Preserving your wedding gown is a fantastic way to make sure it lasts forever. When handled with care, your wedding dress, veil, and other keepsakes can be passed down to future generations. Accidents may happen during the wedding day and it’s easy to spill food and drink on your gown. You might also receive a little mud on the hem while partying outside. Either way, knowing how to clean a wedding dress is crucial before safely putting it away for preservation.
Even if you don’t notice visible stains or dirt, you should still have it cleaned before putting it away. Removing sweat, makeup, and other stains at a later stage can be considerably troublesome.
Preserving a wedding dress, or any other fabric for that matter, requires keeping it out of the elements, especially harsh light and moisture. With the right care and proper handling, your wedding gown and accessories are bound to last decades.
Cleaning Your Wedding Dress At Home
Cleaning wedding dresses at home demands great attention to detail (and, preferably, a large wash bag). Also, in-home cleaning is only possible if the fabric and any embellishments are machine-washable or hand-washable. Here are some ways you can DIY clean your wedding dress:
Stain Removal
If you notice a mark or a stain on your wedding dress, it can actually be easily removed in just a few steps.
When you see a stain on your wedding dress, never rub or scrub it as it may spread it or push the stain further into the fabric. The first step is to use a dry white cloth to absorb moisture or a dull knife to carefully scrape away any solid residue. Use the edge of a credit card if you don’t have a dull knife. For oily stains, use baby powder to quickly absorb the oil.
Spot-cleaning with an efficient stain remover is better than machine-wash if your wedding dress has been stained by food or drink. To ensure your cleaning approach is effective, you should perform a patch test in an unnoticeable area first. You can start applying the stain remover everywhere if the patch test works.
There are different types of stains and each type requires a different technique to effectively remove them:
- Makeup: Makeup is the most common type of stain that brides deal with after their wedding. Unfortunately, this type of stain is also the riskiest as makeup is made up of different ingredients and may react differently to certain types of solutions.
To effectively remove a makeup stain, you’ll need dishwashing detergent, preferably a lemon-scented solutions as it contains limonene, which is effective in removing oils in the makeup.
Add a few drops of liquid detergent on a damp cloth and lightly blot it on the area with makeup stains. Next, wet the clean section of the towel and dab the makeup stain to wipe it clean. To speed up the process, you may use a blow dryer but you can also leave it to air dry.
- Red Wine: If you find a red wine stain on your wedding dress, you’ll have to act immediately. Use a white towel to absorb the wine as soon as possible. Then, create a cleaning solution by combining one part dish soap with three parts water. Begin blotting the outside edges of the stain before moving inward. Do not forget to separate and clean each layer of your dress individually.
- Oil or Grease: Oil-based stains can be removed in two different ways. One technique is pouring a thick layer of baby powder or cornstarch on the dress to absorb the oil. Let it sit on the dress for 15 minutes before gently brushing away. Repeat the steps until the oil is removed.
After removing the grease with the powders, dip a cotton swab in isopropyl alcohol and stat dabbing the outer edges then towards the center. Once done, just airdry the fabric.
Another way of removing oil or grease stains is by putting an absorbent cloth under the fabric with the stain then dabbing a Q-tip soaked with a solution of one part dish soap and one part white vinegar on the area. Flush the water with lukewarm distilled water to clean it up and then air dry.
- Pollen: Pollen can create nasty discoloration, whether it came from your bouquet or the outdoors. Your wedding attire may become encrusted with pollen if you plan on having your ceremony outdoors in the spring. If you try to rub the pollen off of your wedding dress, the pollen will penetrate deeper into the fabric and settle on your gown.
Pick up some adhesive tape, then gently remove the pollen grains. Cover any stains that the pollen may leave behind with baking soda, baby powder, or cornstarch.
- Dirt: Whether you’re having your wedding indoors or outdoors, it will still be prone to getting stained by dirt if you’re not careful. Before trying to eliminate the stain, try to let the grubby mark dry so you can brush any remaining dirt away. Use a stain removal wipe or pen to target the discolouration, moving from the edges inward. To get rid of the soil, blot the area with a white towel.
These techniques are more effective the sooner the stain is addressed. These techniques are also more ideal in addressing smaller stains, it is still best to wash the entire dress to strip free from dirt, stains, and bacteria it accumulated throughout your special day.
Washing the Whole Dress
Wedding dresses generally have elaborate beadwork, ornamentation, and extra fabric, which can get damaged if not handled properly. Using a washing machine to clean your wedding dress may compromise the quality of your gown and even remove the detailed beadwork. This is why hand washing is the best option in cleaning your wedding dress as it’s more gentle and you can preserve the integrity of your gown better.
