Wedding Dress Cleaning And Preservation Tips

Wedding dresses and veils are an asset that every bride needs to treasure. You want to ensure that the dress remains perfect even in years to come. Wedding gowns are important because they form a huge part of your memory. Memories of one of the most important days in your life. It is during this day that you walked down the aisle and agreed to a lifetime commitment to your spouse. You, therefore, need to clean and preserve the dress. Besides, since you spent a lot of money on the wedding dresses, it is only fair if you protect your investment. Wedding dresses tend to change colour with time due to invisible stains such as oil from your skin, sweat, among other things. Exposing the dress to unnecessary moisture and light might also cause it to age very fast. These dresses are very delicate and hence, you cannot afford to clean the dress randomly otherwise, you risk ruining the gown within a few days. It is for these reasons that brides are advised to know wedding dress cleaning and preservation tips. As much as seeking professional cleaning services for your wedding gown is a great idea, not all brides can afford to pay for these services. Below are some tips to help you in your wedding dress cleaning and preservation journey.

Clean The Dress

The first thing you need to do in wedding dress cleaning and preservation is to wash the dress. A lot of activities take place during the wedding. You get involved in dancing, a lot of eating, drinking, which may cause the dress to have stains. Storing the clothing for a long time without cleaning may make it harder for the stains to get off the dress. The good news is that you could wash the dress at home. The only thing you need to do is to understand which material has been used to make the dress. This will help you know the best way to clean the dress without ruining it. If your dress is of delicate material, avoid using harsh washing equipment and detergents. Be careful when using bleach on the dress as this may cause some non-cotton fabric to turn yellow. If you don’t want to go through the hustle of cleaning the gown yourself, you could seek the services of wedding dress cleaners. However, before entrusting your dress to a professional cleaner, ask them not to use a recycled solvent to clean the dress as this usually contains some impurities which might cause more stains on the dress. They also tend to leave your wedding dress with an unpleasant smell.

Storage Of The Wedding Dress

After cleaning the dress, you need to be keen on how you store it. If you don’t store your gown well, it might not last for a long time. Before storing, the first thing you need to ensure is that every accessory in the dress is clean and dry. If you have accessories such as belts or jewelry, you should store them in a separate box to reduce the possibility of tarnish on the wedding dress. For storage, one is advised to have a container in which they will store the dress. Avoid leaving the dress in the open after cleaning, as this may cause accidents such as tears and rips. Do not use a random box for storage, unless the box is meant for archival storage. The reason you are advised to use archival boxes is that they consist of acid-free paper which helps to preserve the fabric of the dress. If for some reason you don’t get the archival boxes, buy plastic storage boxes made of cast polypropylene. If you purchase other plastic boxes, they could cause your dress to turn yellow with time. Note that if you have to leave your dress hanging, you need to cover the dress with a cotton garment bag or sheet.

Preserve The Dress In An Airtight Box

If you want to preserve the wedding dress, you could store the clothing in an airtight box. This sealed box tends to lack oxygen, and in its place, contain nitrogen. If the preservation box is not airtight, there would be the presence of oxygen, which triggers discoloration and oxidation. To avoid discoloration of your gown, ensure that you don’t break the seal of the preservation box. If you have to remove the dress, see to it that the box is sealed back when you return the dress into the preservation box. Avoid storing the gown in extreme temperatures such as in basements.

Handling The Gown

Another essential aspect that you need to understand is how to handle the dress. Do not at any one point handle the dress with bare hands. Bare hands tend to have a lot of dirt, including oil and grease. If you have to use your hands, ensure you wash them thoroughly and dry them. Do not use any creams on your hands because even this could lead to you staining the dress. The other option would be the use of gloves. If you have to handle the gown, for whatever purpose, it is advisable to wear clean cotton gloves. Also, when cleaning the dress, you could make use of brushes with soft bristles as this will ease the stain removal process.

Creasing

Since most wedding dresses are prone to creases, you are advised to make use of acid-free tissue papers. Once you have put on the gloves, stuff some acid-free tissue papers in between the folds of your wedding dress. You could also place a layer of tissue in the preservation box before placing the gown. Do the same process for the other accessories, including the veil. Stuffing with acid-free tissue helps to maintain the wedding gown in the same status without having to deal with heavy creases after some years of storage.

Wedding dress cleaning and preservation is essential as it helps you to protect your investment. You might need to use the same dress for your wedding anniversaries. You don’t want to waste money on a new dress. Use the above tips to guide you on how to preserve your wedding gown.