Preserving your Vintage Evening Gowns

Vintage evening gowns are made from various types of materials and fabrics. There are some minor differences in caring for different types of fabrics. The laundry specialist whom you get to wash your vintage gowns will be the best person to give you advice on caring for the fabric. In general, preserving vintage gowns involves the following steps.

Cleaning

It is basic common sense that you should wash your vintage evening gowns clean before storing them away. However, there are a lot of things to watch out for when cleaning your vintage gowns. Gowns meant for long term storage should be rinsed in detergent free water as a final step before drying.

Detergent and other chemical residues on your vintage evening gowns can result in degradation of your gowns and other chemical reactions which can cause yellowing or stains over time. A final rinse in detergent and other additive-free warm water will remove any residue off your vintage evening gowns.

Drying

After washing, you must dry your gowns properly before keeping them. However, you shouldn’t rely on dryers to do the job. Vintage evening gowns should be air dried in cool flowing air. This allows the gown to retain some level of required moisture on its fibers.

Drying your vintage evening gowns in a dryer or in direct sunlight results in extremely dry clothing fibers. Clothing fibers naturally contain some moisture which is required for the fiber to retain its properties. When the fibers lose too much moisture, it becomes crisp and brittle. This can cause your vintage evening gowns to crack, shrink or lose its colors.

Avoid ironing your vintage evening gowns since ironing causes the same damage as drying in a dryer.

Storage

When your vintage evening gowns are cleaned and dried, you need to store them in a cool dry place away from direct sunlight. Ultraviolet rays from the sun can cause discoloration of your gowns.

Besides being placed away from sunlight, your vintage evening gowns should best be isolated from dampness and dirt. To do this, you can store your gowns away in space saver bags. These bags not only reduce the space your vintage evening gowns occupy at home, but they create a vacuum environment for long term storage of your gowns.

However, it should be noted that you must not use metal or plastic hangers with the vacuum bag. Metal and plastic can degrade over time and stain or corrode your gowns. Vintage evening gowns should be placed over a cotton hanger and wrapped in a cover made from natural fabric like muslin. This cover should not be pre-treated with bleach or other chemicals as well. With this protective cover, your vintage evening gowns are isolated from contact with any plastic or metal parts.

Even though your vintage evening gowns are now well handled and storage properly, you should still taken them out from time to time to soak them in warm water before putting them back into storage. Soaking in water rejuvenates the moisture level of the fibers and extends the life of your vintage evening gowns.