wedding dress Storage...
You will have spent a lot of time, effort and money to find the perfect wedding dress so what will you do with it after the wedding day?
If you have had your wedding dress made, you may want to take it back to the seamstress and see if she can alter and dye the dress for you to wear to other formal occasions. The same goes for all of those mothers who spent a small fortune on their daughter's prom dress only to see it not worn again.
However, if you want to preserve the dress for years to come, here are some simple steps to help you preserve your wedding dress.
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Have the dress professionally cleaned as soon as possible after the wedding. There may be stains you can't see immediately like perspiration or alcohol but which will show up over time. Waiting until you get back from your honeymoon may even be too long. Give the dress to your mother or chief bridesmaid to get dry cleaned. The dry cleaner should also inspect the gown for loose stiches and whether buttons or zips need to be tightened. Starch should also be removed before storage as it absorbs mildew forming moisture. Do not iron the wedding gown either, as this makes the fibres brittle and can harm the dress when folded.
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It is recommended that you store your dress folded as the gravity when hanging it will exert unwanted pressure on the fibres. If you are going to hang the dress for a short while, pad the hanger with cotton batting covered with unbleached cotton which you will find at a quilting store. Also stuff the sleeves, bodice and folds of the dress with acid-free tissue paper to hold shape. Stationery stores are unlikely to carry acid-free paper, so try an archival store..
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When storing the dress folded, line an acid-free cardboard box with acid free tissue paper. Tissue paper allows for air circulation, where plastic traps air and can even encourage mould. Lay the hem in the box first and fold the dress accordion-style with a layer of tissue paper between each fold and tissue paper in the bodice and sleeves. Lay more tissue paper on top of the dress and fit the lid.
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Remove the dress from storage a couple of times a year and fold it along different lines to avoid stressing the fabric and creating permeant creases.
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Store the wedding dress where the temperature and humidity will be constant. An attic is unsuitable as the desired temperature should be maintained at 65-75 degree Fahrenheit. Humidity levels between 45-55 percent are ideal; therefore don't store your dress in a laundry or bathroom closet.
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Avoid contact with UV light. This mean sunlight as well as fluorescent light as this will cause the dress to disintegrate.
For more information, talk to your local drycleaner to find out how they would treat your wedding dress. Make sure you find a reputable cleaner and check that the storage tissue paper is acid-free.
