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How I can clean my wedding dress?

When handled with care, your wedding dress, veil, and other mementoes can be passed down down the generations. If you want to keep your wedding dress (or any other fabric, like baby clothes) in pristine condition, you need to keep it away from light and moisture. The garment and its accoutrements are designed to last for centuries if cared for properly.

How Do You Clean Your Wedding Gown?

Options for what to do with the wedding dress after the ceremony are several for modern brides. There are those that give their dress to charity or sell it. Some people "trash it" with a colour bomb photography, while others transform their wedding dress into lingerie or cocktail wear. However, many brides prefer to keep the dress they wore on their wedding day since it holds such special meaning.

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Remove Any and All Marks from Your Wedding Gown

Earth-Based Stains

Fruit juice, tea, cola, liquor, or wine spills can be cleaned up quickly by rinsing the area with a solution of three parts water to one part dish soap. Apply a mixture of one part water and one part bleach if the residue persists.

Mease stresses the need to remember to peel back the layers before removing anything. "Be sure to take to a professional dry cleaner with experience with wedding dresses, especially if your gown is silk," she advises for those who want to be extra cautious.

A Lipstick Smudge

Because "they are all made of something different," Mease calls these the "riskiest of stains." It's likely that you won't be able to remove the more permanent lipsticks, she acknowledges. Try out any potential cleaning products well in advance of the big day. Experts recommend against applying lipstick in the gown, or at least doing so with a towel held in front. This is the most common call Mease receives right before the bride walks down the aisle. "If something occurs, I'm hoping the flowers will hide it!" Additionally, wipe the spill instead of rubbing it.

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Because of its delicate fabric and elaborate detailing, a wedding dress cannot be machine washed. Cleaning and preserving your wedding dress properly is essential to extending its lifespan. Here are ten tips to keep your wedding gown in pristine condition after the big day.

Preserving Your Wedding Gown

  1. Prolonged Dry Cleaning And Preservation of a Wedding Gown Are Two Different Things.

    A professional assessment is the first step in wedding dress preservation, as opposed to the "one size fits all" approach of dry cleaning. The expert examines the staining along the hem and the entire dress and formulates a custom treatment plan based on the specifics of the fabric, construction, and design of your garment.

    Some dry cleaners, however, provide a separate service dedicated to the delicate washing of bridal gowns. You can use them, but you should verify their procedures first. Specifically, you should look for a dry cleaner who employs virgin solvent rather than recycled solvent. You shouldn't dry clean your wedding dress using recycled solvents because of the contaminants they may redeposit on the fabric. When restoring a wedding gown, only use a brand new solvent.

     

  2. Your Wedding Gown May Have Invisible Stains

    Sally Conant, executive director of the Association of Wedding Gown Specialists, has said, "Strangely, the most dangerous spills are the ones you cannot see." "Latent stains from things like white wine and other items dry clear, but with time, the sugar in them caramelises into dark brown stains that regular dry cleaning won't be able to remove. However, after six months or longer, the latent stain will become visible as a faint yellow colour, and then it will intensify as it ages. The process is sped up by heat."

     

  3. Mind the Label on That Dress!

    You should pay attention to this label. Check for labels that say things like "Dry Clean Only with Petroleum Solvent" if you need to dry clean it. Pay attention to what it has to say, and check with the preservationist or dry cleaner you choose to be sure they have the right cleaning methods for your wedding dress.

     

  4. The Clock Is Ticking

    The first step in wedding dress preservation is to have it professionally cleaned, therefore the sooner you can take it to the preservationist or the dry cleaners, the better. Unfortunately, it's not uncommon for brides to wait as long as six weeks before taking their dresses to be cleaned. Stains will be deeply ingrained by then.

    When the celebration is over, remove your dress and have it cleaned the following day. If you're going on a honeymoon and can't snap your own wedding photo, have a bridesmaid or your mother photograph it.

