How to wash a wedding dress at home

Almost always, after the wedding, it becomes necessary to wash the wedding dress at home. Many women don't know how to do it right. They usually keep their dress as a keepsake of a significant event. But an outfit with stains and dirt cannot be put into a cover and hung in a wardrobe.

There are special rules for washing wedding dresses at home, since this product is sewn from delicate fabrics and decorated in a special way. That is why the article will provide examples of washing a wedding dress in a typewriter or by hand, as well as proper drying.

Is it possible to machine wash a wedding dress

It is not so easy to return the pristine cleanliness alongside at home; the procedure must be approached responsibly. Before you start washing, you need to understand whether such an airy product can, in general, be put in order, at home, and specifically, in a washing machine.

As a rule, the products have labels indicating the particulars of washing. They need to be carefully studied, and only then get to work. If you are not sure that the outfit will not be damaged, it is better to contact a dry cleaner.

How to wash a wedding dress at home

Every housewife understands that when washing delicate fabrics at home, you need to decide on the temperature of the water. It is also worth choosing the necessary means so as not to damage the festive outfit.

How to machine wash a wedding dress

If machine wash is recommended on the product label, you can use it at home. But it should be understood that wedding dresses are sewn from thin delicate fabrics, which must be handled with care.

For washing at home, it is best to use an automatic machine, as there are different modes in it. In addition, you need to follow some recommendations that will help you cope with the work without damaging the product:

1. The washing cycle in the washing machine should be kept to a minimum. A festive outfit made of airy fabrics must be cleaned of dirt and stains at a water temperature no higher than +30 degrees. A higher indicator violates the structure of the fabric, makes the product unusable.
2. You need to think about choosing a washing powder, since ordinary detergents for washing a festive outfit are not suitable, they are very harsh and aggressive. It is best to purchase special solutions that are designed to work with delicate fabrics, lace. It is important to understand that they should all be colorless.
3. Very often, metal decorative elements are sewn onto the corset of wedding dresses. There is no need to strip them off to wash the product at home. But so that they do not fade, do not lose their original appearance, it is recommended to rub them with glycerin for protection.
4. If the outfit has embroidery or a corset is embroidered with beads, then it is recommended to wrap this area in a dense fabric before washing in an automatic washing machine.
5. In order not to damage delicate fabrics, it is advisable to purchase a special bag for washing in an automatic washing machine, which will protect clothes from damage.
6. To wash a tulle wedding dress (this material gives a special splendor to the outfit), a little starch is added to the washing machine. This product will preserve the texture of the fabric and restore the whiteness of the home washed garment.

How to hand wash your wedding dress yourself

A washing machine is not always suitable for washing a wedding dress at home. There are some fabrics that have to be cleaned by hand. It is to this method of washing that you will have to resort to if a convenient way is not indicated on the product.

Hand wash options:

1. You can wash the dress vertically by hand if only the hem of the wedding dress is dirty or dirty.
2. Horizontal washing at home is used when the dress is heavily soiled, when you have to soak the whole dress.

Vertical wash

How to properly wash your dress:

1. Hang the dress on a hanger over the bathtub, turn on warm water and wet it from the shower.
2. Apply a sponge or soft brush with a mild detergent and wipe off the stain on the fabric. You need to lather from top to bottom.
3. After a few minutes, pour warm water from the shower over the dress until the soap is washed off. Leave the product over the bathtub to drain off the water.

Horizontal wash

In case of severe contamination, the product will have to be completely dipped in water. As a rule, the bottom of the wedding dress is most smeared.

Stages of work:

1. Before washing, the hem is soaked in soapy water for half an hour.
2. Then the whole product is immersed in warm water with detergent.
3. After the dress has lain for another 30 minutes in soapy water, start washing with the corset. Any stains on it at home are carefully wiped off with a brush or sponge.
4. Then they start cleaning the hem and any dirt on the dress.
5. When all dirt has been removed, the dress is thoroughly rinsed, changing the cool water 3 times.
6. Dry the product in an upright position.

Features of removing stains from different types of fabric

A wedding is a wedding, so the spots can be very different. They will have to be removed in special ways.

