the middle of your event, you may not be able to take it to a dry cleaner right away. Here’s all you need to know to minimize damage and get on with your night.
- Dab gently to remove any excess stain. If there is residue, scrape it off with a dull knife.
– Never rub as that may spread or push the stain deeper into the fabric.
– Use a clean white cloth to dab. Avoid tissue or paper towels that could leave a residue.
– Don’t use soaps or pre-treating chemicals on the dress if you will take it to a dry cleaner later, as the chemicals could react and damage the fabric.
– Oil-based stains should be sprinkled with an absorber such as baby powder or cornstarch. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes, then brush off completely and dab with a cloth. Dry clean as soon as possible. Common oil based stains: makeup, grease or butter, deodorant, gasoline or body lotions
– For non-oil-based stains, place a white cloth underneath the stain and dab at the stain with another white cloth dipped in cool water. Common non oil-based stains: juices, coffee/tea, bodily fluids, red wine, mud, ink, baby food/formula
– Soak persistent stains in cool water until they come out (up to 24 hours). Remaining stains should be taken to a dry cleaner.
– Don’t iron, steam or heat dry stained fabrics heat will set the stain.
Treating stains at home:
If you do decide to treat a stain yourself, be extremely careful and gentle. Remember that any stain removers or detergents you use could react with dry cleaning chemicals and damage the fabric should you later decide to have it dry cleaned. While oxygen-based cleaners and gentle detergents can remove some non-oil-based stains from polyesters, oil-based stains are best handled by professional dry cleaners.
- Never use bleach or stain removers with bleach on our dresses.
– Follow all instructions on the stain remover’s packaging.
– Spot test the stain remover on an unnoticeable area first.
– Mixing stain removers could damage fabric.
– Gently dab all excess stain off with a clean white cloth, being careful not to rub it in further.
– Place another cloth underneath the stain to catch residue.
– Work the stain remover from the edges in so the stain is removed to the wiping cloth and the cloth underneath. Avoid wiping outward and spreading the stain.
– Completely rinse all detergent or stain remover from the fabric afterwards.
– Once rinsed, roll wet fabric in a towel and then lay flat to dry. Don’t twist or wring.
Wrinkles:
Our fabrics don’t wrinkle easily, but if they do, hanging the fabric so that wrinkles fall out is often all that’s needed. A careful ironing or steaming with low heat can safely smooth out any persistent wrinkles.
- You can have your dress professionally pressed of steamed. You could also use a cool dry iron and press through a piece of white cloth to protect the dress.
- To keep your dress from wrinkling in the car, push most of the fabric to the side so that you’re sitting on as little as possible.
- When you bring your dress home, make sure that it has plenty of space to breath. Also be sure that nothing is touching the dress making it wrinkle or turning the color.
Preservation/Maintenance:
Our fabrics are chosen not only for their look and feel, but also their durability. With a little care, your dress will stay beautiful through many years and many special occasions.
- It’s a good idea to dry clean dresses after each wear. Body oils, deodorant residue or unnoticed stains left on the dress could set in and discolor the fabric over time.
– If the dress isn’t too heavy, it can hang in a garment bag for several months with no problem.
– If hanging a heavier dress, consider draping the skirt over a second hanger to take weight of the shoulder straps.
– Dresses heavy with beading or embroidery could start to pull apart if left hanging for many years. Store these flat, ideally in a box with acid-free tissue paper or a white sheet.
– Lay flat or roll the dress up instead of folding to prevent creases.
– Store or hang in a cool, dry place to prevent yellowing or mildewing over time.
P.S. Below are methods for special stains.
* Eye Shadow, Lipstick, and Mascara
– Dampen the stain with warm water and rub with a liquid detergent with color safe bleach. Rub the detergent directly into the stain until its outline is gone. Then wash the garment in the hottest water safe for the fabric.
* Concealor, cream/liquid foundation, lip liner, and eyeliner
– Dampen the stain with warm water and pretreat it by gently rubbing with liquid laundry detergent or a soft paste of powder detergent and water. Rinse the treated are and then launder the garment in the warmest water safe for the fabric. Hang dry the garment.
* Nail polish
– Apply acetone or polish remover to the back of stain. Rinse. Launder as usual. Never use nail polish remover on synthetic materials like acetate, triacetate or modacrylic, they will dissolve. Take these fabrics to the dry cleaner.
* Grass
– Wipe fabric with alcohol, and then apply mild chlorine bleach to any remaining stain.
*Water Spots
- Hold the water spot above steam from a boiling kettle (far away enough that there is no moisture drops on the fabric). Allow the fabric to become damp, but not wet. Shake and press while still damp, rubbing, if possible, with a piece of the same or a similar material.
* Coffee/Tea
– Pre-treat stain with a stain remover and rinse in warm water. Rub the stain with a liquid detergent and launder in the hottest water safe for the fabric.
* Chocolate/cocoa
– Use a dull knife to scrape from clothing. Pretreat and wash.
* Grease/Oil
– Use a liquid pretreatment spray and wash the garment in the hottest water safe for the fabric. If stain persists, place stain face down on clean paper towels and rub with dry cleaning solvent or liquid pretreatment spray. Rinse in warm water, and wash.
* Paint
– Soak garment in warm water and detergent for about 2 hours. Then brush gently with a toothbrush, and wash as normal.
* Resin/Sap
– Sponge the garment’s stain with alcohol, turpentine or other solvent. Then sponge with water and wash in warm water.
* Mud
– Allow mud to dry, and scrape off as much as possible. Soak for 15 minutes in detergent and water. Wash in hottest water safe for the fabric.
* Rust
– Make a paste of salt and vinegar and rub into stain. If that doesn’t work, soak in lemon juice, dry in the sun, and rinse thoroughly.
* Perspiration
– New perspiration stains may be removed by regular laundering. Heavy stains may be pre-treated with a laundry pre-soak (spot stain remover) for 10 minutes. Older perspiration stains may be removed by sponging with white vinegar and water.
* Blood
– Put a paste of water and cornstarch, cornmeal, or talcum powder on the spot. Let it dry, and brush it off.
* Fruit Juices & Berries
- Sponge with cool water or soak in cool water with bleach that is safe for the fabric. Rinse. Use hot water for cottons and linens.
* Chewing Gum
Harden gum by rubbing with ice or placing in freezer. Remove surface wax by carefully scraping with the dull edge of a butter knife. If washable, soak in kerosene and wash in hot soapy water. If unwashable, use dry cleaning fluid on stain.