     

  5. This Wedding Gown Storage Box Has a Tight Seal to Preserve Your Dress for the Big Day.

    When preserving a dress, it is common practise to replace the oxygen in the storage container with nitrogen. The oxidation (ageing, staining, etc.) that might occur to clothing after being stored for a long time is avoided in this way. Experts advise that the seal on the wedding dress never be broken, and that if it is, the dress should be maintained and resealed immediately.

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  1. Wedding Dress Preservation Costs

    Include the cost of preserving the wedding dress in your overall wedding expenses. It's a big deal to spend $250 to $750 on a wedding preservation kit.

     

  2. Wedding Dresses Should be Kept in a Cool, Dry, Dark Place.

    After the bridal gown has been washed, it should be put away. Keep your dress out of the direct sunshine, as doing so can hasten its fading and cause it to turn a disconcerting yellow. Taking it off the hanger can distort even the heaviest of dresses. Don't even think about storing your garment in a standard plastic bag with a zipper. A bridal dress may be ruined by the moisture trapped in such plastic. Wedding preservation boxes, however, are composed of acid-free plastic, thus they are an exception to this rule. Opt for a wedding trunk or a professional preservation box.

     

  3. Guidelines for the Safe Storage of Your Own Wedding Gown

    Following these instructions will set you up for success if you wish to preserve your wedding dress on your own.

  • When handling the bridal dress, only do so using white cotton gloves.
  • In order to make sure that the cleaning solution you plan on using will not cause any damage to the garment, you should first perform a little test on a hidden section of the fabric.
  • You can get the task done more easily with soft-bristled brushes. Get yourself some soft toothbrushes and start cleaning.
  • The gown should never be bleached. If you use this extremely harsh chemical on the fragile cloth, you may ruin it forever.
  • After the wedding dress has been cleaned and dried, it should be stored in acid-free tissue paper or pre-washed unbleached muslin. Do not use colourful tissue paper in case it bleeds or stains the dress. Use muslin or tissue paper to prevent the dress from creasing. To keep the dress's full shape, pack the bust (and the sleeves, if necessary) with tissue paper.
  • Dress in an acid-free container and put it away somewhere that won't become too hot or cold

        9. Bring Your Shoes and a Flower Arrangement

If you take the right precautions, you can keep your shoes and bouquet safe alongside your dress. Use a soft cloth or sponge and some mild detergent to lightly scrub your shoes clean if they're made of fabric. Polish your leather footwear to keep it looking like new. Take them to a dry cleaner if you've severely messed up your shoes.

        10. Don't Risk Ruining Your Wedding Dress by Not Preserving it!

If you don't take care to store your wedding gown, you run the danger of:

  • degradation of fabric coloration
  • areas of dark oxidation
  • growth of mould
  • mildew permanent creasing of the cloth

 

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Steam Cleaning Your Wedding Gown Online

In the last decade, a growing number of brides have chosen to keep their wedding dresses in pristine condition by having them preserved online. The advantage of using a company that specialises in cleaning and preserving wedding dresses is that they will have the expertise and resources necessary to clean and preserve your garment to its original condition.

When you have your wedding dress cleaned online, you won't even have to leave the house! A preservation kit can be ordered online and sent in less than a week in a secure, insured shipping box. Once your dress has been cleaned and preserved to museum standards, it will be returned to you in its own exquisite bridal gown preservation box.

Where to go for online preservation tips:

  • Make sure the company has been around for a while and that you will not be charged for shipping both ways.
  • Verify that your chosen method of preservation is flexible enough to include additional items, like as a veil, pocketbook, shoes, or other mementoes from your big day.
  • For cleaning and preservation, avoid spending more than $400. Under $400 can be spent on cleaning and preservation of even the most expensive couture garments.

The day following the wedding is the perfect time to get your dress cleaned. You can reduce the severity of any stains on your garment by having it cleaned and preserved as soon as possible. Most brides who shop from us opt to do so in advance, so that they can simply purchase their package, store it, and ship it back to us the day following their wedding, before jetting off on their honeymoon.

There are over 3,000,000 brides in the United States who have put their faith in our preservation technique and cutting-edge technology, and we have successfully conserved dresses that are up to and even more than 100 years old. It's never too late to get that dress cleaned and preserved so that it can be passed down through the generations.

