Preserve Your Wedding Dress Perfectly
Your wedding day is one of the most magical moments of your life and your wedding dress isn’t just a beautiful outfit –it’s a cherished symbol of that day. Knowing how to store it properly is key, whether you’re planning to pass it down to someone special, sell it, or simply keep it as a treasured memory.
Now that the big day has come and gone, you may be wondering how to preserve your wedding dress and might feel a little lost about where to start. Don’t worry, at XYZ Storage we understand how important your wedding dress is to you, which is why we created a guide for everything you need to know to keep your gown looking as stunning as the day you wore it.
What Is the Best Way To Clean a Wedding Dress Before Storing It?
Before you store your wedding dress, it’s important to have it professionally cleaned by a trusted bridal dry cleaner. Even if it looks spotless, hidden dirt or bacteria could cause yellowing or discoloration down the road.
Bringing it to a professional bridal dry cleaner is the best way to clean your wedding dress before storing it. Wedding gown specialists will know how to handle wedding gowns with care, as they use special techniques to remove stains and make sure your dress is in perfect condition before you store it away.
Once it’s clean, handle your dress carefully. Make sure your hands are clean or better yet, wear white gloves to avoid transferring any oils onto the fabric. A little extra care goes a long way in keeping your gown as gorgeous as the day you wore it.
Can I Store My Wedding Dress in a Regular Closet?
Storing your wedding dress in a closet isn’t the best option, as wardrobes, drawers, suitcase linings, and even dyes from other fabrics can affect its delicate material. To keep your gown safe, make sure it’s separated from other items and stored in an acid-free environment.
If you have to use a closet, choose a dark one with plenty of space so the dress isn’t squished or brushed against anything. Wherever you store it, make sure the space is dark and dry to protect your gown from humidity and light exposure.
Should I Use a Garment Bag or a Storage Box for My Wedding Dress?
When it comes to storing your wedding dress, you might think a cloth garment bag will do the trick. While, yes, it can be for short-term storage, using acid-free tissue paper and a specially designed acid-free, lignin-free wedding dress storage box is a much better option for long-term storage after the wedding.
The tissue paper helps protect the fabric and keeps creases at bay, while the storage box creates a breathable environment to preserve the dress’s quality. Just make sure the box is big enough to hold your dress without squishing it. Remember, your gown deserves a little space to stay in perfect shape!
Never Store Your Wedding Dress in Plastic Or Cardboard
When it comes to storing your wedding dress, steer clear of plastic dress covers or regular cardboard boxes, as they can trap moisture and bacteria, which could lead to mold or mildew. Plastic covers also let in too much moisture and light, making them a poor long-term solution.
If you’re shopping for a storage box, skip fabric or regular cardboard ones since they often contain acids that can harm your dress over time. You should stick to the acid-free, lignin-free wedding dress storage box instead. You also shouldn’t use coloured tissue paper for packaging your wedding gown, as the dye can transfer to the fabric over time. Opt for white and acid-free tissue paper only.
Is It Better to Hang or Fold a Wedding Dress for Long-Term Storage?
To keep your wedding dress in perfect condition, avoid hanging it long-term sinceit can put stress on the seams and cause the dress to lose its shape. Try and lay the dress flat whenever possible instead and ideally in a bridal dress storage box.
If you are boxing your gown, avoid sealing the box. A folded dress needs to be taken out and gently rearranged every year or so to prevent the folds from turning into permanent creases that could damage the fabric.
Before putting your wedding dress away in storage, it’s also a good idea to ask the experts at the store where you bought your dress for advice on proper care and storage. They’ll know exactly how to help you keep it looking flawless for years to come.
What Materials Are Safe for Wrapping or Covering a Wedding Dress in Storage?
To keep your wedding dress safe, use a properly sized breathable garment bag, acid-free white tissue paper, or an acid-free, lignin-free wedding dress storage box.
Avoid wrapping your dress in plastic—it might protect against spills and dirt, but it traps moisture, which can lead to mold and mildew. Plus, plastic emits fumes that can cause your gown to yellow over time and the risk gets worse the longer it stays in plastic.
For pre-wedding storage, a breathable garment bag is your best bet. After the big day, the most reliable way to preserve your dress’s beauty is to invest in professional wedding dress preservation. Professional preservation is all about giving your dress the VIP treatment! It typically includes cleaning, treating, and packaging your gown with museum-quality techniques and materials. This process helps protect your dress from aging factors like light, humidity, and pesky insects.
How Do I Protect My Wedding Dress From Yellowing Over Time?
One of the main reasons wedding dresses turn yellow is that they’re often stored in plastic bridal bags. Most plastics release chemical fumes that can cause yellowing over time. To protect your gown, it’s best to preserve it in an acid-free, lignin-free environment.
Using acid-free tissue paper or cotton muslin to wrap, pad, and stuff your dress helps prevent acid migration, which leads to discoloration. All preservation materials must be both acid-free and lignin-free. Acid is the culprit behind yellowing, so acid-free is non-negotiable. Lignin, found in wood products, isn’t acidic at first but releases acid as it breaks down. That’s why an acid-free box that isn’t lignin-free will eventually become acidic, undoing all the protection for your dress.
What Causes Yellowing?
Environmental factors like sunlight, humidity, and heat can speed up the natural breakdown of your dress’s fabric. Even if you store your gown in a plastic garment bag, you might still run into something called phenolic yellowing. It happens because of a chemical reaction between the fabric and the chemicals in the plastic, which can leave your dress with a yellow tint over time. Avoiding plastic storage and getting a proper wedding dress cleaning after your big day is the best way to keep your dress looking its best.
How Do I Prevent Moisture Damage To My Wedding Dress?
To keep your wedding dress in perfect condition, avoid storing it in a plastic bridal bag. Not only can the plastic lead to yellowing over time, but it can also trap moisture, which can lead to mold and mildew growth on your wedding gown. Plastic isn’t breathable, so it doesn’t allow for proper air circulation.
The same goes for vacuum sealing your dress. Without proper air circulation, trapped moisture can lead to mold growth on your dress. To avoid this, it’s best to store your gown in a well-ventilated preservation box designed for wedding dresses.
As for location, it’s best to store it in a cool, dry, and dark place. Keep it in a spot where the temperature and humidity stay consistent. Avoid garages, damp basements, or hot attics, as they’re not ideal environments for delicate fabrics as the fluctuating conditions and excess moisture in those areas can damage your dress over time.
If you don’t have the right storage location at home, consider renting a temperature-controlled storage unit. It’s a great option to ensure your dress stays beautiful for years to come!
Looking To Store Your Wedding Dress? Consider Temperature-Controlled Self-Storage at XYZ Storage!
Once your dress is securely wrapped or preserved, you’ll need to store it somewhere safe from direct sunlight, heat, and humidity. These can all wreak havoc on the delicate fabric since sunlight can cause fading, humidity can lead to mildew, and heat can make any lingering stains darken even faster.
If you want extra peace of mind, consider a temperature-controlled storage unit from XYZ Storage. It’s a great way to ensure your wedding dress stays in perfect condition for the long haul! We have convenient and accessible locations across Toronto and the GTA, including Downtown, Midtown, West Toronto, Etobicoke, and Scarborough to help you with all of your storage and moving needs.
