How do you clean and preserve a wedding dress? Here we explore the reasons why you might want to preserve your gown, and some things to be aware of if you hire a service to do this for you.
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There are many companies that offer gown preservation packages for hundreds of dollars. Just what is involved in gown preservation, and is it worth it?
Many brides are excited and attached to their wedding dress, but over time a wedding dress will age and change colour. If you have dreams of your daughter one day wearing your dress, stop to consider. Will they want your wedding dress style, yellowed with age? Did you consider using your mother’s wedding dress, or did you want to choose your own dress?
Gown preservation companies claim to clean your dress before they preserve it. Most bridal salons clean their wedding dresses in a washing machine! Gown preservation companies use different cleaning techniques, and if you want to do this, be sure to know how they are cleaning it.
If you want to clean the dress yourself, you can do so. Synthetic fabrics can be washed in cold water on the gentle cycle with detergent (no additives). Satin and silk dresses should be dry-cleaned. If your dress is synthetic, the first thing you want to do is test the beadwork by soaking one bead in cold water for 15 minutes. If it is intact, then you can wash the dress—remember, cold water on the gentle cycle. Hang dry on a plastic hanger. If beading or appliqués are glued on, do not wash the dress yourself. If you are at all unsure, seek professional cleaning advice.
After the dress is clean, wrap it in a clean, dry, white cotton sheet. If you want to stuff tissue paper into the gown to help keep the shape, make sure you use acid-free paper, which you can purchase in a craft shop. Then, put the wrapped dress in an acid-free box and store it in a cool, dry place.
There is no guarantee that a gown will not yellow with age—usually it does. It is your choice whether you preserve your gown yourself, or hire a service to do it for you. Many brides find that after a few years, they sell their gown, or donate it to a charity.