Wedding Gown Preservation
There are few possessions more meaningful than a wedding dress or wedding gown, and keeping it clean and preserved is an important piece of cherishing the memories of your big day. That’s why our wedding dress cleaning professionals at Art’s Garment Care are dedicated to providing the very best in wedding dress cleaning, restoration, and preservation.
How We Clean or Restore Your Wedding Dress
Your wedding day is one of the most special moments of your life. At Art’s Drive-In Cleaners we consider it a privilege to be part of the memories of this wonderful celebration for Minneapolis residents. Whether its an heirloom bridal gown that needs to be restored or a gown that you would like to clean and preserve for your children, Art’s wedding gown experts have the answer. Art’s has specially-trained wedding gown restoration and preservation experts who will hand clean your special wedding gown, reinforce the wedding gown seams, and reattach any beads and other embellishments to the wedding dress where needed. To prevent any damage to the fabric or dye, we wash the wedding gown in crystal clear purified water and non-toxic solutions. Finally, we package your wedding gown in a premium quality, acid-free wedding dress box that maintains color and prevents yellowing, so that you and your loved ones can enjoy your special day for years to come.
How We Clean or Restore Your Wedding Dress
We love playing a small part in the biggest moments of our customers’ lives. That’s why our wedding gown preservation experts take their job so seriously. Whether you have an heirloom gown you want restored for your daughter (or yourself!) or you’ve decided it’s time to preserve your already-worn wedding dress, our professionals are here to help–and to make sure the job is done to top-quality standards.
How to Preserve Your Wedding Gown for your Daughter.
Getting married is a wonderful experience and magnificent beginning for a bride and groom. Weddings bring joy and tons of fun for a couple and their family. At the same time, it can be difficult to manage all of the small details associated with a wedding ceremony. One of those small yet very important details is how to preserve your wedding gown. The following guide provides simple tips and tricks on how to preserve your wedding gown after getting married.
What Type of Wedding Gown Fabric?
Most wedding dresses manufactured in the United States are made out of a combination of cotton or bleached wool. However, most gowns also contain some elements that are made of polyester or other synthetic materials. In most cases, these types of materials are extremely durable. However, certain types of activities and storage conditions can expose them to an increased risk of mold and mildew growth.
It’s important to have a wedding gown dry cleaned immediately after a wedding. When an individual wears a wedding gown, acidic oils from the skin can sink into the fabric. While these oils may not be visible to the human eye, they are a tasty treat for bacteria and other organisms. Unfortunately, these bacteria may also use cotton as a source of food. To avoid these types of problems, simply have your wedding gown professionally dry cleaned after you are done wearing it.
Storing your Wedding Gown
When storing a wedding gown, it’s important to understand how heat and humidity can cause damage over time. If a wedding gown is stored in a humid environment, it can experience severe damage. For example, many types of fabric that are left in a humid environment will develop grey and black patches over time. These patches indicate the growth of mold.
To avoid these types of problems, it’s essential to make sure that a wedding gown is stored in a dry, cool environment. If possible, it should be stored in an area that is away from clothes that an individual wears on a regular basis. If an individual puts a wedding gown in a closet, it could be exposed to cloths that have dirt, oil or liquids on them. This can cause damage to the gown over time.
If an individual is storing a gown in an attic or basement, it’s a good idea to install a dehumidifier. A dehumidifier works by condensing moisture out of the air. However, it’s important to understand some of the limitations of a dehumidifier. In many cases, a dehumidifier will require one to empty a water reservoir on a regular basis. However, it’s possible to avoid this task by hooking up a dehumidifier to a plumbing drain in one’s home.
A dehumidifier works like an air conditioning system. Because of this, it may not be necessary for homeowners with air conditioning systems to purchase a dehumidifier. In many cases, air conditioned homes have humidity levels that won’t damage the fabric in a wedding gown.
Pests can also be a problem when storing your wedding gown. To avoid pests like moths, it’s a good idea to make sure that there are moth traps and moth balls in the storage area where a wedding gown will be kept.
It can be challenging to manage all these steps in order to keep a wedding gown in pristine condition. In many cases, it may be easier to simply store a wedding gown in a vacuum space bag. A vacuum bag will allow one to store a wedding gown in a partial vacuum. Since there won’t be any humidity inside a vacuum bag, this can be a great way to reduce the risk of mold and mildew damage. In addition, there’s no need to worry about humidity problems when storing a wedding gown in a vacuum bag. However, it’s still important to make sure that a wedding gown isn’t exposed to excessive heat levels in a home.
However, vacuum bags can have several potential downsides. In some cases, a vacuum bag can cause the deformation of some elements of a wedding gown. This can cause a wedding gown to have a poor fit after it is taken out of storage. To avoid these types of issues, it’s a good idea to use foam filler. With foam filler, it’s possible to ensure that a gown will retain its original shape with any type of deformation.
A wedding gown plays an important role in one’s marriage. For many women, a wedding gown is something that they want to preserve for the rest of their lives. An heirloom they want to pass along to their daughter or granddaughter. By learning about effective ways to store a wedding gown, it’s possible to ensure that your gown will remain in great condition for generations to come… Congratulations!
Wedding Dress Cleaning
Wedding dress cleaning is an entire process in itself. Wedding gown preservation specialists use a variety of different wet and dry cleaning methods depending on the fabric and needs of each particular gown. We specialize in wet cleaning, using our proprietary environmentally-friendly, non-toxic surfactants and crystal-clear purified water. Every step of the way, our professionals will ensure that your gown is treated with the gentleness and care it deserves. The cleaners we use prevent fading or bleeding of dye and preserve crisp, bright color that almost make your dress look better than new.
Packaging of Future
Your gown will be thoroughly cleaned from the bodice to the very last sequin or jewel on the train. It will then be carefully folded into an acid-free, museum-quality box designed to prevent yellowing and keep your dress looking brand new for years–so if you want to pass your gown on to your daughter, niece, or other family member down the road, it will be even more pristine than you remember it.
When to Preserve
The sooner after your wedding that you have your gown preserved, the more likely it is that our preservation experts will be able to identify and remove every stain. Older, set-in stains are more difficult to deal with. With that said, you’re probably safe waiting until after the honeymoon to deal with preserving your dress. If you know that your dress has been damaged in some way while you were wearing it, it doesn’t hurt to ask a trusted friend or family member deliver it us for you.
Handling Your Preserved Dress
So, once your dress is preserved, can you still show it off? Of course you can! We recommend handling your dress with care, of course. Ideally, you’ll only touch the dress while wearing clean cotton gloves (if those aren’t available, wash your hands thoroughly first). The oils from your skin can cause yellowing after repeated handling. If you’ve preserved other items and accessories–like your garter, shoes, or jewelry along with the dress, take the time to ask your preservationist what the best methods for handling those items are after they’ve been cleaned and packaged.