Easy Tips for Taking Care of Your Lace Dress
Lace has been a popular fabric for gowns for many decades. They’ve remained on trend in fashion, and many women love lace wedding dresses. Because the material is fragile, it can be intimidating to clean and care for. These tips will help you care for your lace dress.
Cleaning a Lace Dress
Identify what type of stain you’re dealing with. Is it sweat, food, or dirt marks? Take time to closely inspect the hem if you have a long gown.
For a dirty hem, fill your bathtub with warm, soapy water and hang your dress above it. Allow the hem to soak for a couple of hours. After at least two hours have passed, use liquid detergent and a toothbrush to gently scrub the hemline and remove the dirt and grime.
You’ll handle sweat stains differently than dirt on the hem. Mix soap and water in a spray bottle and spritz the solution onto the soiled area. Grab a toothbrush and liquid detergent to gently scrub the stain. Use the same technique to remove food stains. If you’re having trouble removing the stain, use an Oxiclean solution to soak the area until the sweat, food, or debris disappears.
If you’re nervous about removing the stain yourself, take the lace dress to a professional dry cleaner. The dry cleaner has the knowledge and tools to clean your gown without damaging it.
Storing Your Lace Dress Properly
Lace is a delicate fabric, and hanging it like a typical shirt or dress could stretch the gown. This stretching distorts and damages the design and look of the fragile lace. Using a garment bag will help keep the material from expanding in storage.
You can also use a sturdy box to store the elegant evening dress. Lay the skirt in the bottom first and fold the fabric back and forth, placing tissue paper between the layers. Add some tissue paper on top of the dress and fill the bodice with it, too. Ensure the gown is flat in the box with everything zipped or buttoned, keeping the dress in its original state.
Closing Thoughts on Care
Stay away from storing your dress in a plastic dress bag. Plastic can lead to discoloration because it makes the chemicals break down. The above care tips will help keep your lace gown in the best possible condition between events. Consult a professional sewer to answer any questions.