How to take care of Qipao

Chinese dress Qipao / Cheongsam

How to take care



General care:
High quality Qipao / Cheongsam are made of good, but sensitive fabrics. Therefore you generally should be careful when you wear a Qipao / Cheongsam. Stains can be difficult to remove and thats why you should try to avoid them. You also should avoid fabric coming in contact with rough or sharp objects, which can hook the fine weave and cause dulling or frayed threads. Rolling up sleaves of Asian dresses can cause creasing / stretching.


Laundry / cleaning / iron:
Most Qipao / Cheongsam should be hand-washed or dry cleaned. In general dry cleaning is recommended, since laundering detergent and dyes in other clothes may affect fabric adversely. When washing Chinese dresses, always avoid strong detergents and gently wash by hand if possible. Chlorine bleach should never be used.

Ironing is fine regardless of fabric, but you should put a white damp cloth between the iron and the dress to avoid softening and color change. And if you dirty your Qipao / Cheongsam with incaution, you can cover the blot with a piece of moist cloth and then iron. The cloth can absorb some dust. 

After washing and/or ironing, hang it (preferably in a well-ventilated area) to cool and dry fully before storing. Also fabric can be allowed to dry on a white towel. 


Silk:
Gently hand-wash with neutral detergent. Hang to dry where it is not too hot. Avoid to hang it under the sun. It is best to iron when almost dry, using a white cloth under the iron. You can use higher heat, but you should avoid squirting water on fabric (may leave water marks). 


Brocade satin:
Should be dry cleaned - not washed in water or washing machine. If it is a bright-coloured fabric, the ironing temperature should be lowered moderately.


Stowing:
Qipao / Cheongsam should be hung on wide hanger and not folded while storing. So if you want to stow your China dress for long, make sure that it is hung up by the clothes rack, especially, the shoulder is crutched properly. 

Mothballs may be a good idea, but avoid the campher variety, which can cause yellowing of lighter fabrics.