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Wedding Gown Cleaning and Preservation
Report
If your wedding gown and/or lining is silk, rayon, or acetate
but does not have beads or sequins you should be able to safely
clean your gown with percloroethylene (perc.) That will be a plus
if your dress is really dirty (look at the hemline!) Of the different
dry-cleaning solvents available, Perc. is the best degreaser.
If your dress is silk, rayon, or acetate, but has beads and sequins,
the Stoddard formula or DF-2000 solvent will be the safest.
Select a drycleaner who uses virgin
solvent on wedding dresses. Virgin solvent will get your dress
cleanest and will not leave an odor. Also, find a cleaner who
has a lot of experience with wedding gowns. Bridal shops will
often give your best advice on finding a good cleaner.
Be sure to point out any stains on your
gown to the dry-cleaner. Also, notify the dry-cleaner of any spills
on the dress, even if they don't show. Dry-cleaning fluids will
not remove sugar stains (such as wine or soda), so the dress needs
to be pre-treated.
If your dress and lining are polyester,
with or without beads and sequins, wet cleaning should be safe
and will get your dress the cleanest. Check your label carefully,
and look for a hand wash or dry-clean
only label, or the symbol indicating water washing. If
in doubt, test clean an inconspicuous area of the dress. You should
be able to safely hand wash most polyester gowns if you are careful.*
Preservation
Summary
Keeping your wedding gown in the best overall condition should
be the primary concern in preserving your bridal gown. You will
need to protect it from:
- Yellowing
- Permanent creasing
- Mildew and mold
- Oxidation spots
- Light
- Dust
Removing your bridal gown from the plastic
garment bag and having it cleaned and preserved in an acid-free
environment is the best protection against yellowing.
Boxing
your gown in a box made of acid-free board (not just acid-free
coated) is superior to having it sealed in a box because you can
refold it every 2 or 3 years, which will help protect it from
permanent creases.
Bagging
your gown in an acid-free bag offers the best protection against
permanent creasing and mildew
development and does not need the maintenance that boxing requires.
Both boxing and bagging will protect your
gown from dust and light.
All preserved gowns should be kept in a climate controlled environment.
Inspecting your gown periodically
will ensure that it remains in good condition. Oxidation
spots generally show up within the first year. The sooner
these or other problems are discovered, the more likely they are
to be remedied.
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