The wedding day, full of events and fuss, has finally come to an end and the young wife is faced with the task of cleaning a dirty wedding dress before storing it or returning it to the salon. Washing this rather complicated piece of clothing is an activity that requires knowledge of certain nuances.
The article will talk about how to clean a wedding dress at home, how to steam, iron and starch it, if necessary. Simple tips and recommendations will help bring your wedding dress back to its original form.
Posted by Michelle (@eternitymomentswedding) Mar 21, 2022 at 8:38 am PDT
How to iron a dress with a steamer
Steam generators and steamers help you quickly and safely iron your wedding dress. The following points need to be taken into account:
first study the information on the dress label about the ironing temperature;
Start ironing at the lowest temperature.
Bodice
The bodice can be steamed from the front and back sides. When there is a lot of decor and rhinestones on the bodice, it is turned inside out. Steam according to instructions:
- Hang the dress on a hanger.
- Direct the steamer at the bodice at a distance of 1-5 cm from it.
- Steam until all wrinkles are straightened.
If the bodice is ironed with an iron with a steam function, then proceed as follows:
- Lay out the dress on the ironing board, straighten the bodice.
- Spread gauze in 1 layer over the entire surface to be ironed.
- Start ironing.
Sleeves
Ironing of the sleeves begins immediately after tidying up the bodice. You need to pull out the sleeves and hold them so that they are constantly taut. Direct the steamer or steam generator at the sleeves at a distance of 1-5 cm. After treatment, you can place tubes made of paper into the sleeves. The sleeves will straighten out on them and will not wrinkle again.
Skirt
When the skirt is separate from the corset, it is better to hang it on hangers or a mannequin and straighten it well. If the skirt is multi-layered, you need to steam sequentially from the bottom layer to the top. If the lower layers are not visible, you can steam only the top layer of the skirt.
After ironing, the skirt is left to hang for 5 minutes to allow it to cool and get into shape. After this, inspect the skirt again and process the remaining folds.
If an iron with a steam function is used, the skirt is laid out on an ironing board, turned inside out and covered with gauze soaked in water. Iron in sections, turning. This method requires the participation of several people.
Plume
The train is ironed in the same way as a skirt. If it is heavily dented, first spray it with water from a spray bottle. After steaming, hang the train on several hangers so that it does not wrinkle again.
Bows
If the elements are small and made of delicate fabric, you need to test the ironing mode on a similar piece of material and adjust the steamer. Ribbons and bows are straightened with your hands and steam is directed at them at a distance of about 2-5 cm.
Decorative details
Flowers, monograms and other decorative elements made of fabric are smoothed out in the same way as bows. Carefully straighten and steam, taking into account the type of material. If elements separate from the dress, it is more convenient to iron them after removing them first.
Veil
With a long veil you need to follow the instructions:
- Attach the veil to a hanger.
- Spread it in different directions so that it is full length and width, attracting several people.
- Steam at a distance of 2-5 cm.
Store the veil on several hangers depending on the length.
Steamers reduce the time it takes to iron a wedding dress and reduce the risk of fabric damage.
Ironing method without a steamer
When there is no steamer, you can iron the bride’s wedding dress without it. An ordinary iron and steam will do.
Iron
The dress can be ironed subject to a number of rules:
- lay gauze on the dress to protect the fabric from burning;
- adjust the iron according to the type of fabric: for thin and airy fabrics, the “minimum” or “medium” heating mode is suitable up to 140 C, for dense ones - “maximum” heating;
- Test the heating of the device on a similar fabric so as not to burn the dress. You need to try ironing a less valuable item made of similar material in order to set the iron correctly;
- turn the product inside out.
A special stand is used to smooth out sleeves and small parts.
The dress is straightened out on the ironing board, ironed from top to bottom: first the bodice, then the sleeves, the skirt, the train. To prevent the ironed areas from becoming wrinkled again, they need to be held, so the help of several people will be required.
Steam in the bathroom
An alternative way to remove wrinkles from a dress is to use steam. You need to act according to the instructions:
- Fill the bath with hot water, you can add boiling water to make steam.
- Hang the dress on a hanger above the bathtub. The distance from the water to the hem should be at least 20-30 cm. Do not allow the fabric to get into hot water.
- Close the door and leave the item until the folds are straightened. The exact time depends on the type of fabric and the depth of creases and folds.
You cannot leave the item over steam for more than 20 minutes.
If the corset and skirt are decorated with rhinestones, beads and other decorative elements, steam is used carefully. The decor may peel off when exposed to hot, humid air.
Boiling pan
A similar way to get rid of creases on a dress is steam from a boiling pan. If used carelessly, the fabric may be damaged by too hot steam and overheating. The method is used carefully according to the scheme:
- Place a wide pan of water on the stove.
