A woman’s wedding gown is one of her most prized possessions. Whether it’s before or after the wedding, every woman literally worships their gown and takes care of it more than they do everything else they own. One of these ways of course is cleaning it before the wedding and after so you can store it as a memento or if it was hired to return it in good form.
Some of the stains common in wedding gowns are;
· Food particles
· Gravy stains
· Insects and
· Dirt especially on the hem
There are many ways of cleaning a wedding gown such as;
· Dry cleaning- Using a chemical called tetrachloroethylene and a dry cleaning machine to remove stains and dirt instead of water.
· Laundry cleaning- using hot water and normal detergents in a washing machine to remove stains and dirt.
· Hand washing- Using water and detergent at home in a basis and hand washing the gown.
This article however will look at how to dry clean a wedding gown using a chemical instead of water and detergent. This is because this is the best method of cleaning a wedding gown even though it’s also quite expensive.
Advantages of Dry Cleaning a Wedding Gown
· Removes all stains, dust and kills any microorganism
· Does not cause color bleeding or shrinking since it doesn’t use water.
· Ensures there is no wear and tear or fading
· Does not react badly with any fabric
· The chemical used to clean strengthens the fabric of the gown and make it look even better.
Things to do before Dry Cleaning a Wedding Gown
1. Check care label. The first step is always checking the care label so you can be sure of how to clean it and if there are chemicals or methods that are not compatible with that particular fabric. Old, vintage and antique dresses don’t do well under the harsh chemicals used in dry cleaning so they shouldn’t be dry- cleaned.
2. Inspect the dress for stains and to see where it’s mostly dirty. Also inspect the trim with the dry cleaner to see if it’s supposed to be dry -cleaned since most of them aren’t. Dyes used in trims tend to fade when after dry cleaning.
3. Inspect embellishments and decorations. Most modern decorations are very substandard and they dissolve if mixed with very strong solvents and if they don’t the glue connecting them to the gown will leaving the dress without decorations. One must check what kind of embellishments are on the gown and what is holding them to the fabric.
4. It’s advised strongly that a wedding gown should never be stored with stains but it should be dry cleaned immediately before the stains become permanent.
5. Lastly, do not under whatever circumstances unless you are a professional dry cleaner try to clean a wedding gown on your own. There are things that only a dry cleaner can know so always take it to a professional.
Step by Step Process of Dry Cleaning a Wedding Gown
1. After inspecting and approving that the dress can be dry cleaned it’s important to try and remove stains first with a stain remover spray but be careful not to cause discoloration. These stain removers come with the dry cleaning kit, sheet and a cleaning bag.
2. Place the gown inside the dry cleaning bag of similar color.
3. Place the dry cleaning sheet inside the bag. It contains very little water and perfume. The job of the perfume is to give the dress a fresh scent while the water is used to cause steam that will straighten up the dress like ironing.
4. Place the dry cleaning bag and its contents inside the drier for 30 minutes and remove them immediately the timer goes off to avoid wrinkling.
5. Remove the gown from the bag and hang it in a hanger.
6. Instead of ironing use a clothes steamer to straighten the gown even more so the decorations don’t melt.
7. Store the dress in a cool dry place away from dirt and moisture.
The secret to dry cleaning a wedding gown is letting a professional do it and following the care instructions on the label carefully. Trying to do it at home might turn out badly so its important to let it get the special treatment it deserves. Singapore laundry will ensure that your wedding gown is well cleaned and has no stains left on it. Their service will leave you fully satisfied.