Crafting with Kids

When you wear your ballroom dresses time after time, you may think that it is inevitable that they are going to start to look less than their best, so that you can no longer wear them to the most important events. You may be surprised to learn that your dresses can indeed maintained to a very high standard. With a little care and thought, they can still look fresh and serve you well for years to come.

Firstly, your ballroom dresses need to be hung in a dry location with ample room all around them to stop creasing. Ideally they should each have a protective plastic cover. A dark-colored cover is much better than a transparent one as this will help stop the fabric fading from exposure to the sunlight. Just to be certain, keep them away from strong light also. Leaving the cover’s zip unfastened helps the dress to stay aired, helping to make certain that the dress does not grow to be damp and mildew to develop.

When it comes to ballroom dancing dresses care, it goes without saying that you should check out and follow any instructions provided with the dress.

So, what’s the best way to wash your dresses, assuming that they are suitable to wash? Should you use a washing machine- or hand-wash? Generally-speaking, Lycra and georgette are suitable to be machine-washed as is much practice dancewear, but only if there are no embellishments or other bits that might drop off in the wash. Whichever way you choose to wash your dresses, to avoid shrinkage, it is best to opt for a very cool temperature. No more than 30 degrees Centigrade should be all right.

Pre-wash solutions can be effective for heavy staining. You have to be specifically cautious if the dress has dark-colored satin bias binding because this can stain the fabric. So you have to be meticulous in ensuring that the binding and the textile do not come into contact with one another when still damp. This could look like overkill, but you will be glad you did it.

Now if your ballroom dresses are decorated, then you should never wash or even dry clean them. The risk is that any stones will be damaged and lose their sparkle. What’s more, it’s even possible for the glue to dissolve. You may, of course, spot clean with a brush.

Ballroom dresses can be refreshed by hanging them in a steamy atmosphere. This will furthermore help to smooth out creases. If a dress requires more than a steam, you may carefully wash the body suit by hand only with the dress turned inside out. Make sure to use a gentle detergent and cold water. Rinse in cold water and do not wring the dress out before hanging it up to dry. If you have had to wash your ballroom dress in water, permit it to drip dry over the bath. If the dress is particularly weighty when wet, it might be a good plan to place it over a clothes horse. This will help to prevent the fabric from stretching. This would be irreversible. Remember that fringe dresses can take three to four days to dry completely! So do not wait till the last minute to wash it, if you require it for a special occasion.

Now let’s examine the tricky subject of ironing. If you can avoid it, then you should do so. Again, pay close attention to the maker’s instructions. Synthetic fabrics are notorious for burning easily, so use a very cool temperature.

Your ballroom dresses will last so much longer and stay looking almost as good as new, when you take the time to plan their storage and you launder them correctly.

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