Wedding dress cleaning help!

tayforth

Hello you lovely OSers, I'm hoping that you can help me if I butter you up a bit

I am thinking of selling my wedding dress. It needs to be cleaned, though. It's ivory satin with a lace overlay and a satin belt around the middle, and no beading/crystals.

The stains are mainly light fake tan on the inside of the bodice, and some dry dust on the bottom from walking around on gravel. It was a dry day, so no mud, and no red wine either!

Can I just put it in the washing machine?

Ive been quoted £70-£150 for dry cleaning. :eek:

BeckyC2be

If you do put it in the wash, just put it inside a duvet cover first. That's what I got told when I was going to wash mine -although I never got around to it so I cant tell you if it worked!

whitewing

Is there a shop near you that sells second hand dresses? If so, take it along to them - they may be able to advise you how to clean it yourself when they have checked the dress and what products to use.

stsarina

I washed mine (with delicate beading on the bodice) inside a plain white duvet cover, then dried it on the line. Absolutely fine, came out as good as new!

Pink.

This thread has lots of tips and advice:

Cleaning a wedding dress..

I'll add this thread to that one later to keep the suggestions together.

Pink

Spendless

I washed mine in a WM. It had 4yo champagne stains on it. I popped it on a delicate wash and inside a pillow case. It was fine, but I decided that I took the chance if it didn't work. I did it because I wanted the train to be used for my daughter's Christening outfit. I had to sponge off a mark after I line -dried it though as a bird had pooped on it!

tayforth

I'm sooo tempted to do it! Can't justify up to £150 for dry cleaning. :eek:

camNolliesMUMMY

I had heavy beading on mine and because i kept trying it on it did get make up on it :z.
I put mine inside a duvet on the coldest wash possible with a little bit of wash powder n hung off the shower rail to dry it was heavy but strangely the shower rail never gave way. I had five layers of netting satin with a tulle overlay.....may have spelt that wrong lol and lots of crystals ll over it.

janb5

If you do put it ion the WM remember to turn it inside out to protect any beading etc. As I mentioned to you, I did this with designer bridesmaid dresses. I also asked for some long covers from a dry cleaner shop which they gave to me for free. Let us know how you get on.

psso

If you don`t want to chance the washing machine, turn it inside out and put it in the bath with warm water and soap flakes (lux or similar) Gently swish it around in the water, rub the stains lightly.

Drain the water out of the bath, add fresh water to rinse it. Do that a couple of times then let the water out again. Hang the dress over a clothes horse in the bath to let most of the water drip out and hang outside to line dry next day if possible.

My daughter`s dress had lots of pearls on the bodice and around the skirt and it came out absolutely fine.
To iron it I used a very cool setting and a white handkerchief between the dress and the iron.

theoretica

Is it silk or artificial fibres?

I would always try handwash before machine, but if it needs ironing that may be a nightmare!