- Wait until it boils.
- Hang the dress on a hanger over boiling water, the distance from the top of the pan to the hem is about 30 cm.
- Wait until the folds straighten and remove the hanger with the dress.
Carefully hang the item so that it does not get wrinkled again.
Getting rid of various dirt and stains
Before the main cleaning of wedding decorations, you should get rid of local difficult stains. For each of them there is its own proven remedy. Using regular bleaches and stain removers will not lead to results.
Determine what caused the contamination and use the following tips to remove it.
| Problem | Her decision |
| It helps best in the fight against traces of sweat. | Concentrated saline solution and weak soda solution. |
| Can handle wine stains. | Hot soapy water |
| To get rid of greasy stains. | Before washing, wipe damaged areas with nail polish remover or sprinkle with starch for 15 minutes. |
| Grass pollution | They are treated with ammonia and laundry soap. |
| A makeup stain on the product. | It is sprayed with mineral water and covered with salt until it is completely absorbed into the fabric. |
Dirt is removed by first soaking the damaged area, as shown in the video. Then carefully clean off the dirt with a wet soapy sponge.
A foam of laundry soap will help simply remove dust. When using such irreplaceable products, a girl will not be able to find a previously contaminated area. After working with the ingrained “traces of the holiday,” the entire dress begins to be washed. But first check the composition of the fabric.
What to do with other types of stains?
The ink from the pen is treated with a cotton swab sprinkled with hairspray. Flower pollen is removed with an alcohol solution or hydrogen peroxide only if the fabric is not colored. In this case, peroxide can whiten the color.
An unusual folk remedy – bread crumb – will help get rid of soot. Roll a heated piece of white bread into a ball and wipe the damaged areas. Bread absorbs black marks. Then the fabric is soaked and wiped with laundry soap, and then rinsed. If this method does not remove all the soot, use a solution of baking soda, dishwashing detergent, vinegar and water. All components are taken in equal proportions. The resulting solution foams and hisses. Apply the product immediately and leave for 15 minutes. It is the chemical reaction that allows you to finally get rid of the black spot.
Rice. 3 – Bread crumb for removing stains
Features of ironing dresses made of various materials
The main indicator for choosing an ironing method is the material from which the outfit is made. Depending on the density of the fabric, the operating temperature of the iron is adjusted, and the need to use steam and a steamer is assessed.
Atlas
Satin products are ironed according to the following rules:
- medium heating mode of the iron (about 140 °C), steaming is acceptable;
- using damp gauze, fabric, ironing cover as a lining for the iron;
- Do not leave the iron and steamer in one place for a long time.
It is forbidden to press hard on the item; you must act smoothly.
Fatin
The smoothing rules are described in the table:
| Index | Options |
| Mode | Minimum, carefully switch to medium |
| Application of gauze | Necessarily |
| Using steam | Acceptable. Steam is used in the bathroom. |
You can quickly smooth out tulle with water and a hairdryer:
- Water is poured into the spray bottle.
- Spray water onto the fabric.
- Direct a stream of air with a hairdryer and dry the surface, straightening it.
Chiffon
To iron chiffon, select the “minimum” or “silk” iron setting from 60 to 110 °C. The use of a steamer is allowed. The iron should be clean and the soleplate should be smooth. The product is first turned inside out and straightened on the ironing board.
Chiffon can be wetted with water from a spray bottle and left to hang for a while. Under the weight of the outfit, the fabric straightens itself during drying.
Lace fabric
The lace is ironed following the rules:
- iron temperature mode “minimum” or “medium” depending on the type and density of the lace;
- using wet gauze;
- The use of a steamer is acceptable.
For lace, steaming in a bathtub or over a pan is suitable.
How to store a dress after ironing
Immediately after purchase and delivery home, you need to take care of storing the outfit. It is taken out of the box, shaken and carefully hung on a hanger or mannequin.
After ironing, the dress is stored according to the rules until the celebration:
- use of a separate hanger for the train;
- a dress without sleeves and straps is hung on loops from the bodice;
- free space in the wardrobe so that other things do not wrinkle the dress;
- use of the cover.
The evening before the celebration, you need to take out the outfit and check it. If small creases and folds have formed, smooth them out, steam them and leave the outfit on the hanger until you put it on.
Final Recommendations
As you can see, steaming a wedding dress yourself is a very difficult and sometimes dangerous task, so I would recommend leaving it to professionals.
And in order to save money, you can ask to leave the dress in the salon until the eve of the wedding (many salons provide this service free of charge). This will allow you to solve two problems at once: firstly, you won’t have to figure out where and how to store the dress, and secondly, you will receive it in perfect condition the day before the wedding and all you have to do is hang it carefully until tomorrow.
