You only get to wear your wedding dress once, but it’s something to cherish for years to come so it’s important to keep it clean and preserve it as much as possible. The UK’s leading dry cleaner, Johnson Cleaners, are here to offer you top tips on keeping it clean…
Prevention is key. Be careful during wear, especially around drinks and food, but also avoid contact with damp confetti and mud around the hems. Any damage on the wedding day will make it harder to clean afterwards, and could potentially cause permanent damage to lace or silks fibres.
Arrange your dress cleaning as soon as possible after the big day, as many stains – including perspiration, food and wine – work their way into the fabric over time. The longer you leave them, the harder they are to remove.
Beware of attempting home treatments on such a valuable garment, as you run the risk of causing irreparable damage, particularly when working on difficult stains and delicate fibres. This will also make it more difficult for a specialist cleaner to rectify.
Don’t try to clean a machine- washable dress in the domestic washing machine you have at home, as it can lead to crushing and fabric damage. Wedding dresses should be cleaned in larger, industrial-sized machines.
If possible the dress should be cared for by a professional cleaner who uses a gentle cleaning solvent sourced from natural products. An example is GreenEarth®, an eco-friendly cleaning technology which is proven to be kinder to fabric and trims, and the environment. It has no tell-tale dry cleaning smell and is usually available for the same price as traditional cleaning.
Once it has been cleaned, the wedding dress should be wrapped in acid-free tissue paper before storing. This will help prevent light damage and discolouration.
Once wrapped, there are two main options for storage. The first is a breathable bag, which you can buy in synthetic or natural fibres. However, all textiles contain moisture and, over time, mildew and mould damage can appear.
The best long-term option is a specially designed storage box made from breathable, natural materials. The box should be large enough to accommodate the garment without creasing. Fold the dress carefully into a loose, flat, concertina pattern, to avoid any cracking or stretching of the fabric. This will help keep your dress in pristine condition.
Get more dress cleaning info at Johnson Cleaners!
