Wedding Gowns- Attic, basement, and the back of a closet – these are perhaps the only three storage options commonly chosen by brides, those hoping to preserve the wedding gown for a long time to come. However, this is where they make the biggest blunder!
If you opt for a professional and thorough wedding dress cleaning, you wouldn’t have to worry about your bridal gown turning ragged or losing its luster. In fact, when not cleaned and stored properly, gowns tend to turn into a faded remnant of their past glory. This is why proper cleaning and preservation are important.
Expert’s take on wedding gowns cleaning and preservation
According to a gown cleaning expert, gowns like being around people. Therefore, the basement or the attic is not the best place for storing them. Such places are either too humid or too hot for the gown’s liking. Delicate garments as wedding gowns need stable environmental conditions, thus always keeping them in a temperature-controlled room.
Your wedding gown is unlike anything you have in your closet, and that’s why regular cleaning methods wouldn’t suffice. If you aren’t ready to opt for professional gown cleaning services, probably due to monetary/ budget constraints, we would urge you to seek advice from the designer or the boutique from whom you bought the dress on how you can effectively clean and store the gown. In fact, you can even buy gown preservation kits from a reputable wedding dress cleaning and preservation company to store them properly.
Preservation methods can only work if you follow the guidelines properly. Such guidelines generally include tips like storing the gown away from direct sunlight, and not storing it in a box wrapped in plastic or with a plastic window (the type used by dry cleaners).
Can you really prolong the life of your wedding gown?
Wondering how to store the gown such that it lasts long – really long? Well, boxing the gown well is the safest approach, however, regular boxes are a strict no-no.
- Once you’ve had the dress cleaned, store the gown in a big box, so as to minimize the number of folds. Such boxes are called archival boxes and are designed for the storage of costumes or delicate dresses.
- Most local cleaners use a single size box for all kinds of gowns and dresses, and that’s why they are not suited for the job. Wedding gowns come in all kinds of sizes and thus, the one-size-fits-all approach doesn’t work.
- According to some, use the largest archival boxes for gown storage, as they have the necessary storage space for even the most exquisite and elaborate wedding gowns.
A notable gown cleaning expert points out that whether it’s a table cloth or a vintage wedding gown, everything should be cleaned and packed in acid-free archival/ cardboard boxes. This is where most professional wedding dress cleaning services score over dry cleaning services, as almost 99% of all dry cleaners use boxes that may not bode well for your wedding gown in the long run. Moreover, most dry cleaners understand a thing or two about cleaning, but almost nothing about gown preservation. This is why their cleaning methods aren’t particularly suited for wedding gowns.
The bottom line
The wedding gown has a symbolic value for every bride and so does your gown for you. So, it’s quite natural for you to take care of it – whether you want to keep it as a family keepsake or even if you want to sell it off or donate it. No matter what, the gown has to be thoroughly cleaned. However, bridal gown care goes beyond removing unsightly stains.
The wedding gown is a garment that a bride wears while going from one place in life to another. This is where professional wedding dress cleaning and preservation services come in handy.
Connect with a reliable gown cleaning service for best results.