Care Tips for Your Prom Dress or Gown
Afraid wrinkles are going to spoil your prom dress? Or do you have a stain on your prom gown that you don’t know how to remove? Here are some great tips that will help you with many of the most common questions or problems when it comes to caring for prom dresses.
The best solution is usually to have a professional look after stains, but there are some solutions you can try yourself if you find yourself in an emergency situation and need to do it yourself. Remember, don't go overboard with water, coleaning solutions or rubbing the stain. Be gentle and patient while you work the stain out. Always follow the general rules for stain removal.
DRY CLEANING - if possible, let the professionals remove stains from your prom gown
Dry Cleaning will extend the life of your prom dress. Proper handling and cleaning of your prom gown or 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.
If you get a stain on your dress, deal with the stain as soon as possible. The longer you wait the more time the stain has to soak in and/or dry, making it more difficult to remove. Identify what caused the stain. In order to know what to do for the stain you need to know what caused it. Immediately take your dress to the dry cleaner.
STAINS
General rules for stain removal:
* 1. Treat stains ASAP
* 2. Test the treatment method on a hidden area of the garment before treating the stain
* 3. Rub the stain from the back of the fabric, not the front.
* 4. Follow the manufacturer's care instructions for the garment
* 5. Rinse stain-removal products from garment before placing in washing machine.
* 6. Never dry or iron a stained garment until the stain is removed
* 7. Don't rub the stain. Blot or scrape the stain to prevent further penetration
* 8. Use a clean white towel for blotting stains
* 9. Always follow labels on stain removal products
* 10. Never mix chlorine bleach with ammonia
How to Remove Different types of 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.
Concealer, cream/liquid foundation, lip liner or eyeliner
Dampen the stain with warm water and pre-treat 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
This may be impossible to remove depending on the fabric and nail polish type. If the alternative is to through out the garment, try nail polish remover. Place garment face down on paper towels. Blot the back of the stain with nail polish remover. Rinse and wash.
Ink
Try a pen eraser, and if that doesn't work soak the stain with rubbing alcohol. Or, try some hairspray sprayed on a clean white cloth and rub the ink stain very gently.
Grass
Wipe fabric with alcohol, and then apply mild chlorine bleach to any remaining stain.
Coffee/Tea
Immediately run cold water over fresh stain. Pre-treat stain with fabric prewash and launder.
Chocolate/cocoa
Use a dull knife to scrape from clothing. Pre-treat 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. *Very important to pre-test to check color fastness of fabric. 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
Rub a moistened bar of soap directly on stained area. Apply liquid detergent to stain and wash.
Blood
Put a paste of water and cornstarch, cornmeal, or talcum powder on the spot. Let it dry, and brush it off. Or try a small amount of shampoo on the stain and rub very gently. Rinse and wash normally.
Fruit/Berry
Sponge the spot promptly with cool water, or soak the material in cool water overnight.
WRINKLES
- 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 you hang it where it has plenty of space to breath. Also, be sure that nothing is touching your prom dress making it wrinkle or turning the color.
