How to Donate Old Prom Dresses
After the excitement of your high school prom years are over, you may be wondering what to with your collection of old prom dresses. A great way to clear them from your closet for a good cause is to donate the dresses. Every year there are girls who cannot afford new prom dresses and would appreciate your donation of an old, but beautiful, dresses.
- Collect the old prom dresses you plan to donate. Ask your family and friends if they have prom dresses they would like to donate as well. Also, consider putting a community wide prom dress drive together to collect as many old prom dresses as possible.
- Clean the prom dresses. It is important to always donate clean materials. If the dresses are not machine washable, you can spot wash the dresses with a clean wash cloth and water mixed with mild soap. Another option is to steam-clean the dresses with an at-home steamer machine or have them dry cleaned.
- Spray a fabric refresher over the prom dresses. A fabric refresher will help the appearance and improve the scent of the old prom dresses. If the old prom dresses are especially musty or have a foul odor, spray the old prom dresses with the fabric refresher three times with 30 minute intervals in between to let the fabric refresher sink into the fabric and dry before the next coat.
- Mend the prom dresses. Look for any rips, holes, and loose material- like buttons, rhinestones, and thread- on the prom dresses. If anything is amiss, mend it with a needle and thread that matches the color of the old prom dress.
- Take the prom dresses to the organization you'll be donating them to. The Goodwill, Salvation Army, and many high schools accept donations of prom dresses. Also, ask your community if they do yearly prom dress drives for the needy.
- Give your prom dresses to the organization and ask for a receipt.
- You have now donated your old prom dresses!