The most important events in your life wearing a wedding dress or formal gown, keeping it clean can be tricky especially with all that light colored fabric to manage. After cleaning properly always store in a dress storage bag or box after wrapping dress in acid free tissue paper. Here are a few dress cleaning tips -
Although most formal dresses should be dry cleaned, cleaning your dress at home may be possible.
1. Never put a pretty wedding dress in your home washing machine. This might damage any embellishments or lace on the dress.
2. Try out your cleaning method on a small patch first to make sure it works. Find a place that is not very visible to anyone. NEVER USE BLEACH.
3. If you dress has lots of layers, you need to separate each layer from the other when cleaning so your cleaner does not seep into other dress layers.
4. Find a clean dry place to lay out your dress.
5. Never rub the fabric hard, use a soft toothbrush with a light touch.
6. Mix equal parts of stain remover and liquid laundry detergent.
7. Pat the mixture on gently and slightly brush with your soft toothbrush.
8. Use a hair dryer to dry the area.
9. For sweat stains, turn the dress inside out first, then apply your cleaning mixture.
10. Be sure the wrap your dress in acid free tissue paper before storing in a cool dry space. Never store in a basement, garage or attic which can be humid or damp.
11. If hanging the dress use padded hangers.
Be sure to make an annual check on the dress, take time to make sure it is not being squished between other garments and is on the hanger properly. This will help keep your dress beautiful for a long time, maybe even long enough for someone special in your life to wear it again!