Wedding dresses and other formal dresses need special care and handling. Because I have just returned from a wedding where the bride was wearing a stunning dress with miles of flowing silky material. I thought it would be an idea to look into the right methods for preserving the dress.
Chances are that when you buy a wedding dress you would have chosen it at least six months before the wedding. This is usually the best thing to do, as it will probably need a few alterations. When you have chosen the dress get information on the cleaning requirements for the different materials that the dress is made from. Some of the trim and embellishments might not stand up to the dry cleaning after the wedding and might need to be removed. After the big day the dress really needs to be cleaned as soon as possible. This will remove any stains before they set. We looked for natural cleaning techniques that didn’t include chemicals but unfortunately drew a blank. For the sake of the dress we will have to rely on the dry cleaning companies. Ask friends and family for a referral to find the best company.
STORING THE WEDDING DRESS
Yellowing of material is very common with clothes in storage. Although there’s no way to completely guarantee the prevention of damage, there are things we can to reduce the risk.
The dress can be stored in a box after cleaning. The box must be able to breath to allow air to circulate to reduce the chance of mould forming.
If you hang the dress on a padded hanger attach straps to the waist to take the strain out of the shoulders. This stops the neckline getting distorted. If the dress is strapless there are specially adapted hangers available to put them on. The dress then needs to be covered in a white sheet or muslin fabric.
Use only acid free packaging materials the box and tissue paper that is put around the dress should not have any dyes in them. These can spread to the material. The tissue paper helps to soften the creases, which reduces the chance of the material breaking. If the dress has a bodice or other curved areas, then stuff this with tissue too.
Don’t use metal clips or safety pins these can rust with time.
Never store in plastic bags or boxes. These are petroleum based and give off chemicals that can discolour and destroy fabric. The material can go mouldy too.
The boxed or hung dress should be stored in a cool, dry place. It would help things if the temperature were constant as well. So don’t put it up in the attic!
Store all headpieces, veils, shoes and accessories separately from the dress.
Protect the dress from sunlight and artificial light. Both of these can discoloration and damage the fabric.
Check the dress occasionally if any stains appear then you can remove then before they cause any damage.
Chances are that when you buy a wedding dress you would have chosen it at least six months before the wedding. This is usually the best thing to do, as it will probably need a few alterations. When you have chosen the dress get information on the cleaning requirements for the different materials that the dress is made from. Some of the trim and embellishments might not stand up to the dry cleaning after the wedding and might need to be removed. After the big day the dress really needs to be cleaned as soon as possible. This will remove any stains before they set. We looked for natural cleaning techniques that didn’t include chemicals but unfortunately drew a blank. For the sake of the dress we will have to rely on the dry cleaning companies. Ask friends and family for a referral to find the best company.
STORING THE WEDDING DRESS
Yellowing of material is very common with clothes in storage. Although there’s no way to completely guarantee the prevention of damage, there are things we can to reduce the risk.
The dress can be stored in a box after cleaning. The box must be able to breath to allow air to circulate to reduce the chance of mould forming.
If you hang the dress on a padded hanger attach straps to the waist to take the strain out of the shoulders. This stops the neckline getting distorted. If the dress is strapless there are specially adapted hangers available to put them on. The dress then needs to be covered in a white sheet or muslin fabric.
Use only acid free packaging materials the box and tissue paper that is put around the dress should not have any dyes in them. These can spread to the material. The tissue paper helps to soften the creases, which reduces the chance of the material breaking. If the dress has a bodice or other curved areas, then stuff this with tissue too.
Don’t use metal clips or safety pins these can rust with time.
Never store in plastic bags or boxes. These are petroleum based and give off chemicals that can discolour and destroy fabric. The material can go mouldy too.
The boxed or hung dress should be stored in a cool, dry place. It would help things if the temperature were constant as well. So don’t put it up in the attic!
Store all headpieces, veils, shoes and accessories separately from the dress.
Protect the dress from sunlight and artificial light. Both of these can discoloration and damage the fabric.
Check the dress occasionally if any stains appear then you can remove then before they cause any damage.
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