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 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 a Chinese dress, 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 Chinese 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.
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