PROPER WEDDING DRESS CLEANING IS IMPERATIVE TO THE LIFE OF YOUR GARMENT
The wedding is over and the most important (and likely most expensive) dress you will ever own is one of your only keepsakes aside from your wedding pictures. The sentimental value that it carries often motivates many brides to keep it for use in the future whether it be worn by a friend or even by their own daughter. In order to be sure it will stay such a valuable piece, you need to find a reliable professional to clean, process and package your gown. As much as I love do it yourself tasks, one place I do not recommend you take financial shortcuts is with your wedding dress cleaning. That out of the way, there are a few key rules to follow in terms of wedding dress preservation.
THE BASICS
As soon as your wedding is over, place the dress in a pre-washed clean white sheet instead of back into the plastic bag. Plastic attracts mold and mildew and traps moisture - all elements that will deteriorate your dress. Be sure to think about this service as quickly as possible as you don’t want to wait to have your gown and any relevant accessories professionally cleaned. If you are out of town for a few weeks after your wedding for your honeymoon, make arrangements before you leave to have a family member take your dress in. With all of this said, if you do happen to forget, it is never too late to see what a professional can do for you. When selecting someone to do your wedding dress cleaning, be as diligent about hiring someone who has as good a reputation as the other vendors who assisted with your wedding. Often your bridal shop will have a preferred rate at a recommended vendor and the bonus is that they will be familiar with the fabrics and details used on your dress. Also, consider how long the shop has been in business since you’ll want someone with a proven track record.
WARRANTIES AND GUARANTEES
Warranties and guarantees vary from shop to shop so it’s best to consider what they offer before proceeding. It’s also a good idea to ask the cleaner how they intend to handle delicate trims and decorations on your dress if your dress has a lot of detail. The dress’ material and detailing will ultimately affect what type of specialized process will be used to clean it. At the very least, the vendor should guarantee that the dress won’t yellow or change colour if you follow their storage and preservation instructions. Most importantly, make sure they stand by their work and be sure to have in writing that they will compensate you for the dress’ full value if any damage occurs while it is in their hands.
THE TREATMENT PROCESS
Just as with any cleaning process, they will begin with pretreating the stains. This is often done by hand. While it is recommended that you look over your dress and accessories before bringing it in so that you can find anything with your own eye, a professional cleaner will now to look for stains that are not visible to the untrained eye, like stains from alcohol or sugar, which can significantly brown over time if not treated. Inquire about whether your cleaner uses Perchloroethylene (Perc). While this chemical is sometimes used by dry cleaners, it is not suitable for wedding dresses. but it’s too abrasive for wedding gowns and has been known to melt beading or damage delicate fabrics. After the full cleaning process, the dress and accessories will be placed into special packaging: a lined, specifically treated, acid-free box, which is resistant to water and other potential threats. If your cleaner uses plastic packaging, be sure to ask why since it is generally a bad choice as it traps moisture and emits fumes, both of which can make the dress yellow. Note though, that your cleaner should be providing you with the opportunity to inspect the dress and accessories before they are sealed in the box.
STORAGE
Once you've completed your wedding dress cleaning, you'll want to safely store that baby! The ideal location for your safely packaged wedding dress is someplace flat, cool, dry and out of sunlight. Preferably under the bed or in the corner of a closet. Never store it in the attic or basement. With clean, dry hands check the gown once or twice a year, each time refolding along new lines to protect the fabric from breaking. By inspecting it, you now have the opportunity to have any issues addressed right away.
INVESTMENT
Finer fabrics, size and detailing can change the efforts required in the cleaning and preservation of the wedding dress. For example, a long train with lots of hand detailing will require more work than something simple. Average pricing for wedding gown preservation is somewhere between $200 and $500 but will vary based on location. You'll likely have better results from a shop that deals with more dresses.