January 13, 2022
You leaned in for smooch from great aunt Peggy and her hot pink lipstick, but somehow it ended up staining your wedding dress!
Luxurious white fabric and stains...what’s a bride to do?
If you’re planning on keeping your wedding dress after the big day, stains can put a huge damper on the affair, especially after the lengths you went to preserving your prize.
Stains don’t cross the mind until that glass of red splashes across your diamond encrusted bodice. Here’s how you can be prepared to tackle the unexpected on your big day and save your dress.
If preserving your dress is a priority, it’s a smart idea to do some research on fabric care and bundle together a few key items to treat stains immediately after they occur.
First, know the fabric of your dress and how to best treat that particular fabric. For example…
Synthetic fabrics such as polyester can be treated easily using gentle homemade cleansers, such as mild soap and water or seltzer water.
Natural fabrics such as silk or chiffon are easily damaged, and call for a more meticulous approach by a professional.
For starters, include the following in your stain emergency kit…
Pro Tip: Never use stain pens or commercial stain removers, as these products rely on bleach, which can actually damage the fabric more.
Let’s get back to the moment that red wine so rudely attacked your gorgeous gown. The first thing you’ll want to do is blot the stain to remove any excess liquid. Avoid rubbing, as this will spread out the liquid and possibly enlarge the stain.
Next, apply the baby powder or cornstarch to help lift the stain and prevent the liquid from absorbing into the fabric.
Use the soft-bristle brush to gently sweep away the powder. Make an appointment with a professional cleaner and deliver your dress as soon as possible following your wedding.
Oily substances, like great aunt Peggy’s lipstick, can be removed in a similar fashion, but start by gently scraping off the excess oil with the edge of a dull knife or your fingernail.
Apply your powder and let it sit for 30 minutes. White colored powder will mask the offending stain and continue to lift oil from the fabric.
Get that gown to your dry cleaner as soon as possible after your wedding!
Simply put...leave it alone! This is a job for a professional wedding dress cleaner.
As well, try to keep things in perspective. For example, if you’re having an outdoors wedding, getting a bit of dirt on the hem of your dress may be unavoidable.
Don’t let it ruin your day though, as no one will be staring at your hem, and you most likely won’t even see it in your pictures.
Do you have any tried-and-true methods to get rid of stains? Tell us in the comments!
Remember, some stains are more stubborn than others, and these are general tricks that have worked for other brides, but may not work for everyone!
If you don't want to chance it with your gown, there are professional cleaners who work magic on stains to make your gown look brand new.
At Love Bridal Boutique, we always recommend that our brides consult Oceanside Cleaners in Ponte Vedra for wedding dress cleaning.
