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Take Your Dress to a Dry Cleaning Service Immediately
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It's best to have your dress dry cleaned within two weeks of wearing it to ensure that the stains don't set. Of course the earlier you can take it in the better.
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Ensure the Dry Cleaner Uses Virgin Solvent
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Many dry cleaning services use recycled solvents, for ecological reasons and also because it is more cost-effective. However, not all impurities get filtered out of the used solvent which may then be deposited onto your gown.
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Make the Dry Cleaner Aware of Any Stains on the Dress
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Notify the dry cleaner of any spills that have occurred on your wedding gown even if they don't show. Dry cleaning fluids do not remove sugar stains such as those left by wine or soda which means that the dress needs to be pre-treated before dry cleaning.
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Ensure the Dry Cleaner Uses the Correct Type of Solvent
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There are three common dry cleaning solvents currently used to clean bridal gowns - Perchloroethylene, Stoddard Solvent and Exxon DF-2000. |
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If your wedding gown is made of silk, rayon, or acetate but does not have beading or sequins, you should be able to safely clean it with Perchloroethylene. This is a plus if your dress is quite dirty as Perchloroethylene is the most effective degreaser. However, if your wedding dress does feature beads or sequins, the other two solvents will be more suitable as Perchloroethylene will damage the beading and melt the glue that attaches it to the dress.
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If your wedding dress is made of polyester, with or without beads and sequins, wet cleaning should safely clean it and produce the best result as water is the best cleanser of sugar spills, most food stains and dirty hems. Wet cleaning also removes the fabric sizing (a starch like substance added to fabric during manufacturing) and which aids in the preservation of the wedding gown as mice and insects are attracted to it.
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Have the Dry Cleaner Bag Your Dress for Preservation |
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Although many brides have their dresses boxed, bagging your gown in an acid-free bag offers the best protection as not only does it prevent the gown from discolouration, mould, mildew and the effects of dust and light, it also prevents permanent creasing and does not need the maintenance that boxing requires. |
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