Your wedding dress is more than a gown. It represents one of the best days of your life. You can hold onto those memories forever by preserving your wedding gown. Then, you won’t have to worry about oxidation spots, yellowing, fading, and other problems. Plus, the right preservation method will prevent permeant creases from forming.
Then, your dress will continue to look as gorgeous as the day you walked down the aisle, so you can hand it down or relive the memories whenever you wish. First, you need to make sure you do everything correctly to protect your dress. Thus, check out some tips below and find out how choosing one of the “best organic dry cleaners near me” will help you get the results you want.
You were probably really careful to prevent staining when wearing your dress. However, it’s impossible for a gown to remain spotlessly clean when worn. At the very least, you transferred body oils onto the fabric, regardless of how careful you were. If you pack away your dress without cleaning it, you’ll probably notice a bunch of brown spots the next time you take a look. Those unsightly brown spots are oxidized stains that form over time, and they’re pretty much impossible to avoid without cleaning the dress.
The question is, how should you clean your dress?
First, your gown is too important to wash at home. The elegant detailing and fabric require special care, and you could do severe damage if you try it yourself.
Second, be sure to select a cleaning method based on the gown’s material. Some gowns require wet cleaning, and others need to be dry cleaned. Choosing the wrong option can ruin your dress.
Are you a little stressed about trying to determine which cleaning method your dress needs? You can leave that to the professionals, too.
First, look for “environmentally friendly dry cleaners near me” that offer green wet cleaning. Then, the staff will evaluate your dress to see which cleaning method is appropriate.
Next, you’ll need to get the dress to the cleaning company. A lot can happen in transport, so use acid-free tissue paper to protect the embellishments before placing the dress in a garment bag.
If the idea of driving your prized possession around town makes you uneasy, you can choose a dry cleaner that provides pickup and delivery. Be sure to let the company know that you’re handing off a wedding gown so the valet will have everything on hand to protect it.
Some brides try to preserve their gowns themselves, and they often end up with less than desirable results. Fortunately, you don’t have to worry about that when you send it to a cleaning company that also provides wedding gown preservation.
You’ll discover that wedding gown cleaning and preservation companies offer a variety of options for brides. However, almost all companies begin the process with an acid-free bag or box. Otherwise, the gown will be exposed to acid, which will cause yellowing down the line.
If you choose an acid-free box, you’ll have yet another option. Do you want it with or without a window? A window is a fanatic choice since it will allow you to look at your dress anytime without taking it out of the box.
Bagging is a somewhat newer option for wedding dress preservation. The bag prevents light, dust, oxygen, and humidity from reaching the gown, so it’s as effective as boxing. However, it has two significant advantages that are worth considering.
First, the wedding gown preservation company won’t fold the gown when bagging it, so it won’t develop creases. Second, the gown will be easy to access so you can inspect it with ease.
While you have some flexibility when choosing a preservation method, don’t select vacuum sealing. This used to be really popular but has gone out of vogue in recent years, and for a good reason.
Vacuum sealing your gown keeps oxygen out, which is excellent. However, it also traps moisture inside the bag. Since the dress won’t be able to breathe, the moisture will do some serious damage. In fact, you can expect to find mold, mildew, and dry rot when checking on your dress.
There’s another issue to consider with vacuum sealing. Once the box is sealed, you cannot access the dress without breaking the seal. Then, you’ll have to go through the entire process again. That can add to the expense and frustration.
And finally, vacuum sealing will change the gown’s shape. Thus, you won’t be able to hand it down to your daughter without spending money to fix it.
Bags and boxes are designed to protect gowns under normal conditions. Thus, you’ll get the best results by placing the bag or box in a temperature-controlled location that isn’t exposed to direct sunlight. Many women keep their gowns under their beds or in their closets. While both of these are great choices, the attic is not. The fabric might yellow and fade under those conditions.
It’s a good idea to check in on your dress every couple of years to ensure that it’s in pristine condition. Then, you can take action if you notice any problems. For instance, if the gown seems to be yellowing, a professional can step in and prevent further damage. Plus, the cleaner might be able to reverse some or all of the existing damage.
Fast action is always a good idea when cleaning and preserving a wedding gown. Thus, schedule your delivery service online today. You can get your gown cleaned, preserved, and back home in no time. Then, you just need to stow it away in a safe place.
Sources:
https://www.heritagegown.com/blog/oxidized-stains/
https://www.lifestorage.com/blog/storage/wedding-dress-preservation-tips/
