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You may wear your wedding dress only once. However, you have invested time and money to find the perfect gown for your special day. Additionally, it’s also a sentimental reminder of the most important day in your life. Thus, your dress can be used as a keepsake for years to come.
It's finally over! You made it through the stress and excitement of planning a wedding, and now, you're ready to relax. But — what do you do with your wedding dress? Many brides may wipe out stains and keep them in a storage box. Some brides choose to send it to a professional wedding dress preservation service for deep cleaning and then save it as an heirloom for future generations. Others sometimes clean their wedding gowns themselves right after the ceremony or set them aside for cleaning later.
With all these different scenarios, many brides question: “When is the best time to clean wedding dresses after a wedding?” A wedding dress is a significant investment, so you cannot simply throw it into the washing machine or clean it haphazardly. It requires careful handling due to its delicate fabric.
In this post, we’ll answer this question and provide expert tips on wedding dress cleaning and preservation.
Wedding gowns are often expensive and made of delicate fabrics, so, understandably, brides would want to protect them by wiping away a mark or stain in the moment. However, is it a good practice?
The answer is a big NO! Wiping off a dress stain can cause more harm than good. When you're dealing with a stain, the fundamental thing is to avoid doing anything that will make it worse. This means that you should try not to rub at the stain as this could cause it to spread and make it harder for you to get out.
Wedding dresses are sensitive and delicate, so avoid grabbing a towel or tissue and scrubbing. It might rub off the fabric, especially if it’s made of delicate fabrics like silk. If you need to clean up a spill as soon as possible, use a tissue or clean towel, but only after waiting at least 30 minutes or a few hours. Remember not to use colored tissue as it can cause further stains on the fabric.
If your dress has been stained by makeup, perfume, or food, immediately consult a professional before trying anything else. Otherwise, you risk damaging your gown and making the stain worse.
Many brides are excited to clean their wedding dresses and keep them as memories of their wedding date. Is it good to clean a wedding gown as soon as possible after a wedding? YES! The sooner you treat stains, the greater your chances of removing them are. We recommend having your dress professionally cleaned immediately after the celebration by calling expert cleaners like Laxa Cleaners Bride N Queen.
If you don’t have time to clean or bring it to professional cleaners, wedding dress cleaning can wait up to three months. Don’t wait too long because the stains may become permanent or difficult to remove. For example, if the stain is something like red wine or chocolate, you'll want to remove it as soon as possible before it settles on the fabric. If it's a case of dust, lint, white wine, or other invisible stains, you can safely leave it alone, enjoy your honeymoon, and have your wedding dress cleaned later.
You should also consider the type of fabric used on your wedding gown. If your dress is made from delicate materials like silk or organza, promptly taking care of any stains will help preserve its quality. Meanwhile, if a dress has woven fibers like cotton or polyester in its construction, waiting a little bit longer may not cause harm to the dress.
Wedding dress cleaning should be done only by a professional cleaning and preservation shop. However, if you really can't wait, Laxa Cleaners Bride N Queen recommends these top tips for instant stain removal without causing too much damage to your dress.
Ask someone to help you by holding the lightest part of the stain while you dab at it with a damp cloth. The goal is to remove any excess liquid before it dries and sets into the fabric.
Use an enzyme cleaner or detergent with cold water to help dissolve stains faster than hot water or soap.
Always test your cleaning solution on another piece of fabric first to ensure it won't damage your dress.
Blot the stain lightly with a clean cloth without rubbing the fabric.
If the above steps aren’t a possible option, use clean white cotton gloves to press down firmly on the stained area. This will absorb any excess stain and keep it from spreading widely through the fabric. For non-liquid stains and marks, you can use soft-bristled brushes to remove any solid marks or dirt on soiled areas.
You deserve nothing but the best for your wedding gown. After your wedding day, consider these tips for cleaning and storing your beloved gown. Note that these tips and tricks also apply to a christening gown preservation.
As mentioned earlier, waiting too long to take care of a stain will make cleaning much more challenging. Even if there are no visible stains, wedding gowns will likely sustain damage. That's because sweat, dust, and dirt cause minute stains that can appear later when left untreated. Hiring an experienced dry cleaning service can help you avoid further permanent damage.
If you can’t do it yourself, ask a friend or family member to send it to professional cleaners the week following your wedding date. Until then, ensure that your dress is carefully stored. When storing your dress, don’t place it in a sealed plastic bag. Instead, wrap it in acid-free paper or pre-washed unbleached muslin. You can also keep it in a garment bag or wedding chest and store it in a dry environment with relative humidity. Never leave it in direct sunlight.
Bridal dresses are high-maintenance garments due to their complex design. Proper care is essential. Therefore, a knowledgeable wedding dress cleaning service is needed. If they’re not properly taken care of, stains can set in. The fabric might also turn yellow over time.
Professional wedding dress cleaners have specialized cleaning knowledge and experience with delicate fabrics. They will treat your gown with care and remove any stains without damaging the fabric. Your wedding dress will be dry cleaned, pressed, and steamed to its original condition. You will be surprised that your dress returns to looking as beautiful as the moment you tried it on for the first time.
A well-preserved wedding gown maintains its original color throughout the years. When you want to preserve your bridal gown after cleaning it, ensure that you do so correctly to avoid trouble later. Before storing, double-check if the dress is fully dry to prevent mildew growth.
If it's ready for storing, you may stash it in an airtight preservation box or an acid-free box to retain the color. Don’t forget to use acid-free tissue paper to line the box, soften folds, stuff it into sleeves, or wrap different pieces.
To avoid creasing, occasionally repack the dress and alter the folds. On the other hand, if you want the best way to preserve your dress, consider expert preservation services. With a specialist preservation service, you can rest assured that you get the ultimate packaging techniques — so your gown remains pristine.
Preserving your wedding dress is an excellent move towards keeping the memories of your big day — it’s an everlasting reminder of the love you share with your significant other. This is why you should consider hiring professional dry cleaners who know how to clean and store your dress appropriately.
No one knows wedding dress cleaning and preservation better than Laxa Cleaners Bride N Queen. Whatever damage or stain your dress has sustained, you can book with us for professional cleaning and preservation after the ceremony. We will get your dress stain-free, no matter how long ago it was damaged. It will be preserved beautifully in our preservation kit with a viewing window.
To book our restoration service or learn more about the proper care of bridal gowns, contact us online or call us directly at (317) 209-9951. We ensure quality service at competitive prices.
