I have just received my mother's wedding dress and it is in need of cleaning. I would rather do it myself, because this dress is over 50 years old. I was given orally a recipe to clean it, but can't remember it. The dress has yellowed, (my mother kept it in her cedar chest). Probably not the best choice of storage.
The dress appears to be homemade. I'm not sure of the fabric (No label). It feels like silk on one side, but more durable on the other side. And it has Toule on the lower half, over this other material. There are a few stains on it. I never expect this dress to be worn again, so it does not have to be perfect, but I would like to display it.
Does anyone have any reliable home remedies to try to clean this up? And any suggestions for the best way to display it would be great. I was just going to cover it and hang it on the wall in my bedroom.
Thanks for your help.
Louise
Louise - I have my grandmother's wedding dress - which is even older - and I have the same problems and questions. I emailed a professional in NY and he said he could clean it (I haven't asked how much yet - I'm afraid to), but he said I should reconsider displaying it because it would cause further yellowing. My plan was a lrg shadow box, but I have yet to do anything abt it until I clean it.
By Brenda
I wonderfull remedy m MIL told me is fill your tub with hot water enough to cover the dress, 2 cups clorox2 , and 2 cups cascade dishwasher( NOT washING) powder, mix until dissolved and soak over night. rinse well in warm water. you can repeat this about 3 times if it doesn't help by then the stains won't come out with this solution. it worked great on my 19 yr old baby clothes.:) (09/10/2005)
By Ravencat
Ravencat's recipe may be fine for somethings but I'd be extra cautious with an antique wedding dress.
First, it may not take well to water (and hot water). It may be a material that shrinks or shrivels. Test a little inside the hem, let it dry and see how it does. If it doesn't shrink then more on to the next step.
Cascade would be pretty harsh so make up a little mixture of a tiny bit Cascade and Clorox2 (the NON chlorine bleach) with a little water. Paint a little inside the hem and see what happens, then rinse it with a paint brush also. That way you can pretest to make sure that the material on both the front and the back take to the mixture (and the water) with no damage.
If both materials seem to take well to both water and the mixture, then try using the tub.
Hot water might shrink the whole dress or just one side so warm or luke warm water might be best.
With something that is an heirloom like this, take great care with it and take the time to do some testing to see what will work the best.
If your testing hasn't had good results, talk to a dry cleaner about how best to clean it.
Good Luck,
Susan from ThriftyFun (09/11/2005)
By ThriftyFun
This recipe with the clorox 2 and cascade sounds similiar to what I was told. Thanks for the advice and keep it coming. This is a wonderful forum. Louise (09/11/2005)
By Louise
I read on another web site that wedding dress stores wash them all the time in the washing machine on gentle cycle. It said to turn them wrong side out and wash with regular detergent. It said that although most dresses may look like silk, they are really polyester and are fine to wash on the gentle cycle. Don't know if this would work on an older gown. (09/12/2005)
By Ann
Hello Ladies I would like to extend my knowledge on cleaning your vintage gowns as well as helping you understand why the yellowing occurs. I own A high end textile cleaning and preservation company in Ny. Catalina and Co. Properly cleaning these gowns is essential because they are delicate. Using abrasive bleaches and harsh chemicals will only deteriorate the fabrics. The yellowing occurs from stains invisible to the eye such as rain ,sugar white wine,hairspray etc. Also from improper preservation and storage. If you choose to have your gown cleaned by a reputable service make sure you take proper storage percautions to ensure yellowing wont happen again. If you are shopping around for a professional company.Please do check out http://www.Catalinaandco.com
We offer the most competitive prices in the industry. I would love to extend a 100.00 Gift Certificate off of your service with mentioning this reply. Good luck and Please do not store your gowns in Attics or Basements, if I can help you please feel free to ask. (09/19/2006)
By catherine Lloyd
Here is a picture of the dress I want to try and clean. it was stored in a ceder chest, and has some minor rips and tears, so this will need to be considered when I clean it. If anyone else has any suggestions I would love hear them.
thanks, Louise (02/20/2007)
By Louise
Every girl has or will have her own 1 or 2 wedding dresses. It's important to know the correct way to wash and keep it clean. I manage an online store dealing with flower girl dresses, so I know a little bit about it.
If you are going to wash a wedding dress, the correct way to wash by yourself is to wash by hand, not by machine; and wet wash, not dry wash. Because if you wash by machine, those beads and shinning pieces one the wedding dress will get lost easily. And you'd better use the wet wash way. First, put it into water (not hot water) with Neutral detergent for 30 minutes or longer, then it's easy to wash the wine, sugar etc. But if your dress is made of silk, cellulose acetate, rayon or wool fabrics, you'd better sent it to professional washing store, because they can't endure wet wash.
After you used your wedding dress, you should wash it as soon as possible, because if the stains stay on the dress for a long time, they will create unnecessary difficulties for cleaning. Ganzi would have discolored wedding and damage fabrics.
When you are trying to store it, make sure you do not hang it up, because the vertical edge of the wedding dress may make the dress longer or even damage the dress as time goes on.
I hope my answer will make some help. If you are want to enjoy some beautiful pictures on the latest style wedding dresses, flower girl dresses or pageant dresses and party dresses. Please visit: http://www.fashionstars198614.com If your friends or you are shopping for a cheap and high quality flower girl dresses with the latest style, do visit my website. (08/26/2007)
By Catherine
Louise: My daughter was given a beautiful wedding dress for her wedding with beading and lace. I was trying to find a way to clean it myself and found a good site. This dress is made of polyester, so I hung it in the shower with a spray attachment, wet it down first with cool water, then used a spray bottle with mild detergent without bleach and sprayed the dress, along the bottom where there it was dirty I let the spray set for about 1 min. I started at the top and sprayed the dress a few times to make sure the soap was out. I had to do the hem a couple times to get the dirt out. I hung it outside in the sun on two sturdy plastic hangers, when the dress is almost dry, I read to put in on a clean white sheet on a table or flat service to finish drying. The dress looks great and the beading looks fine. My daughter will be pleased and it will save alot of money on cleaning. This dress doesn't have a big train. If it did, you would need to support the train with a couple plastic hangers. The directions said to never fold a wet dress over a hanger, because it would crease, and not to use wire hangers. Hope this helps. I was pleased with the results. (09/03/2007)
By Debbie
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