Cleaning a wedding dress..

immoral_angeluk

Nearly died when the dry cleaners quote £60 to dry clean my wedding dress... does anyone have any other suggestions? No major stains just the usual wedding cake, grass stains and footprints on the train :mad: .

Mizz_Pink

I paid £75 for mine to be cleaned and boxed so probably £60 is about right. I dont know if i'd risk washing it myself.

Pink.

If you do decide to wash it yourself this older thread might help:

Advice on Handwashing Wedding DressPlease

Pink

tawnyowls

It's usually a percentage of the cost of the actual dress. I found Johnson's very reasonable, and they did an excellent job.

Alfietinker

I paid £120 5 years ago! :eek: (I had left it for a few months and it had got mildew from damp wardrobe mind )

However you clean it, buy an acid free box and tissue paper, wrap everything carefully and put in the box. It should stop future deterioation (sp?)

kingshir

I washed my daughter's wedding dress in the bath using non bio powder and hand hot water. Treated the stains first with fairy liquid and then very gently swooshed it round, drained the water, refilled to rinse (did this twice). Laid 3 huge bath sheets on the floor, laid the dress on them and rolled it up (like a swiss roll) to blot the excess water and then hung it on a hanger to air dry. It came out perfectly and didn't even need ironing although the local dry cleaners would iron it for a tenner if it had!

newlywed

Thanks... keep meaning to do mine - think the bath will be the way to do it as it's hand made and not silk.

cathie_3

I got mine done at Johnsons, approx £60, but I used Tesco voucher to pay so it was acutally £15 in vouchers. They didn't clean it well first time, but I sent it back at no extra cost and they did a good job second time.

Tiggyroo

Hi, I bought a second hand wedding dress online and it arrived yesterday. It has a few marks on it and one seam is starting to come undone. Does anyone have any ideas for how I can fix either of these things without going to the expense of a dry cleaner (£65!) or a tailor? I know it's probably wishful thinking but I was hoping there might be some kind of glue/bonding tape that I could use to fix the seam?
Thanks
Tiggy

foxgloves

I personally wouldn't risk any kind of fabric glue on a special dress. I've seen it make a weird mark on something similar. Seams need to be strong so that they don't embarassingly come apart on the day. They are not usually difficult to sew as if you turn the dress inside out, you'll be able to see where the stitches should be. A seam is usually the most straightforward repair & wouldn't necessarily have to go to a tailor unless the design is particularly complicated just where the mend needs to be. If you can't sew, do you know anyone who can? Friends or family? I don't do dressmaking but can do basic alterations, mend seams, etc, & a lot of people will be the same, so worth asking around.

Tiggyroo

Hmm thanks I didnt think ofthem coming apart again on the day- that would look great on the pictures! haha I'll start phoning around now, surely someone will be able to do it... thanks!