How Can I Clean A Silk/polyester Beaded Gown At Home?
I have a gown that is a couple years old. Over time it has gotten a dingy look to it. There aren’t really stains, just an overall darkening of color (maybe yellowing).
The tag says not to apply heat or steam and NOT to dry clean. The only option it gives is to spot clean with cold water and mild soap.
But I need to clean the whole dress, so I don’t know how to apply those rules to cleaning the entire thing. I’m really afraid of ruining the dress trying to figure this out on my own and I don’t trust the dry cleaners around here as I’ve had clothes ruined before.
The dress is 100% silk and 100% polyester (lining and beaded overlay)
Any help would be GREATLY appreciated!!! Thank you!!
Hi. I found this from the Yahoo Search bar, there is more on it, just type in “Cleaning a silk, polyester beaded gown” in the Yahoo Search Bar, and you can find almost anything you’re looking. Shhh, that’s our secret…Household Hints & HELP!
Clean and Storing Wedding Gowns
submitted by Lorene Bartos, Extension Educator
This article appears in the August 14, 2005 Lincoln Journal Star Newspaper.
The wedding and honeymoon are over. It is time to store the memories of the day. What to do with the wedding gown seems to be the next dilemma. It is best to take care of a wedding gown as soon as possible after the wedding. You can do some of this yourself or select a dry cleaner to clean and store the gown.
Choosing the best method of cleaning may be difficult if no fiber content label or care instructions are on the gown. The following suggestions may help you select the best cleaning method for your gown.
Wash with water and detergent at home or commercially:
If fabrics, trims, interfacings and linings can be successfully wet cleaned; this depends upon the fiber content, finishes, dyes and preshrinking.
Wash by hand because this method is least stressful for delicate fabrics. Thorough rinsing is essential; increase the number of rinses you ordinarily would think sufficient.
Avoid chlorine bleaches which may remain in the fabric and continue oxidizing.
do not attempt to do it yourself…….take it to the cleaners…..
I collect handmade antique and vintage Japanese and Chinese silk embriodered gowns and jackets. They are often so delicate and have sterling silver or 22 kt gold threads so they cannot be washed nor dry cleaned. But, they do get dingy and here is how I clean them. I use dry carpet cleaning granules, Resolve and Capture both make them. I work on small sections of the garments at a time. I spread the granules over the garment and with a soft, low loop, terry towel gently work them into the fiber. Where common staining occurs, like along the cuffs, collar and hem, I work it in with a soft toothbrush as long as there isn’t any delicate or fragile thread work. I do one side in these small sections at a time until I finish that entire side of the garment. Once the granules are completely dry, I use the brush attachment and suck them up completely. (It helps to have a helper hold the garment and I use the low speed on my Dirt Devel Hand vac because it tends not to suck up the garment like the big, full size vac does). Then I procede to the other side and repeat the process. I have not damaged any of the silk nor synthetic fibers and it even really brightens up the beading and embroidery. Take your time, be careful and know that sometimes areas may take a couple of times applying the granules to full remove ground in stains (especially perspiration).