Real Dangers of DIY Wedding Dress Cleaning

When wading through wedding dress cleaning advice online, you may think that all the warnings against DIY cleaning may just be a load of malarkey. However, there is some truth to the fact that DIY wedding dress cleaning may not be the best for your dress. Here, we will take a look at the real risks that DIY cleaning may pose to the longevity of your gorgeous wedding dress, and why all this talk may not just be rumor from the professional cleaning industry.

What’s All the Hubbub?

Your first thought may be that professionals simply post these warning online to deter people from cleaning their dress themselves in order to boost their businesses. While in some cases this may be true, in most they are just being frank about what damage you could possibly do to your dress should you decide to clean it yourself. Professionals have the right equipment to thoroughly clean, preserve, and store your dress, whereas you may not. This is especially true if your dress is vintage, extremely delicate, or if you do not have access to all the equipment needed for this task.

Not Getting Your Dress Clean Enough

One of the risks DIY cleaners may run into it not actually cleaning their dress thoroughly. Failure to do this may result in later staining, yellowing, or browning. This is particularly something that you want to avoid if you want to keep your dress pure white, or if you plan on introducing it into your family as an heirloom dress. The most embarrassing thing could be, years from now, to take out your dress to show it to your anxious daughter, only to find it is stained beyond repair. Even worse is not noticing it till the wedding day. This will not happen if you contact a professional.

Other Damage

Permanent distortion of the materials, shape, and size of the dress is another huge concern. You may find that a dress become misshapen, faded, stained, or worse after improper DIY cleaning. This type of damage, sadly, cannot be undone like staining can. Damage such as this may mean that a dress can never be worn again by anyone. Often, distortion happens because of the fact that people do not have the right equipment or materials needed to properly clean very delicate fabrics. Professionals, however, have these materials on hand. 

Examining Wedding Dress Preservation Kit Warranties

Looking for the best in wedding gown preservation? If so, you may be curious about things like cost difference in preservationist services, which container offers the best long-term protection for your investment, and possible warranties and guarantees that certain companies may or may not offer. Here, we will take a look at warranties that preservationist companies offer you, either as part of your package, or for an additional fee. We will also let you know what you want to look for in these types of promises.

The Process

The process for preserving your dress should be about the same, no matter what company you go with, or whether they offer any promises on their work or not. All good preservationists will inspect, thoroughly clean, and then put your wedding dress in a specialized box. The best companies will either pack your dress with tissue paper or place it on a bust while it is in the box to keep it from becoming misshapen. They may or may not seal the box. Most of them include shipping and handling costs, and will insure your dress while it is in their care.

What is Offered by Companies

In addition to the above process, most companies offer a warranty or guarantee on their work. If the person you are wanting to clean your dress does not back-up their work, you will probably want to consider another company to do the job for you. Ask to read the warranty before you purchase your package. Usually, these warranties will cover a dress for your entire life, or for up to a certain number of years, which varies among companies. You may be able to buy a longer warranty for a little extra money added to the cost of your overall package.

What You Want

What should you look for in these promises? Most should promise against staining, like yellowing, or the appearance of brown stains on your dress after they have done their work. Some companies may also offer a special guarantee against insect infection. Carefully read the entire warranty, including what might make the warranty become invalidated. Sometimes, the rules that you need to follow in order to keep your dress under warranty can seem very extreme and strange. If this is the case for the warranty you are reading, you may want to consider trying another company who offers better terms of warranty. 

Believe it or not, the cost of a gown preservation should not be the first thing you consider when choosing who to send your wedding gown to for preservation. The most important thing to look for is experience, not price. Here is why.

The Right Equipment Matters
Sometimes, dry cleaners have little to no idea about the proper process for preserving a wedding dress. They likely don't have the right equipment. Dealing directly with a preservation company that has the right equipment and years of experience means you can sleep a little easier. 

They're Called Specialists For a Reason
Focus on finding a company that only preserves wedding dresses. They have the experience, skills, equipment, and knowledge that you need to keep your dress looking great for years. Many of these companies have a large staff that painstakingly inspects, cleans, and preserves your gown to the best of their ability.