Let St Croix Cleaners make this the Best Prom Ever!
You spent weeks searching for the perfect dress, now how to keep it perfect for prom. St Croix Cleaners has you covered with all our before and after Prom Services!
Alterations
As soon as you get your gown from the dress salon you’ll want to set up an appointment with your local St Croix Cleaners’ Alteration Specialist. Most prom dresses are designed to be altered and are made several inches longer than other formal gowns. This means that hemming is pretty common when you buy your dress. All of our alteration specialists can take-in, let-out and completely redesign your dress if necessary. You’ll want to start this process 1-2 months before prom depending on how much work you need to be done.
Wrinkles
A week before the big day you can bring in your dress to St Croix Cleaners so we can release any wrinkles that may have happened during transport or alterations. On the day of the prom, you’ll want to make sure your gown is pushed to the side of your seat as much as possible. This reduces wrinkles from the car ride and makes sure no one sits or steps on it!
Small Stains
Now leading up to a few days before prom, you might decide to get a spray tan. If you do, make sure to do it 2-3 days before the dance. It gives the dye time to settle into your skin so it doesn’t transfer onto the dress. Spray tans love to stick to fabric and can permanently stain the dress if it doesn’t get cleaned off. If any spots of make-up or food get on the gown, as you are getting ready or at the dance, we have a little trick to getting them out! This trick is only for polyester or synthetic gowns. If your dress is silk, cotton, or another natural fiber you will want to bring it to St Croix Cleaners as soon as possible. Take some warm water and lightly dab the spot. Then put some pH neutral soap; such as blue dawn dish soap, or a Woolite pen on the spot and rise with water. Let the dress air dry for a few minutes and you should be good to go.
After the Ball
You’ve danced the night away and had an amazing time, now what? The day after the dance you’ll want to take a good look at your dress and determine if there are any saturated stains, tears, or any damaged beading and sequins. If you spilled anything clear like soda or sparkling grape juice on your gown it will dry like nothing is there but will eventually discolor the dress and make it very hard to get out. Once you’ve looked over your gown you’ll want to bring it to your local St Croix Cleaners. Most gowns need individual care to best remove hemline stains and other spots.
It is best to send it to a professional dry cleaner rather than cleaning at home! Any dress with beads or sequins can get severally damaged in regular washing machines. Most of the time beads are attached on large strands by monofilament thread; similar to fishing line, making it prone to breakage. Silk and other natural fibered dresses like cotton and linen have to be dry cleaned, washing this type of gown will cause shrinkage and distortion of the fabric.
Last Steps
After the cleaning is done, whether your planning on keeping or selling the gown, you’ll want to take the St Croix Cleaners’ biodegradable plastic bag off the dress. Make sure to keep the gown on a padded hanger if you plan on keeping it in a closet, this will take some of the weight off the fabric so that it does not deform the dress. A better option would be to lay the dress flat in a spare bedroom or closet, this takes all weight off the dress. You’ll want to put a cotton sheet over it or a fabric garment bag to prevent dust and discoloration. For long term storage, anything over a year, you’ll want to consider an acid free box with acid free tissue paper. This ensures no discoloration or distortion for the life of the dress.
Whether you just got your dress or the magical night is over, St Croix Cleaners has you covered from start to finish! Let us be a part of your high school rite of passage!