Holiday stains…or 20 minutes under the bathroom air dryer
Fifteen years ago this month, I was at my cousin’s wedding. After the ceremony, a punch reception was held before a more intimate family dinner. The light was dim, and I didn’t realize my six-year-old son was enjoying his punch and a cookie just inches from my side. I was socializing with an old friend when I inadvertently reached my right hand INTO my son’s cup of punch and splashed it all over my teal chiffon dress, hose, and shoes. What a mess - I literally had red punch adorning me from my ruched silk waistband to my toes.
I quickly handed both my son and the offending punch cup to my husband and made a slippery dash to the ladies’ room where the light was brighter and I could see the damage. Still looking forward to family photos and an elegant dinner, I had a problem. But, I also had lots of knowledge. Except for the waistband, my dress was polyester and of course my hose were nylon. Water was not going to hurt them at all. Thankfully, I was wearing a slip under my dress, so I gathered my skirt up to the front and held it under the faucet. This caused some consternation from other women in the restroom, but I tried to assure them that I was trained as a dry cleaner and really did know what I was doing. After rinsing the punch out of my skirt and sponging off my hose, I commandeered an air dryer and held my skirt under it for 20 minutes or so until it was dry. I blotted the silk sash and held my purse in front of the stained area there for the photos. Once I returned to work after the weekend, I was able to remove the punch from that part of my dress too - it just needed more TLC and care than I had access to in the ladies’ room that evening.
As my cousin and his wife celebrated their 15th anniversary last week, this “adventure” came to my mind. Then I thought of New Year’s celebrations just around the corner along with the 2021 wedding season. If you’re going to be attending any events with red punch, champagne or other wonderful drinks in the coming weeks and months, I have four tips that may just help you save your favorite outfit:
Know what you’re wearing. It’s always good to know the fiber content of your outfit. If your garment is made of polyester, you can safely use water right away to address any stains or spills.
When a spill happens, grab quickly to blot with something close to the color of the stained item. White wedding gown? Use a white napkin to blot. But if you’re wearing a black tux, find something darker than that white napkin.
When you bring your item to your favorite cleaners to have cleaned, share the whole story. We need to know what you did right away to address the stain and how the garment has been stored since then.
If you are a Great Lakes Clothing Care customer - feel free to message us through the customer portal and app; we often monitor our texts even when we are not open and one of our specialists would be happy to provide you with some emergency advice!
Happy New Year - may your punch stay in your cup.
-Tami