Basic methods:

1. To remove sweat stains on a wedding dress, you can use a laundry detergent designed for washing baby clothes. You need to take 60 g of the product and pour it into 500 ml of boiling water. When the powder is completely dissolved, and the liquid has cooled to 40 degrees, it must be applied to the contamination. After 5-7 minutes, wash off the detergent with warm water. It is not always possible to cope with the problem immediately. Sometimes you have to repeat it 2-3 times.
2. If the dress is made of silk, then a saline solution is prepared: take 45 g of salt and dissolve it in 450 ml of hot water. When the substance is completely dissolved, a soft sponge is moistened in the solution and the product is treated with it. The procedure at home should be repeated until the yellowness from the sweat disappears.
3. Wine stains are the most common. To remove them, ammonia is used, which is previously diluted with water in a 1: 1 ratio. Use a clean sponge to apply the liquid. After a while, the stain brightens, it must be immediately sprinkled with baby talcum powder. This product is able to absorb the constituent stains.When the talcum powder dries up, shake it off. All that remains is to rinse the product in warm water.
4. If the wedding takes place in the summer, then green streaks and grass stains on the long hem of the dress are difficult to avoid. Lemon juice or 6% hydrogen peroxide will help fix the problem. A cotton pad should be moistened with the chosen product, wipe the stain, then rinse with warm water.
5. Dust and dirt stains may remain on the dress if it rains. You need to wait until the dirt dries, then wipe it off with a dry soft brush. Then rinse the contamination with warm water.
6. Mineral water can be used to fix food stain problems. The contaminated area must be soaked in mineral water for 3-4 hours, then rinsed in warm water.
7. To eliminate lipstick, the place of contamination is moistened with water, then covered with talcum powder. The fact is that traces of cosmetics are by no means recommended to be washed in the usual way, since it is simply absorbed into the material.
8. Ink stains on a wedding dress are rare, but they can still appear. You can correct the situation with hairspray. It is sprayed on the stain, after an hour the stain is removed with a sponge soaked in soapy water.
9. Dresses made of silk can be removed from stains and dirt using dishwashing detergent, as well as a mixture of ammonia, glycerin and water. After half an hour, the composition must be washed off with warm water.
10. Glycerin is a great way to remove greasy stains. The agent must be warmed up, then applied to the dirt. After a third of an hour, rinse with warm water.

Drying the wedding dress

As already noted, neither machine nor hand wash at home involves wringing out wedding dresses after washing. But to know how to properly dry an airy product is necessary.

You can dry an outfit washed at home in different ways:

1. Hang the washed dress on a hanger. In this case, under the weight, all the folds will straighten themselves. But it should be borne in mind that for too heavy products, this option is not suitable, as it can cause deformation.
2. Another option is horizontal drying. In this case, the product is laid out on the wire rack after washing and rinsing. When most of the water has drained off, the dress can be hung on a hanger.

Tips & Tricks

Before you start washing a wedding dress at home, the product must be specially prepared:

1. Decorative elements, which include embroidery, rhinestones, beads, if they cannot be ripped off without damage to the product, should be trimmed with satin ribbons or a piece of thick fabric. Experts advise turning such products over before washing so that the jewelry does not come into direct contact with the drum.
2. Lubricate jewelry made of metal with glycerin before washing at home. This tool will save metal decor from oxidation and further rusting.
3. Before washing the product at home, you need to start with the dirtiest parts, as a rule, sleeves, corset, hem. Use mild detergents or baby shampoo to wash sleeves, armholes and corsets.
4. To soak the hem, warm water is poured into the bath, in which the detergent is diluted. Only the hem of the wedding dress is soaked in it for 1-2 hours, depending on the degree of pollution.

Then the whole product is dipped in clean soapy water or put in a washing machine (it all depends on the material and recommendations on the label). After a delicate wash, it is thoroughly rinsed in several waters.

You need to know:

1. You can add vinegar to the rinse water to preserve the whiteness of the outfit. This product can also be used on colored fabrics.
2. When drying, the product should not be exposed to direct sunlight.
3. Silk wedding dresses are very capricious, so it is not recommended to wash them at home, it is better to trust specialists.
4. If the fabric is 100% polyester, regular laundry detergent will work. Products made from this material can be washed by hand or in an automatic washing machine. Machine wash should be done with a delicate wash cycle.
5. Do not use synthetic products to whiten white satin and silk dresses at home, as they can cause yellowing.

Conclusion

It is possible to wash a wedding dress at home, but only if special rules are followed. Of course, you will have to spend a lot of time, but the original beauty will be returned to the elegant dress. After drying and ironing, the product is put into a special cover to save it from dust. As a rule, a wedding dress is stored for a long time, so from time to time the outfit needs to be taken out of the cover and ventilated.