Help!!

rachk116

Hi All. I'm desperately looking for some help please?

I had stored my wedding dress at my Mum's since my wedding in 2015. Unfortunately, I lost my mum 2 years ago and it has come back to me. I thought it had been cleaned after I'd worn it but now I've looked at it again, it has yellowed, so I'm guessing it hasn't 😭.
Is there any rescuing it after all this time? Or am I stuffed? I live in East Yorkshire so if anyone knows anywhere that would give it a go I'd be very grateful.
Thanks in advance.

sammyjammy

It will have yellowed just through time, nothing to do with it being cleaned or not.  Do you plan to use it again?

Brie

It might be easier to repurpose it. Might depend on the style and fabric.

I've been trying to convince my nieces to take my wedding dress (off white, cotton, laura ashley for late 80s) and dye it purple or similar for a party dress.  

Pollycat

Someone's bought my sister's wedding dress to dye it for a cruise.

What is the reason you're keeping it?

Savvy_Sue

Can you hang it out in the sunshine for a while? That may be all it needs. 

xylophone

Is the fabric washable?

If so, a product like  Tesco oxypowder might help.

twopenny

Don't think of dry cleaning it. I knew of someone that tried that and it was just differently stained. No fault of the cleaners, they did warn her but she was more upset than before she took it in.

HampshireH

Most wedding dresses say not machine washable.

But it depends what you want it for. In our house we sold on our wedding outfits knowing we wouldn't wear them again and selling was an added bonus. On that basis the wedding dress which was discoloured and had a drink stain and grass stains on it which hadn't been noticed before  it was sprayed in vanish and went in a cold wash in the machine.

Came out as new and back to it's original colour.

Savvy_Sue

BTW, one warning about any lacy bits. When we moved into this house, we 'inherited' various net curtains, a few of which were left where they are (I'm not a fan, and the house isn't overlooked at all), in rooms I rarely enter. When we had the windows replaced, obviously the curtains had to come down, and I decided to throw the nets in the washing machine.  

They did not survive. 

DigForVictory

If you can find a textile curator at an accessible museum, they may be able to advise on what they would do to stop time creeping on. The V&A in London did 'drop in' days once a month pre-covid, other musea are available.
Have to say my first thought is a Very careful wash (bathtub, room with dehumidifier, emphatically not tumble dry) and possibly (weather permitting) lay it out and expose it to sunlight. 
As for the dye it idea, who hasn't accidentally washed a foundation garment with something they should not have to find how many different sorts of material are involved by the different colours? You may want to seek help disassembling, colouring & reassembling! Best of luck!

sheramber

I was advised that white items should br stored in blue tissue b
paper to preserve the colour.

I did this with a white Christening. Gown and wooden shawl. 

They did not discolour.