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Discover how to care for your wedding dress before, during and after the big day.
A wedding dress will see brides through one of the most action-packed days of their lives. From first looks and photo shoots to walking down the aisle and twirling on the dance floor, the big day is often a blur that brings some unavoidable wear and tear to the treasured garment.
But what can be done if said wear and tear happens before the celebration truly kicks off? “If people call us on the day of the wedding, and they find a spot on the wedding dress, we always say a little bit of cold water and a touch of Dawn dish soap can get rid of most stains if they just happened,” says Derek Engler, owner of Pilgrim Dry Cleaners.
Stain remover pens are also an option in a pinch. “I think a lot of those pens can mask the stain or at least make it less visible to the eye at the time,” Engler says. If the stain occurs more than a day or two out from the wedding, Engler advises stopping by a local dry cleaners to see what they can do for a spot treatment or emergency service.
The Maple Grove launderers have seen it all when it comes to the aftermath of a wedding celebration. “We see dirt and mud, food and wine, and different dyes from the cake frosting,” Engler says. “You name it, we’ve seen the stains.”
Staining and discoloration are common, especially for the hems and train of wedding dresses. But Enger advises against trying to pretreat at home. “If it’s after the wedding, you’ll help set the stain more than get it out if you try and use something that’s not cohesive with that specific fabric or that specific stain,” he says. Pretreating can also mask the stain from the pros, making it more difficult to remove.
Enger’s recommendation for restoring a wedding dress back to its original beauty is to immediately bring it to the professionals. “I say the sooner the better,” he says. “We do, once in a while, have people wait weeks or months, but with any stain, it tends to set the longer it sits in that fabric.”
Although more gradual, wedding dresses can also become susceptible to damage after the big day. Dust mites and sunlight can take their own toll over the years, resulting in the degradation or yellowing of the fabric. Wedding dress preservation services entail a double-sealed box and acid-free paper, which protects the dress while saving on closet space.
“If you choose to clean your wedding dress and not preserve it, make sure it’s not stored in the plastic the dry cleaners send it home in; that’s just for transport,” Engler says. He recommends storing the wedding dress (and suit, for that matter) in a fabric garment bag, which will protect the garment from light damage.
Pilgrim Dry Cleaners
Instagram: @pilgrimdrycleaners
