Conservation
Advice
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How to care for your wedding gown
or other delicate clothing you
wish to preserve.
The following recommendations will be helpful to every bride when deciding how to store and keep her wedding gown in the best possible condition long into the future.
Cleaning your wedding dress before you store it is extremely important to reducing the chance of mould, insects, chemical damage, and abrasion. However the way you clean your dress is also very important to its long term care.
Hand-washingWashing textiles is a delicate and potentially harmful cleaning measure that should never be undertaken without first carefully assessing the composition and condition of the dress. First, refer to the cleaning instructions if one is provided on the dress. Please follow the recommendations found on the label, as the manufacturer's instructions are most appropriate to your particular dress. If you are unsure of how to clean your dress seek the advice of a professional. Do not proceed if you are not absolutely sure the fabric is safe for washing. However, if you determine your dress can be safely washed, examine and remove attachments that will not withstand immersion in water or that contain dyes that could transfer to the piece.
Before washing the garment, remove surface dust and dirt by brushing with a very soft brush or cloth. Every textile, especially very fragile dresses, require uniform support during washing. For this purpose lay the dress on a towel or nylon screen. When washing use a basin that will accommodate the textile laid flat. Next, fill the basin with 20o C to 38o C water, and allow the item to soak for 10 minutes. If the dress is very dirty, soak it a second time in clean water. Change the water and add one teaspoon of mild detergent per litre of water. (Most detergents available, including those for delicate fabrics, are not recommended because they contain perfumes, colourants, and whiteners. If available, use an anionic detergent, such as the products 'W.A. Paste' or 'Orvus', found in drugstores in some provinces.) Return the dress to the water, and press it gently with a sponge to loosen dirt. Never rub or squeeze the dress. Wash the dress a second time or until the washing water remains clean. Finally, rinse the textile several times, holding the corners of the towel to lift it in and out of the basin between rinses. Continue rinsing until all of the detergent is rinsed out. If stains and spots remain on a washed dress, they are best left alone. Old textiles can be damaged by treatments more aggressive than gentle washing.
To dry, place the dress between dry white terry towels. Pat dry, using as many towels as necessary to absorb the water. Lay the dress flat, using towels to provide interior support and to help retain the shape of the garment. Smooth lace with your fingers so it dries as straight as possible. Fans or blow dryers on a cool setting can be used to accelerate drying.
Never store a dress until it is completely dry.
Dry-cleaningWedding dresses, because of their delicate nature and significance, need special attention and care when dry-cleaned. Only very sturdy items should be cleaned by a professional who specializes in cleaning wedding gowns. Because the dry-cleaning process involves harsh chemicals and mechanical tumbling action similar to machine washing and drying, extreme caution should be taken when getting your dress dry-cleaned. To determine if a dress can be dry-cleaned, inspect it thoroughly to ensure that the textile does not have threadbare areas, tears, torn seams, or fragile linings and attachments. If the dress is not in suitable shape to have dry-cleaned remember that what is most important is that it is not damaged. Before you choose a cleaner, approach different cleaners and discuss the process and cost, as it can be expensive. Both you and the cleaner should have the same expectations of how the garment will be cleaned and cared for to avoid any problems.
How To Store Your Wedding Gown
Flat storage is ideal for most textiles because it provides support for the entire textile. Hanging, on the other hand, places stress on the shoulders of a dress, leading to long-term distortion and damage. Beaded dresses are especially heavy and will cause great stress to the garment if stored hanging for an extended period of time. Enclosing the dress in a box also protects it from water damage, dust, and light. When storing textiles flat, it is important to keep folding to a minimum to prevent creases and wrinkling.
Before placing any textiles into storage, examine it thoroughly for any sign of insect infestation or mould. If either of these conditions is detected, infested garments should be placed in a sealed, clean plastic bag, or placed in a dry environment and monitored until signs of the problems are gone. Also, before storing a dress remove paper wrappings other than acid free tissue, especially coloured tissue paper from which dyes could transfer onto your dress. Remove all pins and dry-cleaning staples. Not only do these place stress on the fabric, they are almost certain to rust. Cover any metal fasteners or decorations with acid free tissue or clean cotton to prevent corrosion from damaging the dress.
Place the dress in an appropriate sized box with a lid. Boxes made of see-through polypropylene are commercially available, as are acid-free cardboard boxes. Line the box with either pre-washed unbleached cotton sheeting, foam sheeting, acid-free paper or tissue paper. Cut a piece of the lining material large enough to cover the textile, which can also be used for lifting the dress into and out of the box. Use tissue paper to pad and support any folds to prevent damaging creases from forming.
Accessories
To retain the original shape of a shoe, pad the interior with acid-free tissue paper. Store shoes either in a closed cupboard or in a box with a lid. Arrange the shoes standing side-by-side to prevent damage from occurring. Headpieces should be stored flat in a lined box, fully supported with tissue paper to prevent movement. The veil should be laid flat with as little folding as possible, and each fold supported with tissue paper. Because the veil is light, it may be possible to store it in the same large box or container as your wedding dress. If you veil has any metal pieces remember to cover them to prevent residue from staining the dress.
Where To Store Your Wedding Gown
Because textiles like your wedding gown are very vulnerable to outside conditions, it is important to store your dress in an environment that is carefully controlled. Light, humidity, and temperature can greatly affect how well your dress will stand up over time.
Damage to textiles by light depends on three factors: the intensity of the light, the proportion of ultraviolet radiation, and the length of exposure. Light can cause fading and embrittlement of textiles; therefore keeping your dress away from any source of light will prolong the life and quality of your dress.
Humidity and temperature are two other important elements to consider when storing your dress. High humidity accelerates the chemical and biological deterioration of textiles, and can also cause mould to develop on the fabric. Low humidity on the other hand leads to the embrittlement of textiles, making them extremely fragile over a long period of time. The recommended humidity level for most textiles is approximately 50%. Ideally, gowns should be kept in cold storage. However, the preferred alternative is a temperature range of 20oC to 25oC in summer, and 15oC to 20oC in winter. Although some variation is acceptable, wide fluctuations in temperature and humidity within short periods of time should be avoided.
We hope this information is helpful to you, however please understand that the recommendations provided are not strict guidelines. As each wedding dress is unique with particular instructions for care, these suggestions may not always apply. The information given in this pamphlet was compiled by the Galt and was adapted from literature provided by the Canadian Conservation Institute. If you would like more information, please write to the Canadian Conservation Institute at 1030 Innes Road, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0C8 or contact the Galt Museum & Archives at [403] 320.4064
