1-800-DryClean Special Services: Wedding Gown Preservation
You took great care in choosing your wedding gown, and you should utilize the same thoughtful attention in preserving your dress after the big day. Stains from body oil, food, and/or beverages may become permanent if they are not properly cleaned before storage.
Wedding Dress Cleaning and Preservation
Wedding gowns are often embellished with lace, beading, rhinestones, sequins, and other trims. Many of these adornments are not made to withstand normal cleaning processes.
Plastics covered with surface coatings are not solvent-resistant, which can result in the trim separating from the dress itself.
Lace is delicate, and often susceptible to yellowing from oxidization during aging process. In addition, non-white trim (ivory, ecru, off-white, etc.) that does not have excellent colorfastness or dye quality may lose color and no longer match the gown.
1-800-DryClean is highly knowledgeable about the special needs required to carefully clean a wedding gown. You can be assured our experts are well-equipped to handle the exceptional fabric and decorations.
Storing your Wedding Gown
Time is not kind to fabric. While our wedding gown preservation process is first-rate, we also recommend you take several steps to further protect your dress from the adverse effects of aging.
- Prevent contamination by requesting your 1-800-DryClean driver pick up your gown in a special wedding dress preservation box.
- Always store your gown in a cool, dry area in your home. Basements tend to be damp and cause mildew, while heat from an attic can promote fabric yellowing.
- Storing a gown on a hanger can cause the fabric to stretch greatly. Sew straps to the waistline of a dress to relieve the weight of the skirt.
- Cover your dress in a white, fabric sheet or muslin—never in plastic!
- Stuff the bodice of your dress with white, acid-free tissue paper to prevent wrinkling. This should be done whether you are hanging or boxing your dress in storage.
- Store separately fabric-covered buttons, pins, foam padding, headpieces, veils, shoes, and other accessories to avoid damaging the fabric of your gown.
- Inspect your gown regularly during storage. Have a professional tend to any new stains or damage immediately.
No storage or preservation process is perfect, but by following these steps you can expect the best results possible for your treasured garment.
Much of this information is provided to us courtesy of the Dry Cleaning & Laundry Institute (formerly known as the International Fabricare Institute), the premier trade association for garment care professionals. Please visit http://www.ifi.org for further details.