How to preserve and store wedding gowns

Wedding dresses are a symbol of treasured memories. Once the wedding is over you want to make sure you preserve these memories. In order to properly preserve your wedding dress, you must take certain steps to clean and store it.

Cleaning

Wedding dresses must be cleaned right away after the wedding. Depending on the material the dress must be either professionally wet cleaned (using H2O and special soaps and conditioners) or professionally dry cleaned. Materials such as silk, acetates, and rayons normally require professional dry cleaning. There are times when hand washing methods are best. Stains left on the dress while its stored will eventually become permanent which is why we highly recommend cleaning the dress before storing.

Storage and Preservation

Ideal storage of your wedding dress should be done in a solid cardboard box made from acid-free materials with no plastic windows, these plastic windows let light in and cause fading of the dress. Additionally, these plastic windows trap moisture inside which can cause mold or mildew to grow.

Begin packing the dress by lining the inside of the box with white, acid-free, tissue paper. Place the wedding dress in the box starting with the hem end, add a layer of tissue as you fold the dress. Repeat the process until the dress is completely inside the box, remembering to place tissue paper inside each sleeve. Place a layer of paper on top of the wedding dress and close the box with the lid. Store the box in a dry cool place, away from sunlight. Avoid storing the gown in the garage or other non-climate controlled environments. Now your dress is properly stored!

To have your wedding dress professionally dry cleaned, look no further than Sir Galloway Dry Cleaners. The difference is Knight and Day!