Acid-Free Wedding Dress Box: Everything You Need To Know

Wedding dresses are much more than clothing for brides. They are symbols of love, commitment, and the beginning of a new phase of life. However, many brides wonder what to do with their wedding gowns after their wedding.

While some choose to sell or donate their wedding gowns, others choose to repurpose them or preserve them as a keepsake. Those who choose to preserve their wedding dresses should store them in an acid-free storage box instead of a plastic wedding dress storage bag or wooden box.

What is an acid-free wedding dress box?

An acid-free wedding dress box, also known as an acid-neutral box, is a cardboard storage box in which wedding gowns are placed after they have been cleaned and preserved. These bridal dress storage boxes include:

• Acid-free tissue paper to wrap your dress
• A bust made of acid-free material is placed on the bust of the wedding dress to maintain its shape.
• A viewing window made up of polyester UV-coated material.

While the standard size of a wedding dress box is 32.5 x 19.5 x 7.25 inches, you can customize the size of the box according to the size of your wedding dress. Trusted wedding gown cleaning and preservation companies also provide a 100-year anti-yellowing guarantee with their boxes.

Why is acid-free storage essential?

Wedding dresses are made from delicate fabrics such as silk, satin, and lace that deteriorate over time. Since cardboard boxes or plastic containers release acids and toxic fumes, which further interact with the fabric and lead to:

• Odor: Wooden or cardboard boxes break down and emit an unpleasant smell over time due to their acidic nature. The smell can permanently set into the fabric, and you won’t be able to display or wear it again.
• Fabric Degradation: Acidic compounds can weaken the fibers of your wedding dress, especially if it is made of natural materials like silk or cotton. As a result, the dress becomes fragile and brittle, leading to tears and holes in the fabric that even professionals can’t repair.
• Discoloration: Acid exposure causes dark spots on the gown, especially in areas exposed to light or moisture. The spots can not only seen by naked eyes but are also difficult to fix.
• Yellowing: Dresses made up of delicate fabrics are prone to yellowing, especially when stored in an acidic environment. When the gown is exposed to an acidic compound, your pearl white gown will develop a dull yellow hue. 

How do acid-free boxes help protect your dress?

Acid-free boxes are perfect for delicate fabrics since they do not contain any acids that interact with the environmental conditions such as humidity, light, and temperature. Otherwise, these factors can cause the fabric to turn yellow, become discolored and deteriorate with time.

Wood pulp and lignin-based traditional boxes for storing wedding dresses have natural glue, which turns acidic over a period of time. On the other hand, acid-free storage boxes are made from material with a neutral pH level of seven. Therefore, they protect the fabric from getting in contact with acidic substances, which may cause damage.

These boxes also preserve your dress from dust, moisture, and light, so you can ensure your dress will remain as good as new for several years. Besides, these boxes maintain the form and texture of the dress and protect it from wrinkles and creases.

In other words, acid-free storage can help you maintain the beauty and sentimental value of the wedding dress for a lifetime.

Why is Cleaning Important Before Storing?

Even if your dress looks clean and ready for storage, there are chances that your wedding dress has invisible stains of white wine, cake frosting, perfume, etc. 

Storing your wedding gown in an acid-free box without removing its visible and invisible stains will lead to fabric degradation over time, which will cause more damage to your gown than good. So, before you preserve your wedding gown, make sure it undergoes professional cleaning.

Professional wedding dress cleaning and preservation companies examine your dress carefully for different types of stains and use a gentle cleaning technique to remove both visible and invisible stains from your gown. They have trained and experienced professionals who have a keen eye for spotting even the tiniest details, helping you ensure your gown stays in pristine condition for the long term.

Different types of acid-free wedding dress box

At Trusted Wedding Gown Preservation, we have different types of acid-free wedding dress kits to choose from, depending on your personal preference. Here are some of your options for wedding dress boxes. 

• Silver acid-free wedding gown box- This is one of the most expensive storage boxes available at our site. If you want a fancy box for your wedding gown, you can opt to buy this one. It has a complete set of other materials, such as the acid-free tissue and an acid-free bust. It also looks more elegant because of its silver color.

• Customized storage box from the preservation company- Aside from cleaning and preserving your gown, we also customize storage boxes depending on the size of your dress and other personal preferences. Tell us how you want your wedding gown preservation box to look so we can customize it. 

Whatever option you choose for your wedding gown storage box, the most important thing to remember is that your gown must be cleaned well before being stored in an acid-free box for a wedding dress. Only then can you be assured that your dress will last longer.

Also Read: 4 ESSENTIAL REASONS WHY BRIDES SHOULD RESTORE THEIR GOWNS

Benefits of an acid-free storage box

Aside from getting your wedding dress a longer life, here are other benefits that you’ll get if you store a wedding dress in an acid-free storage box.

• Prevents humidity from accumulating in your dress to avoid yellowing and other damage.
• Easy to store.
• Lets you see and check your dress from to time without damaging it.
• Protect your gown from stains, dirt, and dust.

Proper storage is crucial because it is where the life of your gown depends. If you wish to pass on your dress to your daughter or granddaughter, you should invest in an acid-free storage box.

In addition, you should consider having your wedding gown cleaned and preserved. At Trusted Wedding Gown Preservation, we have been providing professional wedding gown cleaning and preservation since 1913. We have preserved wedding gowns for over 3 million brides.  Using cutting-edge SYSTEMK4 fabric cleaning technology, we ensure your gown is free from all stains, giving it a fresh start for future memories.

Ready to Preserve Your Wedding Dress? Contact us today to get started on preserving your cherished memories!