Do I really need to have my wedding dress cleaned?
Can you remove all stains from my wedding dress?
My dress is really muddy, can it be cleaned?
What’s the best way to store and preserve my wedding dress?
What type of wedding dresses can you clean?
What type of cleaning processes do you use?
Can you clean veils, shoes and accessories?
Can my dress be cleaned even though it has a lot of ornate decoration?
Will my wedding dress be fully insured?
How do I pack my dress for posting?
How does the courier service work?
Will I be charged if I send my dress to you and then decide NOT to have it cleaned?
Do I really need to have my wedding dress cleaned?
The simple answer to this question is ‘yes’. Stains and dirt can become set in to fabrics over time, oxidisation may occur causing permanent damage, even marks not visible at the time such a clear drinks spill may darken with time and prove difficult to remove at a later date. Professional cleaning, preferably sooner rather than later, is highly recommended in order to keep your dress in the best possible condition after the big day. This will give you peace of mind knowing that you can keep your dress as a precious memento, a family heirloom or for resale.
Can you remove all stains from my wedding dress?
We pride ourselves on our stain removal ability, in the majority of cases, the dresses that we clean come out like new.
However, we should point out that some stains that are ingrained, particularly yellow/orange stains caused by oxidisation which can prove to be extremely difficult and sometimes impossible to remove. But you can rest assured that our experts will always do their utmost to ensure the best possible result.
Also, some very delicate materials such as silk, chiffon and lace require only very delicate cleaning methods meaning not all stains may be removed without damage being caused to the fabric. Please fill in our online questionnaire and, having assessed the dress, we will be able to get back to you and advise you of the best possible cleaning method, any risks that may be involved, and a quote for the costs involved.
My dress is really muddy, can it be cleaned?
We are stain removal experts so, in most cases, the answer is yes. However it should be noted that dresses made of certain materials such as silk and on dresses with ornate decorations where mud has set in, it may be impossible to remove all traces of mud as anything other than the gentlest of cleaning techniques could damage the dress. Please fill in our online questionnaire and, having assessed the dress, we will be able to get back to you and advise you of the best possible cleaning method, any risks that may be involved, and a quote for the costs involved.
What’s the best way to store and preserve my dress?
We would strongly recommend preserving your dress in an acid free storage box. The reasons for doing this are as follows:
· The pH neutral materials used to make these specialist boxes will prevent the dress from discolouration or ‘yellowing’.
· The box will protect from dust gathering on the dress and leaving marks.
· Keeping your dress out of direct sunlight will prevent it from fading in patches.
· If your dress is kept in plastic or polythene there is a strong risk that moisture build up will cause mildew to set in which could permanently damage your dress. The breathable nature of the storage boxes removes this risk.
· The boxes prevent oxidisation – discolouration caused by exposure to air.
· Our wedding dress storage boxes are beautiful items in themselves making them an attractive addition to your home.
What type of wedding dresses can you clean?
We can clean ANY wedding dress or any other type of dress for that matter. We have over 30 years experience in bridal wear care and have a particularly high level of expertise in vintage and haut couture label wedding gowns. We have yet to come across a dress that we cannot clean to the very highest of standards.
What type of cleaning processes do you use?
We have invested in the best in cleaning technology, this together with our expert knowledge means we can clean using a variety of methods carefully selected to ensure excellent results without damaging any delicate materials. We can clean dresses marked with the following cleaning labels:
· F (F symbol in a circle)
· P (P symbol in a circle)
· Dry Clean only
· Spot clean only
· Do not dry clean
· Baptiste (registered trademark) NB. Although we can clean dresses marked with these
instructions we do not use the Baptiste process.
We can even clean dresses that have no cleaning instructions.
Can you clean veils, shoes and accessories?
Yes, and they generally come out extraordinarily well! Please see our services and price guide for details.
back to questions
Can my dress be cleaned even though it has a lot of ornate decoration?
Yes. The majority of beading, sequins and crystals have been tested for dry cleaning by the manufacturers. Some larger adornments such as fabric roses may need to be removed before the cleaning process. We have an excellent team of tailors on hand that are very experienced at carrying out this kind of work. Please fill in our online questionnaire and, having assessed the dress, we will be able to get back to you and advise you of the best possible cleaning method, any work that may need to be carried out by our tailors, and a quote for the costs involved.
However we cannot be held responsible for damage to any dress embellishments that are unsuitable for dry cleaning.
Will my wedding dress be fully insured?
Yes the dress will be insured during transit and during the cleaning process up to the value of £2000, you should let us know if your dress is worth significantly more than this so that we may be able to purchase extra insurance cover for a small fee.
Please note that most insurance companies will only insure up to half the purchase price and a receipt would be required for any claim. Dresses over one year old depreciate in value accordingly.
How do I pack my dress for posting?
Place your dress inside a plastic bag and then in a cardboard box. Place your contact details including telephone number inside the box and then seal it up. The courier will place an address label onto the box upon collection, we would prefer that you write our name and account number (which will be provided to you when we arrange the collection) on the box itself so that it is traceable should anything happen to the address label in transit.
Please do not send any dress bags or hangers that you want to keep as we cannot return them with the dress.
How does the courier service work?
We will contact you to arrange a time and place convenient to yourself for collection. Collections take place Monday to Friday so you may want to arrange for the courier to come to your place of work.
Will I be charged if I send my dress to you and then decide NOT to have it cleaned?
We will not charge you for our time for the handling and assessment of your dress but you will be required to pay £30 to cover the cost of the collection and delivery service.