Content

• Steps
• Method 1 of 3: Treating stains
• Method 2 of 3: Washing the dress
• Method 3 of 3: Ironing
• Tips
• Warnings
• What do you need

Your wedding day is a very significant and memorable day, so you probably want to keep your wedding dress as a keepsake. To prepare your wedding dress for storage, you can safely hand wash it, especially if the dress itself and the lining are made of polyester. Dry cleaning chemicals often do not remove sweat stains and most food stains, so spot washing often gives better results than dry cleaning.

Steps

Method 1 of 3: Treating stains

1. 1 Examine the dress carefully. Look for spots on the dress and try to understand where they are. Make sure you have all the cleaning products you need.
   • Take a close look at the hem, if you did not lift the skirt and train (if available) when wearing the dress on your wedding day, the hem will be dirty. In fact, the train of a wedding dress is a large dry rag that wipes the floors in the registry office, church, and also in the banquet hall!
   • Examine all layers of fabric in the skirt.A wedding dress may have a layered skirt, so it is wise to inspect all layers for dirt. A careful examination of each component of the dress will allow you to find out what exactly needs to be washed in order to plan further actions.
2. 2 Test the effect of the stain remover on the fabric. Use a powerful stain remover as soon as possible, but be sure to test on an inconspicuous area of ​​your wedding dress before you apply it to the stain so you don't accidentally ruin the fabric. Choose an area that will not be visible and test the stain remover on it.
3. 3 Separate the individual layers of the skirt with paper. When treating stains on one layer of fabric, place a piece of paper (such as a paper towel) under it to prevent the stained stain remover from passing over to another layer. The paper towel will absorb the dirt, which will prevent the stain from spreading to other parts of the dress.
4. 4 Blot the stain with stain remover. Do not rub the stain remover into the stain, as the wedding dress is delicate enough to tear. Instead, use stain remover and blot with a wet towel to gently remove dirt from the fabric. Using this method, move from the edges of the spot to the center.
5. 5 Dry your dress. Use a hairdryer to dry wet marks on your dress. Leaving the dress to dry on its own may cause water stains to appear on the dress.

Method 2 of 3: Washing the dress

1. 1 Soak the dirty hem in the tub. Do not immerse the top of the dress in water during this step. Make sure the tub is clean and then fill it with warm soapy water to soak the hem of your dress for a couple of hours.
   • Using a toothbrush, go around the entire hem and scrub it clean. Be careful not to rub the fabric too hard over the lace trim. Don't forget to clean the hem of the lining as well.
   • Rinse your skirt thoroughly after you finish cleaning it.
   SPECIALIST'S ADVICE

   

   Karen brown

   
   
   Wedding and Event Planner Karen Brown is the Founder and Creative Director of Karen Brown New York, a full service company for events: corporate parties, awards ceremonies, product launches, receptions, fundraising events, weddings and more. Over the past 6 years, the company has successfully organized hundreds of events in the USA, Mexico and Canada.

   Karen brown
   Organizer of weddings and events

   Talk to the store where you bought the dress for instructions. Wedding and event planner Karen Brown says: “Usually the shops that sell wedding dresses give advice on how to clean them. Some may even offer a one-time cleaning service after the wedding. "

