Proper storage of your wedding dress is essential to keep this precious item in perfect condition. You want to keep the memories of your special day alive by preserving this symbol of your happy matrimony. But how do you prevent stains and degradation over time?
Our guide to storing wedding dresses will give you all the advice you need to keep your dress fabric in pristine condition and help your dress retain its shape. Read on and avoid the basic mistakes that could cost you a treasured heirloom piece or resale item.
Clean and Inspect Your Wedding Dress Before Storing
Before placing your wedding dress in long-term storage, you must clean it.
Any oils or dirt present will permanently stain your dress if not attended to.
You have two cleaning options.
- Dry cleaning or professional dress cleaning services are the ideal options to give your dress a thorough and safe clean before you bag or box it up.
- For a more gentle clean, you can spot-clean your dress. This involves inspecting your dress and cleaning any dirty areas you find with a gentle fabric cleaning agent. Spot cleaning is recommended for dresses with a lot of beading and other delicate features.
How To Properly Fold Your Dress for Storage
Placing your dress into storage may require you to fold it. To get started:
- Lay the dress on a large flat surface and remove any creases and wrinkles
- Stuff the bodice and sleeves with acid-free paper to help the dress maintain its shape
- Starting at the skirt, fold from the bottom up, in large soft folds
- Place acid-free tissue paper for wedding dress storage between the folds to further prevent creases and wrinkles
- Save folding the train until the very end
- Finally, fold the bodice of your dress over the skirt
Now it is ready for your wedding dress storage box or garment bag.
Proper Storage Materials for Your Wedding Dress
There are two preferred storage methods for your wedding dresses, UK:
1.Cardboard Box Storage
A cardboard box is great for storing your wedding dress, as long as the box material is archival quality. Archival quality means that the materials used to create the cardboard are acid-free.
This acid comes from an organic compound found in tree cells called Lignin. It is present in any material made from wood pulp. When Lignin comes into contact with light it breaks down and releases acids that can come into contact with your wedding dress.
During long-term storage, the acid in paper, wedding dress storage boxes and even some types of plastic can cause the fabric to become yellow and brittle when in contact. Even delicate tissue paper can contain acids that will transfer to anything it is in contact with.
Some wedding dress boxes for storage are made from what is known as buffered materials. These materials contain alkaline that neutralises any acid. The risk here is that fabrics like silk are just as sensitive to these alkaline buffering agents. When picking a wedding dress storage box, acid-free is the only way to go.
2.Garment Bag Storage
Garment bags come in three varieties:
Archival Quality Tyvek
Tyvek is made from high-density polyethene. This synthetic material is waterproof yet breathable. It is the best wedding dress storage bag you can use. It will protect your dress from any external threats in the long term.
Muslin
A muslin wedding dress garment bag for storage is a very popular option. The material is breathable, yet protects from light and dust. It is also the most affordable safe wedding dress storage option.
Cotton
Cotton is a more expensive wedding dress bag for storage but offers the same benefits as muslin. It is a material that can breathe yet offers great protection from light and dust.
Can I Use Plastic Garment Bags To Store My Wedding Dress?
Plastic garment bags should never be used for wedding dresses. While it is acceptable for short-term storage or transport, long-term storage in these bags places your dress at risk of serious damage.
Using plastic materials for wedding dress bag storage will risk trapping moisture and bacteria in the bag when you store your dress. Since plastic is not breathable, the moisture will stay trapped and cause yellowing and other types of degradation.
Picking A Long-Term Storage Facility for Your Wedding Dress
It is highly recommended that you use a long-term storage facility to keep your dress safe. Before you pick a venue, you should ask three questions:
- Do they have around-the-clock security to give you peace of mind?
- Are you allowed regular access to your wedding dress storage unit so you can check on your dress when you need to?
- Is the facility cleaned regularly to prevent the proliferation of pests that can damage your dress?
Why Is At-Home Wedding Dress Storage Not Ideal?
Your instinct may be to keep your wedding dress as close to you as possible, but it is not recommended to keep your dress in a closet or attic at home because:
- Fluctuations in humidity are unavoidable in a home without using special storage equipment. Excessive humidity can cause staining on your dress due to mildew growth.
- Unexpected temperature fluctuations in your home, especially in storage areas like the attic, basement or in a storage cupboard that is close to the house’s exterior walls, will damage your wedding dress over time. Even in a purpose-made box for wedding dress storage.
- Light exposure, even indirect light exposure, will damage any material over time.
Check on Your Dress Regularly
It is recommended that you check on your dress every six to 12 months. Look for signs of damage, staining or pests. If your dress is stored in an acid-free wedding dress storage box, you should still take it out and refold it along new lines to prevent the dress from any permanent creasing.
Storage King Helps Keep Your Memories Safe
We know just how delicate and valuable wedding dresses are. That is why you can rely on Storage King to provide you with a clean, secure storage solution that will make your memories last.
If you need more convincing, get a free quote from us and see just how affordable the best wedding dress storage can be!
We also offer personal storage for any other precious items you need to keep safe, including furniture, equipment, personal documents and everything in between!
Looking for more clothing storage tips? Read our blog on how to store seasonal clothing for some great advice.
