A woman’s wedding is one of the most memorable times in her life. After all the preparations time that has been spent in ensuring that the day is perfect, and after the actual wedding ceremony, something has to be done with the wedding dress. As many brides wish to keep their wedding dress (whether as an heirloom passed down to their daughters or just as a keepsake), is essential that proper cleaning and preservation methods be taken to ensure that your wedding dress looks just as good 10 to 15 years from now as it is now.
Wedding Dress
Why should you clean your dress prior to storing it?
Many times one will find that there dress has yellowed over the years. Even though the dress has been stored in a somewhat controlled environment, a wedding dress not cleaned prior to storage is very likely to enhance unseen or unnoticed blemishes from the wedding. For example: as is tradition for the bride and groom to drink champagne at the wedding reception, it is also very common for some of the champagne splashes upon the wedding gown. Where it is true that most of these liquids dry clear and therefore are unnoticed on the wedding day, if not cleaned overtime the stain will yellow due to oxidation and further fermentation.
Wedding dresses are also extremely vulnerable to unseen dirt and moisture around the base. Dirt left unattended can become a permanent stain. Moisture (such as from the luscious and freshly watered green grass) can result in complete ruin of a wedding dress when the moisture turns to mold.
Ensuring that all stains, dirt, moisture, and other contaminants are probably removed from your wedding dress, you greatly increase the chances that your gown will be available in the same radiant beauty years down the line.
Cleaning techniques
there are basically two methodologies used to clean wedding dresses. These are the wet and dry cleaning methods. Both methods have pros and cons it is always best to check with the designer if possible the best way in which to care and preserve your bridal attire.
Dry cleaning is the most common method for cleaning wedding gowns. Most dry cleaners use a solvent to remove perspiration, greases, stains, and such. The reason the solvents are commonly used is that in general fabrics will not have adverse effects to using such solvents. If you are concerned about what solvent is being used to dry clean your dress, you can check with the dry cleaner. Also, researching which solvent cleans your particular fabric and design will ensure that you get the best results.
Wet cleaning is not commonly used when dealing with wedding gowns and other formal wear. The method of wet cleaning is simply to apply water or other liquids within the dry cleaning process. Some cleaners combine water was solvents to treat their orders. The danger, of course, is and whether or not the material will respond positively or negatively to the wet treatment. Most wedding dresses instruct that any dry clean only method we used when cleaning and preserving a wedding gown.
Wedding dress preservation
after cleaning your wedding gown, you need to ensure that the gown is preserved properly. Having a nicely cleaned dress that is stored improperly or without proper care will result in a shortened lifespan of the dress. There are three major concerns which need to be addressed when preserving a wedding gown. These are mildew or mold, permanent increasing, and yellowing.
One of the worst places one can put there dress is an attic or basement for storage even if the addresses contained in a protective case for hanging or an acid-free box. The reason for this is that these environments have a tendency to breed mold. Fabrics are left unattended over long periods of time in moist environments or in environments humid in nature are extremely prone to acquiring mold and mildew damage. Allowing your dress to be in a breathable environment of low humidity will increase the chances that your dress will last a lifetime.
Unfortunately, age has a tendency to show its effects even on fabric. As time goes by, materials such as silk tend to gain a yellowish color. It is practically impossible to prevent any yellowing over time. However, the process can be slowed dramatically down by avoiding storage in plastic bags, using metal hangers, and by implementing acid free tissues and coverings when storing your wedding gown.
Your wedding was an important day to you. It is a day that you want to cherish and remember, one that you want to pass on to your daughters. A wedding dress is just one way in which to do this. To help with the cleaning and preservation your wedding gown, www.pennywisecleaners.co.uk would like to offer you their services. Experienced in cleaning and preservation, they will take care to ensure that your dress is cleaned and preserved in peak condition.
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