Conclusion

It's a tradition for many brides to hang on to their wedding gown. As long as you take good care of the garment and its accessories, they should last for centuries. Your wedding dress will last much longer if you take good care of it by cleaning and storing it. In order to ensure that your wedding dress remains in pristine condition long after the big day, consider the following ten suggestions. The first step in wedding dress preservation is getting an expert's opinion.

The staining along the hem and throughout the garment are inspected by an expert, who then creates an individualised treatment plan. Some brides wait up to six weeks after the wedding before having their dresses cleaned. If the seal on the wedding dress is ever broken, the experts say it should be repaired and resealed as soon as possible. Your garment should not be kept in a regular plastic bag with a zipper. Invest in a professional preservation box or a wedding trunk.

Keep reading to learn the best methods for steam cleaning and storing your dress. Your wedding gown should be professionally cleaned the day after the big day. If you get a stain on your clothing and get it cleaned and preserved quickly, the stain will not be as noticeable. The number of brides who have put their faith in our preservation method is well over 3 million.

Content Summary

  • If you want to keep your wedding dress (or any other fabric, like baby clothes) in pristine condition, you need to keep it away from light and moisture.
  • Options for what to do with the wedding dress after the ceremony are several for modern brides.
  • Try out any potential cleaning products well in advance of the big day.
  • Cleaning and preserving your wedding dress properly is essential to extending its lifespan.
  • A professional assessment is the first step in wedding dress preservation, as opposed to the "one size fits all" approach of dry cleaning.
  • Pay attention to what it has to say, and check with the preservationist or dry cleaner you choose to be sure they have the right cleaning methods for your wedding dress.
  • The first step in wedding dress preservation is to have it professionally cleaned, therefore the sooner you can take it to the preservationist or the dry cleaners, the better.
  • When preserving a dress, it is common practise to replace the oxygen in the storage container with nitrogen.
  • Include the cost of preserving the wedding dress in your overall wedding expenses.
  • Opt for a wedding trunk or a professional preservation box.
  • In order to make sure that the cleaning solution you plan on using will not cause any damage to the garment, you should first perform a little test on a hidden section of the fabric.
  • Use muslin or tissue paper to prevent the dress from creasing.
  • If you take the right precautions, you can keep your shoes and bouquet safe alongside your dress.
  • The advantage of using a company that specialises in cleaning and preserving wedding dresses is that they will have the expertise and resources necessary to clean and preserve your garment to its original condition.
  • When you have your wedding dress cleaned online, you won't even have to leave the house!
  • For cleaning and preservation, avoid spending more than $400.
  • Under $400 can be spent on cleaning and preservation of even the most expensive couture garments.
  • The day following the wedding is the perfect time to get your dress cleaned.

FAQ's About Cleaning a Wedding Dress

The best solution is to try to cover the stain with baking soda or talcum powder. You can also try using a solvent such as dry cleaning fluid or cigarette lighter fluid, but be aware that such solvents frequently discolour fabric. Be sure to test it on an unseen portion of the wedding dress first.
Washing wedding dresses at home requires attention to detail (and, ideally, a large wash bag), but it can be done if the fabric and any embellishments are safe to machine-wash or wash by hand.
So, do dry cleaners steam wedding dresses? The answer is a resounding YES! If you're looking for a quick and easy way to get your dress steamed before the big day, just take it to your local dry cleaner. They will be more than happy to help make sure your dress looks its best.
Dry cleaning a wedding gown should take somewhere from a few days to a month depending on how many layers are on your gown and how busy the dry cleaning shop is. If you're fortunate enough and the shop isn't busy, a fantastic dry cleaning for a wedding gown must take two to three days.
White clothes turn yellow due to sweat mixing with deodorants, too much bleach, improper washing and rinsing, and poor storage. Easy fixes for yellowing include oxygen bleach, white vinegar and salt solution, a baking soda-peroxide-water mixture, toothpaste, lemon juice, and aspirin.

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