How to Protect your dress from yellowing

Did you choose a beautiful wedding dress that makes you look and feel gorgeous? Most likely, you would like to keep it looking just as pristine as the day you brought it home.

Many brides choose to purchase their gowns months before the actual date of the wedding so that they can focus on other things leading up to the big day. Since planning a wedding can take so much time, it helps to have the dress all picked out and checked off the list before proceeding. It may also be easier to enlist the help of friends and family in assisting with choosing the dress if you all meet sooner rather than later.

However, now that you have your dress, you’ll need to find a way to store it safely without it turning yellow. Since wedding dresses are made of delicate fabrics, it is very easy for them to disintegrate. Plus, the dress is white, so every little imperfection will show.

But never fear, there are plenty of ways you can keep your dress from showing wear and tear from storage. Here are our top tips to help keep your dress from turning yellow before the big day.

Be Careful of Plastic Bags

Many boutiques will let you take your dress home in a plastic garment bag that will protect it from any damage or dirt on the drive home. However, this is not a long term storage solution. Plastic will trap moisture in with the dress, causing mold, mildew and discoloration. Instead, remove your dress from the plastic bag and put it in a box with tissue paper.

An Acid-Free Environment

You should also store your dress in acid-free materials. If you choose to store it in a box, make sure all of the box materials do not contain any acid, and use acid-free tissue paper to wrap the dress and prevent discoloration at the seams and folds. You should also keep your dress out of direct sunlight at all times. Instead, keep it in a cool, dry place with even temperatures.

Consider Preservation Services

After the wedding, you may want to look into wedding gown preservation services. These services will not only get your gown cleaned professionally, but will also provide a special box for you to store your dress so that it can be preserved as a family heirloom.

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.   

1.  Never wash your dress at home.

Washing your dress at home by yourself is a terrible idea. The washing machine will be too harsh and will most likely cause damage to the delicate fabrics. Furthermore, the detergent we use at home probably won’t get out the worst spots, or may even cause them to spread and look worse! Instead, get your dress cleaned by a professional who specializes in wedding dress preservation.

2.  Never wrap your dress in plastic

Plastic will trap moisture in with the dress and cause unsightly discoloration, mold and mildew. Instead, speak with a dress preservationist about acquiring a special box and tissue paper to store your dress properly.

3.  Don’t use a hanger

Hangers will cause a heavy dress to stretch in the shoulders and bodice. Instead, store your dress in a cool, dry place in a specialty preservation box made of acid-free materials.

4.  Keep your dress out of the sun

Never store your dress in direct sunlight. Why? Because the intense light will cause discoloration and make the dress look yellow instead of white. You should also store your dress in a cool, dry location such as under your bed. Don’t store it in the basement or the attic, where moisture and uneven temperatures can threaten its condition.

Additionally, you can consider meeting with a professional wedding gown preservationist to have the process done professionally. Then, you’ll be able to keep your dress looking just as perfectly white and gorgeous as the day you brought it home from the boutique.