So it’s your big night, and you finally get to wear your new dress. After an amazing night, you find you spilled champagne on your dress! Now what? Don’t worry—all wear and tear from a fun night can be reversed with the right care.
Prepare for Your Evening
Before you set out for the night, take some time to make sure you look as good as possible. A big part of this is a clean, wrinkle-free gown. Use a garment steamer to get out any wrinkles from transport or packaging. Hold the steamer several inches away and avoid direct contact with the fabric. If ironing is necessary, check the fabric care information to ensure you can iron your garment without ruining it. Place a cloth between the iron and fabric and maintain constant motion
Cleaning Your Gown
Spot Cleaning
There are plenty of hazards to your dress on a night out – grease, sweat, and makeup, to name a few. Don’t fret, these are all easy fixes if you know the right steps to take. If you get something on your dress, treat the stain as soon as possible by blotting (not scrubbing!) the stain with a dry, clean cloth or a cotton ball. Apply water and repeat the process until the stain is gone.
Dry Cleaning
If you have a larger stain on your gown, it is crucial to get your dress professionally dry cleaned within a few days of your event. Even if you didn’t tarnish your dress in any way, it is good practice to get it dry-cleaned anyway. Some stains can’t even be seen because they are invisible until months later when they will have caused irreversible stain damage to your fabric.
Storing Your Dress
When we get home, we often want to slip right into our pajamas. Try to hold out and take a few minutes to take some crucial steps to preserve your dress. Hang your gown in a garment bag that is breathable and is not exposed to direct sunlight. After you get your dress dry cleaned within a few days of wearing it, store it in a dark, cool place that gets plenty of ventilation. This will prevent pests, mold, or other nuisances from ruining your dress.
At Charleston Prestige Cleaners, we are all about getting dressed up and getting out of the house. But we’re also big fans of professional garment cleaning (something you may not be as into). Let us take care of your dress after you wear it so that you can enjoy it for years to come. Contact us today to get your debutante gown, wedding dress, or evening gown professionally cleaned.
