Tips to Cleaning and Preserving Wedding Dress

"My wedding anniversary and the anniversary of XIXI are both on 11/11 and in celebration of this huge milestone for my brand, I knew I wanted to do something special. My wedding and my marriage signify a new chapter in my story, so there was a natural progression in deciding to recreate my wedding band and engagement ring...I had [my dress] professionally preserved right after the wedding, and it was stored in a box in my glam room. It was the exact same as it was on my wedding day." - Adrienne Bailon Houghton

Your wedding dress isn’t just a piece of fabric. It’s a cherished memory that was the highlight of the biggest day of your life. 

Of course, you’d want to preserve this embodiment of your wedding to pass it on to the next generation, or maybe you just want to sell it. Now, you’d be happy to know that you can clean and preserve your gown easily with proper technique and equipment, of course.

So, we’ll share crucial tips that’ll help you clean and preserve your beautiful dress for years to come. 

Why Wedding Gown Cleaning and Preservation Matter

Before we discuss the best tips for cleaning and preserving your wedding gown, let’s first discuss why this process is so important. 

Preservation of Memories

Your wedding gown is a symbol of one of the most important days of your life. Proper cleaning and preservation ensure that the memories associated with your dress are protected for years to come.

Prevention of Accumulated Stains 

Despite your best efforts to avoid damage at your ceremony, it's common for dresses to accumulate dirt, sweat, and other stains during the ceremony and reception, making the cleaning process even more crucial. 

Invisible Stains

Some stains may not be immediately visible, but they can show up over time if not properly addressed. Therefore, it is best to clean your dress as soon as you can to avoid the development of stains. 

Prevention of Fabric Degradation

In addition to stains, fabric fibers can break down and degrade if not stored properly. This can lead to yellowing and deterioration of the dress over time, diminishing its beauty and value. With proper cleaning and preserving, you can protect your wedding dress from fabric degradation and ensure it remains in pristine condition for years to come. 

Tips for Cleaning Your Wedding Dress

Before cleaning, examine the dress to determine if there’s damage. Also note that while you can save some money by doing wedding gown cleaning DIY at home, in the long run, it’s best to opt for professional dress cleaning and preservation services as they are more valuable. Moreover, if you opt for our service, prices are not high either. 

Professional Dry Cleaning

Since wedding dresses and gowns are such a cherished item, professional dry cleaning is your best option. Look for a reputable dry cleaning company. Our experts clean your wedding gown with love and care. We offer a range of wedding dress cleaning and preservation kits. Just pick what works for you. 

Remove Stains

Let’s say you’ve decided to clean the dress yourself. There are certain things to look out for, like stains. For this process, you can use gentle stain remover, white vinegar, water, or baking soda paste. Here’s a step-by-step process for cleaning the dress yourself. 

• Place the stained part over a clean cloth or paper towel. This will prevent the stain from moving deeper into the dress. 
• Apply an adequate amount of your desired stain remover. 
• Lightly and gently blot the stain. 
• Take a clean towel and dampen it. 
• Dab the mark using a damp towel. 

Hemline Cleaning 

This part of your dress is likely to be the dirtiest, as it constantly gets brushed against the floor. Although we say you should avoid water when cleaning the dress; however, for this part, you’d have to soak the hemline in warm water with a mild detergent for some hours. After that, simply rinse it and air dry it. 

Tips for Preserving Your Wedding Dress

After the cleaning process, don’t wait too long to preserve the dress because it can attract dirt and stains quickly. Time is of the essence here. 

Preservation Box 

These are not typical cardboard boxes. Preservation boxes are designed to prevent yellowing and deterioration over time. Therefore, we recommend you invest in one. A good one will cost you anywhere from $60 to $80. However, with our service, you’ll receive your cleaned dress in a preservation box designed specifically for wedding gowns. 

Storage Instructions

It is highly recommended that you store your preserved dress in a cool, dark place away from direct sunlight, moisture, and pests. Mold growth because of moisture is the reason why we recommend avoiding plastic bags. 

Handle with Care

You already know wedding dresses and gowns are very delicate; however, you should also know that the cleaning and preservation process (if you are doing it at home) can lead to excess wear and tear. Handling it with care becomes even more vital if you are planning to pass your gown down as an heirloom. 

Determining the Cost of Wedding Gown Dry Cleaning

As mentioned previously, cleaning wedding gowns at home is possible with some caveats. The cost of this process will depend on the materials you use and the type of dress you’re working with. Also, don’t forget the embellishments. 

Ultimately, you have to be very careful and gentle during this process if you want to achieve decent results. With that said, the quality of results and the peace of mind you’ll get with professional cleaning are simply unmatched. 

Now, if you are ready to get your dress professionally cleaned, then you may have questions like “How much does it cost to dry clean a wedding dress?” or “What is the wedding gown dry cleaning price?”

The price of cleaning and preservation will depend on many factors like fabric of the dress, embellishments, and your location. 

This is where Trusted Wedding Gown Preservation comes in. We offer different options for wedding dress preservation and cleaning packages. 

If you are looking to get your gowns cleaned that you’d want to wear again, offer a basic clean-only kit. It will cost you $225. 

Following that, we have traditional, celebrity, and Christian dress preservation kits, as well as a restoration preservation kit. Their prices range from $325 to $400. 

All our wedding dress cleaning and preservation kits include the following features:

• Gown Tracking Included
• Museum Quality Cleaning
• 100-Year Anti-Yellowing Guarantee
• Preserve 5 Additional Items
• Shipping Insurance of different amount, depending on the package

Our services are not just limited to the dresses. We also clean and preserve your veil, shoes, and slip to cherish every bit of memory. 

The bottom line is that your wedding dress is a beautiful symbol of one of the most important days of your life. Therefore, it is crucial that you treat it with care and respect. Our team of experts understands this well. 

Also, by following the mentioned tips, you can ensure that your wedding dress remains in pristine condition for years to come, allowing you to cherish the memories and pass them along to the next generation.