TIPS ON KEEPING A WEDDING GOWN CLEAN

There's nothing as unsightly as a dirty wedding gown. Wedding gowns are traditionally white-as in pure and flawless. Though there are a lot of "goth" wedding dresses, too these days... Anyhow, no matter the color of your dress it must be kept clean, either because it's a rental or because ugly food stains just don't add much to a wedding photo. Here are some tips on how to keep your wedding dress looking perfectly clean for the big day.

Choose The Right Dry Cleaner
If you choose a dry cleaner, much preferred over hand cleaning an expensive dress, then make sure the company is experienced with wedding gowns. It doesn't matter if they have ten years of overall experience-experience in cleaning various types of wedding gowns is essential. Make sure the dry cleaner uses virgin solvent when cleaning wedding dresses and if they don't, ask why. If you're looking for a good dry cleaner then ask a bridal store. Even if you buy the dress online or in a thrift store, ask a bridal store for a good dry cleaner, experienced in wedding dresses. Be sure and point out any specific stains or spills that you want cleaned, so they don't miss them.





Self-Cleaning Your Wedding Dress
You can also choose to self-clean your wedding dress, especially if the dirty spots are minor. If your dress is made of silk, acetate or rayon then you should be able to clean it with percloroethylene. Percloroethylene is one of the best degreasers available and is one of the most preferred cleaning solvents by dry cleaners. The only exception to the rule would be if the gown also has beads or sequins. In that case, the Stoddard formula, or maybe DF-2000 solvent would be a recommended alternative. If the dress, as well as the lining, is made of polyester, then regardless of beads or sequins, wet cleaning should be safe. In the case of heavy sugar stains like wine or soda, then pre-treat the dress immediately even before sending it to a dry cleaner.





When In Doubt...
Check the label. The label will tell you if hand washing or "dry clean only" is recommended. If you're not sure then choose a small, unnoticeable part of the dress and test clean the area. Keep your wedding dress clean and enjoy the best evening of your life!