Let’s face it: one of the reasons why people buy beautiful dresses is so that they could be worn again.
They may be for everyday use or something that you’ll wear at least twice in your lifetime but the point is if you really want to get your money’s worth, preserving your dress for future use is a good way to do it. The question is, with the many as types of fabrics hanging in your closet, how are you supposed to protect them and prolong its lifespan? You don’t need to be a domestic goddess to figure it out. Here are five types of fabrics commonly used for dresses and how you can take care of them.1. Lace
Photo: Galia Lahav lace dress
Lace is a common favorite among women, and nearly all of their clothing pieces have a lace version. The fabric is soft, delicate, and mysterious; it makes women’s wear more feminine. However, the delicateness of lace is also what makes it fragile and therefore requires extra precaution when cleaning and storing it.
Before washing the garment, make sure that all the buttons and snaps are secured. Delicate fabrics such as lace usually include washing and keeping instructions so it’s still best to follow what’s indicated on the label. More often than not, clothing pieces that are made of or with lace should be hand-washed but if the label doesn’t specify it, you can give the garments a few gentle spins in the washer. You should also use a mild detergent and cold water to protect the fibers of the garment and its color. Dry your lace dress using a hanger or lay it on a flat clean surface. Don’t iron the lace as the heat might burn its gentle fibers. When storing the lace dress, put the heavy ones in big boxes and put the small or light dresses in zipper bags.
2. Silk
Photo: Ralph Lauren silk dresses
An indispensible material in the face of couture, silk is a go-to fabric if you want to wear something fancy. It can be the main central piece to a dress, a detail, or even just the lining but the feel of silk will always be luxurious. The thing with silk is that like lace, it also requires utmost care so that the dress doesn’t lose its luster.
Silk dresses are normally prescribed to be taken to the dry cleaners, as cleaning silk may be tricky. Silks that have patterns, brightly-colored, and dark-colored are best left to professional cleaners to avoid any irreparable damages to the dress. For the silk pieces that you can wash at home, do it only with lukewarm water and mild liquid soap. Remember not to brush silk even because doing so would damage the fibers. When you’re done washing, rinse the garment in cold water mixed with a quarter cup of white vinegar. This will help remove any traces of soap and neutralize the fabric’s alkalinity. Rinse it again in pure water and hang the dress for air drying. Finally, store it in the biggest box you can get when it’s dry. A big box will minimize the creases caused by too much folding.
3. Cotton
Cotton is made of stronger and more durable fibers and relatively easier to wash than lace and silk. But since it soaks up easily, you have to wash them as soon as you can so that the liquid it absorbs doesn’t create ugly stains. Cotton dresses can be treated at home but it’s still important that you read the washing instructions. Whites should be pretreated with bleach while focusing on the parts that stained most such as the underarms, the nape, and soiled areas. Non-whites should be treated with color-safe bleach. Unless you are sure that your dress is pre-shrunk, use only cold water when washing cotton and tumble dry it until it’s damp. Keep the shape of your cotton clothes by hanging them on thick wooden hangers. You can also iron out creases on high heat but if your dress has details that could be damaged by pressing such as beads or sequins, turn the dress inside out first before gliding the iron.
4. Denim
You may not have a lot of denim dresses but you probably own a good number of jeans. The point is you should know how to take care of the fabric. The good news is that caring for denim isn’t very hard to wash and protect. To preserve the color and the wash of your denim dress, wash it using only in the water temperature indicated in the label. You should also launder it with mild detergent to prevent the fabric from fading and turn the garment inside out before putting it in the washer.
Denims are better off with air drying but if you must use the machine, use only the lowest setting and fish it out while it’s still damp. When storing denim dresses, thick wooden hangers are the best tools to hang them with. Just remember not to crowd them in the closet to allow the fabric to breathe.
5. Chiffon
Photo: Blanka Matragi dress
Another delicate type of fabric that is often used in making dresses is chiffon. It also has a few varieties such as rayon, silk, and poly-chiffon, although the characteristic they all share is that they are all made of fragile fibers. In short, dresses made of chiffon should be treated carefully.
Chiffon can be washed at home but if in case your dress has serious stains, your best solution is to have a professional cleaner do it for you. The silk type especially should be dry-cleaned only, as wetting it can ruin the fabric. However, if you’re going to wash your chiffon dress yourself, you can do so by hand or using the washer. The poly-chiffon type is the one you can wash at home. When hand-washing chiffon, do as you would with silk, but if you want to use the washer, put the dress first inside a mesh laundry bag and put it in gentle spin. Skip the dryer when cleaning chiffon dresses and air dry the garment instead. Lastly, store it in a box and keep it in a cool, dry place.
When protecting and preserving your dress, always remember to read the labels before even getting started with the laundry. Check for details and the types of fabric that are used in making it. A single mistake can ruin a beautiful dress so it’s always wise to study your dress first before cleaning it.
Author: Sheila Frye
Cover photo: Charm and Glam
You Will Also Like
The post How to Protect Your Designer Dresses from Wear Damage appeared first on OLENA.