Here are some things you’ll need to clean your wedding dress:
- Bathtub
- An old toothbrush
- Stain remover
- Gentle liquid detergent
Here are the steps to wash your wedding dress:
Disinfect and Clean the Tub
It’s important to disinfect and clean the bathroom first to prevent your wedding dress for getting discoloured further. Thoroughly rinse the tub, then fill it with cold water.
Pour Some Stain Remover or Liquid Detergent
Add some mild liquid detergent, along with the stain remover.
Put the Dress in the Tub and Leave it to Soak
Put your dress in the bathtub, let it soak, and then give it a good rinse. Avoid using too much heat, since this could ruin the fabric and/or melt any embellishments.
Remove Excess Dirt with an Old Toothbrush
You can use an old toothbrush to get rid of stubborn stains, but be careful not to scrape too vigorously, since this could create holes.
Do Not Use a Machine Dryer
After thoroughly cleaning your wedding dress by hand, do not put it inside a machine dryer, as tempting as it may sound.
Using a machine dryer puts your dress at risk of getting damaged as beads may fall off or your dress may entirely be ruined. To prevent the material from stretching, use a padded hanger when hanging the dress. Although hanging the dress inside may protect it better from dirt and dust, it may accumulate mould or mildew and won’t fully dry. Instead, dry your dress in direct sunlight if possible.
Cleaning Your Wedding Dress Professionally
Don’t let your wedding gown sit in your closet for a week without having it professionally cleaned. Even if there are minimal stains on your wedding dress, dirt, dust, and bacteria may accumulate on the fabric, which can damage your dress in the long run.
Wedding gowns are one of the most complicated types of clothing to clean. While it may be possible to clean the dress at home or with DIY methods, it is best recommended to opt for professional services to ensure thorough cleaning. For brides that want easy and hassle-free wedding dress cleaning in Toronto, the experts from Love Your Dress are here to assist you.
We clean designer wedding dresses, gowns, beaded garments, silks, sarees, suede wedding shoes, and more. Aside from wedding dress cleaning, we also provide wedding gown alterations, wedding gown repairs, and wedding dress preservation services.
How to Properly Store Your Wedding Dress After Cleaning
Make sure your wedding gown is clean and completely dry before putting it away. To prevent corrosion, keep accessories like belts and headbands with decorations or artificial diamonds separate from the fabric in a sealed plastic bag. It is advisable to store bags and shoes separately because both are susceptible to this issue.
Before storing your wedding gown, make sure that you have the following:
- Clean white cotton gloves
- Archival storage boxes or a plastic storage box if you can’t find one (Check for “PP” or a #5 inside the recycling triangle to know you have the correct kind of box)
- Archival tissue paper (The label should say that it’s both acid and lignin-free)
Once you’ve gathered all the required materials, you can start the storage process.
- First, make sure that your hands are thoroughly cleaned. To get the best results, wear clean white cotton gloves.
- Lightly stuff the dress shoulders and bust with acid-free tissue paper to maintain the wedding dress’ shape.
- Next, lay the gown onto a layer of tissue inside the container, make sure that there is enough tissue cushioning each fold to avoid heavy creasing. Wedding dresses should ideally be stored flat in an appropriately-sized container. This step will be easier with a helper who can hold the dress for you. Repeat these steps with all the accessories including the veil.
- Avoid overstuffing the storage box; heavier items such as belts and shoes must be placed in smaller individual boxes.
- Do not store the box in your attic, basement, or garage. Instead, choose a dark, cool, and dry space. Inspect your wedding dress and accessories annually to ensure that your gown is preserved well. Look for any stains and immediately treat them to avoid further damage. The sooner you remove the stains, the easier it is to get rid of them.
- After thoroughly examining the dress and accessories with clean hands, fold them slightly differently to minimize wrinkles and stress on the fabric.
Even if you clean and preserve your wedding dress on your own, it is still best to leave the work to professionals to make sure that your dress will last for many years. Love Your Dress have over 30 years of experience in dress and wedding gown cleaning and other specialty services.
Professional Services for Optimal Dress Care
At Love Your Dress, every item is thoroughly examined. We make sure to identify all areas that require cleaning or repair. Each bridal gown is carefully washed, and all stains are completely eliminated. Additionally, our experts for wedding dress preservation in Toronto will ensure that your wedding gown is properly preserved and won’t be exposed to harmful adhesives.
