Are you looking for a safe way to preserve your wedding gown? For many people, a wedding gown is the most expensive article of clothing they have ever bought. Plus, it holds important sentimental value as the dress you wore when you began your married life. No doubt you want to find a way to keep it looking beautiful as long as possible.

If you are considering wedding dress preservation, you have several options to choose from. Some people choose to clean their gowns at home and then put them away, while others opt for a professional preservation service that will help keep your dress looking fresh and beautiful. Read on to learn more about your choices for caring for your wedding dress after the big event.

Commit to Doing Something

Whether you’re more of a DIY girl or interested in getting help from a professional, make sure that you do something with your dress. Those wine and frosting stains are only going to get darker and more difficult to get out. And if you just leave it hanging on a hanger in your closet, you can end up stretching the bodice out so that it looks misshapen. Whether you want to clean your dress at home, get it dry cleaned or preserved, what’s important is that you take proper care of your beautiful dress.

Wash Minor Stains at Home

If you only have a few spots you would like to get out, you can wash your dress at home in a clean tub with lukewarm water and some detergent. Make sure the tub is clean first and then dissolve the correct amount of detergent for a small load of laundry. Then submerge your dress and leave it to soak. Afterward, rinse in more lukewarm water and dry flat over a rack. Don’t hang it up to dry, as this will only stretch the fabric. Also, only attempt this method if the dress does not say “dry clean only” on the label.

Consider a Professional

On the other hand, you can consider using a professional cleaning and preservation service. You can get your dress dry-cleaned and sealed in a professional-grade box that will protect it from the effects of age. However, not all companies are created equally and you should shop around to find one that suits your budget and requirements.   

Want To Preserve Your Beautiful Wedding Dress? Dry Cleaning Method

Now that your wedding day has come and gone, you’re probably wondering what to do with your wedding dress. No doubt you want to keep it as fresh and beautiful as the day you put it on and went to the church to say your vows!

However, we are all human, and sometimes no matter how careful we are, our wedding dresses get stained and dirty anyway. While you may be heartbroken looking at your beautiful dress with stains and blemishes on it, know that help is available. You can have your dress professionally dry cleaned so that it looks like new again. Read on to learn about how you can preserve your beautiful wedding dress through dry cleaning.

What is dry cleaning?

Dry cleaning is a chemical process that does not involve water. For this reason, it’s a great choice for the delicate fabrics used in your wedding dress. For example, silk cannot be washed in water without being ruined.

There are two different types of dry cleaning, depending on different chemical processes. The first involves a chemical called perchloroethylene, or perc. It’s a harsh chemical that can ruin certain materials, so if your dress has any glue, beads or sequins, you may need to investigate  the other form of dry cleaning.

The other type is more gentle. It involves a petroleum-based chemical that is less harsh but might not get the worst stains out. Because it contains oil, this method will make your dress look lovely and shiny.

What are the advantages of dry cleaning?

Dry cleaning lets you remove stains that would otherwise be impossible to remove. You’ll be able to get all of those unsightly spots out, like wine, dirt, baby spit and cake frosting. While dry cleaning is strong enough to remove spots, it won’t destroy your gown, so you can preserve it for years to come.

Finally, who wants to do all that washing alone? You can hand your dress off to a professional and have him or her do all of the dirty work. No doubt you’re exhausted after planning a wedding and being the star of your own show during the ceremony and reception. Instead of cleaning your dress, you most likely want to enjoy your honeymoon and savor the first moments of married life. Instead, hand your dress off to a professional and get it dry cleaned. 

How to do Wedding Gown Cleaning at Home

Are you considering getting your wedding dress cleaned at home? While some people opt to have their dresses professionally cleaned after the big day, this can be costly in terms of both time and money. If there aren’t any egregious stains or marks, then it’s definitely possible to clean your dress by yourself. Not only will you save money, but you will also be able to have the satisfaction of doing the job yourself, in true DIY spirit! Read on to learn how to do a wedding gown cleaning at home.

Start with the Label

In the United States, all garments are required by law to put a label inside all articles of clothing that detail exactly how to clean the garment without causing damage. If you look on the inside of your wedding dress, you will find the label in question. Take a good look and read the directions carefully. Then, follow them to the letter.

Additionally, be aware that different types of fabrics require different types of cleaning processes. For example, polyester can be cleaned at home just by washing by hand, while silk requires a dry cleaning because water will ruin the fabric. Make sure you know what kind of material you’re working with before you proceed.

Cleaning Polyester

If your gown is polyester, you can wash it right in the bathtub. First, make sure your tub is completely clean and free of hairs, soap scum and dead skin cells, since these will definitely make your gown look unsightly.

Once the tub is clean, fill it about half-way to the top with lukewarm water and dissolve the amount of detergent needed for a small load of laundry. Then submerge the gown until it is completely underwater. Leave to soak for about 10-15 minutes, then drain the tub and fill again with lukewarm water to rinse, swirling the gown to get the soap out.

Finally, do not hang the gown to dry. All of those folds of fabric will be heavy when wet and will cause the bodice and shoulders to stretch. Instead, place it on a drying rack where you can spread it out to dry completely.

Once it’s dry, you can wear it again for a second reception or for a second photo shoot. Provided there are no major stains, it should look and feel like new. 

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. 

Before you delve into the various DIY dress preservation methods, you have to decipher if DIY wedding dress cleaning is a viable idea. Wedding dress dry cleaning is different from washing or dry cleaning ordinary clothes. It requires a great deal of patience, expertise and deft hands as well as the right tools to go about DIY wedding dress cleaning. Unless you are up for the challenge, you should entrust the task of wedding dress dry cleaning onto a professional.

If you wish to go ahead with DIY wedding dress cleaning then you must accustom yourself with the requisites. First, you must read the instructions on the label. What type of cleaning agents can you use, what temperature must be maintained and whether you can use a washing machine or have to hand clean the dress. These are some quintessential elements of DIY wedding dress cleaning.

Second, you must understand the quality and type of fabric that has been used. Gowns may be made of silk or blended silk, a combination of different types of silk or some other fabrics like polyester. There may be some beads or sequins. You may have some additional designer elements. Accessories or accentuates might be sewed in or glued onto the gown. All such factors would have to be taken into consideration before you can embark on your DIY wedding dress cleaning adventure.

Third, you must be able to mix the detergent or the cleaning agents properly and apply them to the gown with deft and sensitive hands. Delicate handling is demanded in DIY wedding dress cleaning because the gowns are susceptible to damage even at the slightest errors or mistakes.

Fourth, you should decide whether you are going to steam press or iron the gown before DIY dress preservation. If you are hiring professional wedding dress dry cleaning services then they would use steam cleaning and prepare your gown for DIY dress preservation. If not, then you are on your own.

DIY dress preservation is not a daunting challenge once your dress is cleaned properly. You simply need a preservation box which will come with the seals and every packaging material which will ensure the safekeeping of the gown forever.

Unless you have sufficient experience in handling gowns or in washing, you should not try out DIY wedding dress cleaning. It is always best to hire a professional, even though you may want to save some money.