2. 2 Clean the bodice of the dress. Turn the dress inside out and moisten the bodice lining (top of the dress) with a solution of dishwashing detergent and water. Use a toothbrush and detergent to remove sweat stains that may have remained in your armpits.
3. 3 Brush individual layers of the skirt. If your dress has a layered skirt, be sure to inspect all layers of fabric and remove any stains with a stain remover. It is at this stage that the results of the initial inspection of the outfit will come in handy.
4. 4 Use a soapy solution to spot-remove the stains on the outer layer of the dress. Use a spray bottle to moisten the stains on the dress and, if necessary, use a toothbrush to scrub off the stains. Be very careful and try to blot dirt off the fabric. In particular, lace and dress trimmings require special care.
5. 5 Try a more powerful stain remover. If the soapy water will not remove all stains, mix a small amount of an oxygen stain remover with water. Submerge the stain in the stain remover solution until it dissolves.Do not use chlorine bleach, such as Whiteness, as it will leave behind a film on the fabric that will be difficult to remove.
6. 6 Rinse your dress. When you are happy with the final result of cleaning the dress, fill the tub with warm water and gently submerge the entire dress in it. Rinse the dress in water to remove any soap residue from it. Then drain the water, refill the tub and rinse again.
   • Continue rinsing the dress until no more lather and rinse water is clear. To avoid potential chemical damage to the fabric, it is very important to thoroughly rinse all soap and cleaning agents from the dress.
7. 7 Dry your dress. The dress should be allowed to dry naturally, but do not hang it on a hanger, as the weight of a wet dress can cause deformation. To dry your dress safely, throw it over the bars of a horizontal tumble dryer (preferably one covered with vinyl).
   • Position the dress so that its weight is evenly distributed over the rails of the dryer.
   • Alternatively, you can throw a clean towel over the shower screen or shower curtain bar and then place the dress on top of the towel. If you decide to use this method, be sure to lay a few towels on the floor so that they absorb the water flowing from the dress.
   • Do not place the dress to dry on untreated wood surfaces, or it may stain.
8. 8 Hang the dress on a hanger when it dries. After a couple of hours, the bulk of the water will drain off the dress and can probably be hung on a hanger to complete drying. Carefully smooth out all layers of fabric on the skirt and its lining so that no wrinkles remain. This will make it easier for you to iron further.

Method 3 of 3: Ironing

1. 1 Cover your work area. Place a clean sheet on the floor to protect your dress from dirt while ironing. It is also best to iron the dress through a clean ironing cloth or a piece of white cotton or muslin, unless you are using a brand new or freshly brushed iron.
2. 2 Iron the dress. Start ironing at the back of the hem or train (if available) to get used to the process before moving on to the rest of the dress. Take your time and use caution. When the work is completed, the dress can be put away for storage. It is also recommended to wash and dry the ironing board cover before ironing to remove dirt, starch and adhesives.
   • Iron the dress from the inside out where possible. If your ironing board has a thick, soft finish, the glitter and beads will simply press into it without making ironing difficult. Start with a low iron temperature and gradually increase it if necessary. If the fabric starts to stick to the iron, immediately lower the temperature.
3. 3 Store the dress. Fold the dress loosely before storing it. Store it out of direct sunlight to prevent it from turning yellow. To protect from light, wrap the dress in acid-free wrapping paper and store in the box. Do not store the dress in a bag or hanging.
4. 4 Hide the dress box. Place the box with the dress in the closet or under the bed - away from light and places where it can get damp and moldy. Now you have the opportunity to get a dress at any time and admire it, remembering your wedding day.

Tips

• Hand ironing a dress with a multilayer tulle skirt is rather difficult. Usually this mesh is made of nylon, which melts very easily. It can be ironed at very low temperatures using an ironing cloth, but be extremely careful when doing so.
• If you think that the dress needs professional ironing, call the dry cleaners in advance and find out the price of this service. In some cases, the cost of steaming and ironing can almost equal the cost of a full dry cleaning, as if the organization had done all the preliminary work to clean the dress.
• If the dress is made of polyester, organza, or tulle, only think about spot-removing the stains. Many types of polyester fabrics, organza and tulle lose their texture after any cleaning.
• If your goal is to save money on dry cleaning services, make sure you can actually reduce your expenses before starting the job.
• Use museum storage materials to package and store your wedding dress. They can be found in online stores.

Warnings

• For silk, it is recommended to use only professional dry cleaning. Silk can also be cleaned wet, but it should be done by an experienced person, since this fabric is easily damaged.

What do you need

• 1 toothbrush
• Spray bottle with warm soapy water
• Oxygen stain remover against organic stains (juice, jam and wine)
• Specialized stain remover for rust and other inorganic stains (optional)