Your wedding reception is over and most probably your wedding dress is unrecognisably dirty. It is imperative that you clean it immediately after the wedding, possibly within two days, even if there are no visible marks or stains. The sooner you clean the wedding dress the better, as you will avoid permanent stains.
Certain wedding dresses can be cleaned at home. Otherwise you can avoid all the hassle and take your dress to a professional cleaner. If you decide to do it yourself, the following tips will help you clean the most common stains, but before you begin make sure you read and understand the label on the inside of the dress.
Sweat stains
Beverage and sweat stains may be removed easily by blotting with water or detergent. It is imperative to apply the water / detergent on a test patch which would be a part of the dress which will not show, just to make sure that this will not leave any tide marks.
Wine
Rub damp salt on wine stains, then scrape it off when dry. Repeat as necessary.
Lipstick
Greasy stains such as lipstick, oil or salad dressing can be taken off with spray-on spot removers or hair spray.
Dry flowers should be removed before cleaning the dress. Point out pearls and other beading to the dry-cleaner so that heavy detergents will not be used, as these will be permanently damaged. A professional dry-cleaner should be able to remove large stains on delicate fabrics. Once at the dry-cleaner, make sure that the dress will be kept apart from other dresses and cleaned separately from other garments.
Silk dresses should only be dealt with professionally.
Storing your Wedding Dress
Once clean, you will need to decide on your preference for storing the wedding dress, be it in a box or maybe a special storage bag.
If you’re storing the dress in a box, it must be well sealed to prevent moisture from seeping through. The box has to be stored in a place where it is not exposed to light or large temperature fluctuations. Avoid washrooms or basements.
Do not put your dress in a plastic bag, or leave it on a hanger. The bag may trap humidity inside. Leaving your dress on a hanger may pull it out of shape because of the weight of the dress. The ideal way to store your wedding dress is to place it in a special storage bag, which prevents dust from entering it, and then placing it in a well-sealed box.
Reliable bridal boutiques should supply you with one of these bags on the purchase of your dress. These bags are made from special material to let the air get through while keeping the dust at bay, and are usually washable. It is worth investing in one of these bags.
Article courtesy of Weddings & Homes