A Cleaner World Blog
Cleaning, Preserving, and Caring for Your Wedding Gown
Believe it or not, caring for your wedding gown actually begins before you even purchase it. Today’s gowns can be made from a variety of fabrics including satin, taffeta, chiffon, organza, brocade, and lace. Plus, many gowns are accented with delicate trims of beads, seed pearls, sequins, embroidery, lace, and applique. As you begin searching, you’ll need to consider practical issues before making your purchase; be sure to ask the salesperson about cleaning methods for both the dress and the trim.
Wedding gowns are included in the FTC’s Care Label Ruling, which requires manufacturers to label their clothing with instructions for at least one safe cleaning method. All garments sold in the United States must have a care label, or it is considered unfair and deceptive on the part of the manufacturers. Even if there is a care label, you should ask the salesperson if there are additional printed care instructions issued by the manufacturer. This is very important because while the dress itself may hold up under dry cleaning, the trim may not. For example, some beads dissolve in dry cleaning solvent, which would effectively ruin the gown.
When you wear your gown, take steps to minimize damage from perspiration by using perspiration shields to protect the gown, particularly if it is made of silk. Additionally, take note of any spills or stains that occur while you are wearing the gown so that you can point them out to your dry cleaner.
After your big day, you should have your gown cleaned and preserved as soon as possible. Just as with any garment, stains and soiling on wedding gowns stand the best chance of complete removal when they are fresh. If stains are not pretreated, they may very well become permanent. And, in the event you attempted a home remedy, let the cleaner know exactly how you tried to remove the stain.
Like many other cleaners, A Cleaner World offers wedding gown packaging and storage, but unlike other cleaners, A Cleaner World uses the safest, most effective cleaning and preservation process. Your gown will be nicely packaged in a museum quality box, ready for you to take home and store in cool, dry place.
Tips on Storing Your Wedding Gown after Cleaning and Preservation
- Store your gown in a cool, dry place in your home's interior. Avoid storage in the basement or attic.
- If storing on a hanger, sew straps to the waistline of the dress to relieve pressure on the shoulders from the weight of the skirt. Wrap the dress in a protective white sheet or muslin covering.
- Stuff the bodice with white acid-free tissue paper to prevent wrinkles. Fabric-covered buttons, pins, metal fasteners, sponge/foam padding, and perspiration shields should be removed and stored separately.
- Never store headpieces, veils, shoes or other accessories with the gown.
- Inspect the gown occasionally during storage. Stains not initially apparent could appear later and should be tended to immediately.
Thank you for trusting A Cleaner World to care for both your wedding gown and your everyday clothes. We look forward to working with you to keep your wardrobe at its finest.
To learn more about our wedding gown cleaning process, check out the question at the bottom of our FAQ page.
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