SOS - need to clean velvet but no time for dry cleaning!!

[SultryVintage]

Hi! So I really need some advice. I bought this dress last week and (although paying rush shipping) the dress arrived today, one day before the event I need it for tomorrow night. It's burnout velvet atop probably rayon and although it's not dirty - as in stained - it is still second hand and I'd like it cleaned before I wear it. Problem is it's too short notice to get it to the dry cleaner because it needs to air out from the chemicals used. It's rainy outside so sun and air isn't an option. Any advice?? Help! I'd really like to not go to the event in an unwashed dress.

 

[Circa Vintage Clothing]

Hi SultryVintage, this looks like a dry clean only dress but there are these sheets that you can put in your dryer which apparently are like dry cleaning your garment - if you try one of these and then hang it up and air as well as you can, especially in the bathroom whilst you're having a shower, I'm sure it will improve it a lot. Good luck. I understand your desire to clean it. I always clean everything I buy, new or second hand before wearing.

 

[SultryVintage]

Hi SultryVintage, this looks like a dry clean only dress but there are these sheets that you can put in your dryer which apparently are like dry cleaning your garment - if you try one of these and then hang it up and air as well as you can, especially in the bathroom whilst you're having a shower, I'm sure it will improve it a lot. Good luck. I understand your desire to clean it. I always clean everything I buy, new or second hand before wearing.

Thank you Nicole!! Yeah you go to enough estate sales and see what condition so many of the clothes are in and I just get too grossed out and need everything to be cleaned before I'll wear it. I looked into those sheets and they said do not use on velvet :(! The sun is peeping out at the moment and I found some articles that say the sun acts as a disinfectant soooo hopefully what little it gets today will do something. Ugh.

 

[bycinbyhand]

If I were in a hurry... I'd try the Dryel or Woolite sheets in the dryer, but my preference would be sun and a breezy day. OR hang on a hanger, slip a big garbage back over the dress... place an open bag of kitty litter or coffee beans or baking soda at the bottom and then tie it up. That can freshen up very nicely.

 

[Rue_de_la_Paix]

If you can determine if it is a poly velvet, those can very often be hand washable or machine washable. I wash my cut velvet dresses and blouses all the time and they come out perfect, air line dried or I prefer to put them in the dryer on low to keep the pile nicer. Just be sure to determine if it is a polyester. Of course if it has a lining, that may effect the results, so perhaps washing is not the way to go. And the dyes may not be stable, you would want to do a pre wash test on that, and since time is a factor, washing will not be the choice for you.

 

[Vinclothes]

I found that putting a small damp towel in the dryer with Dryel or Woolite "dry cleaner" sheets seemed to freshen and possibly clean items better than just the sheets alone.
Marian