Ask the Expert
Jun 26th, 2007 by Randy
My grandfather, Jim Parham, has come out of semi-retirement to answer any and all questions regarding wedding dress cleaning and preservation, and anything else you want to throw at him.
He’s been at it since 1964, so if he doesn’t know the answer, you’re in trouble.
Just scroll to the bottom, fill out the “Reply” fields, and ask away!
Thanks Jim I will send it to you this week , I have the dress for sale on ebay, so I will let you know either way I will send it to you to clean, thanks for your time…Irene
Hi, Jim I have not had my daughter dress cleaned since she was married 3 years ago ..the top of the dress is all swarovski crystals and more crystals down the back to the end of the train ..it is a designer gown that we paid almost 8,000 dollars for ..the only place that is dirty is the bottom ..is their a problem cleaning this type of dress ,…thank you jim
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Irene,
Your daughter’s dress sounds like it is quite beautiful. Applique such as crystals can be a challenge, which is why you should send it to us - we’ve handled Swarovski crystals many times before. There will be no problem cleaning this type of dress. I suspect it will make a nice candidate for our featured dress page.
Best wishes,
Jim
Hi Jim,
I bought a sample dress, but won’t be wearing it for 1.5 years. I want to clean it right away before the stains set in - would you recommend that I send it in now to clean and preserve so that I can store it in a box? Or would preserving the dress twice (before and after the wedding) hurt the dress? Do you offer services to just clean the dress?
thanks!
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Renee,
You should have the dress cleaned now and store it in our museum-quality box that we send it back in. Then, just before your wedding date, have it pressed. Since a dress is preserved by virtue of being in our acid-free box instead of exposed to the elements, it won’t hurt cleaning it twice, and it should be in a preserved state before the wedding.
Thanks for writing!
Best regards,
Jim
Wow, what a great question and answer page!
Well, I purchased a used gown online for a good price. The problem is the chiffon overlay which is heavily beaded has several noticable yellow stains on the front of the bodice. I don’t know what was spilled to cause the stain or how long it’s been since the wedding.
Are you confident whether that you can remove yellow stains from chiffon?
I can send the dress back for a refund if I do it immediately, but I really like the dress and would love to get it cleaned before my wedding next June.
Thanks!
Anne
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Anne,
Thanks for writing. Removing the yellow from chiffon will require wetcleaning, since chiffon is cut on the bias and will shrink if not handled very carefully. We’re confident that we can take care of this, and we’ve handled chiffon plenty of times!
Best regards,
Jim
HI,
I really want to use your services but my dress says do not wash. do not dry clean, spot clean only. I’m concerned that sweat and spray tan spots will not come out. I also somehow have a footprint under the chest area.
Let me know if your service can get all those areas out! My dress is polyester.
Thanks!
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Chantel,
Often, care labels inside wedding dresses are misleading. It is perfectly safe to send us your dress. We clean hundreds of such polyester, silk or mixed material dresses per month.
I look forward to seeing it!
Best regards,
Jim
Hello Jim,
I am embarrassed to say that I have been married almost 3 years and have not had my dress cleaned out of the fear of it being ruined. I had a spray tan done at a local salon a few days before my wedding and my wedding day was the hottest day of the year. Unfortunately the tan “melted” when I started to sweat and left a slight brown residue on the underarm area of my dress and the spaghetti straps. Does Wedclean have any experience removing this type of thing? It actually did not look very bad and was not noticeable on my wedding day but it seems as time goes on as it is stored in my closet, it is becoming more obvious. I am afraid that if I have my dress cleaned that it may make the stains worse. What do you recommend?
Thanks.
Andrea
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Andrea,
After all these years, we’ve seen it all. We have certainly handled spray-on tanning products before. Also, we have customers that wait 3, 5, 10, and 40 years before sending their dress to us.
Your dress won’t be a problem.
Thanks for writing,
Jim Parham
Hello Jim,
My daughter is considering wearing her grandmother’s wedding dress from 1950. The dress is very yellow and is almost all chantilly lace. Would this dress be a candidate for your vintage dress service?
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Jane,
The dress is a perfect candidate for our Vintage dress service. It would be an honor! I’m looking forward to seeing it myself.
Thank you for writing.
Best regards,
Jim
We purchased an Oleg Kassini bridal gown for my god daughter. We were told that it would take about 5 months to receive the dress. I received it in 4 to 5 WEEKS! Someone did not know the difference between month and week. Well, now I am stuck with it and my god daughter will not be married until May 2009, so I have to hold the dress just over a year. Could you tell me if a preservation kit is what I would need or what else could I do to avoid having the wedding gown get yellow or stretched due to hanging in my closet. Will a year hurt/discolor the dress in a closet? What do you suggest is best? Thank you!______________________________________________
Maria,
There is no need to worry. Your gown will not yellow in only one year. But do store the gown in a breathable plastic bag and have the bottom of the plastic bag rest on the floor to prevent any stretching problems. Your closet - dark, dry and cool - should work great.
After the wedding, however, you’ll need to clean and preserve it in order to prevent yellowing. Did I mention we have pre-paid WedClean cards available on our website? :0)
Best wishes,
Jim Parham
CEO
WedClean
Jim,
This is such a nice forum, thank you for doing this. I have researched extensively on cleaning companies. I will soon be sending in my dress but would like you to comment on a posting I saw. All of the reviews of your company that I have found have been positive except for one where the bride was extremely upset with the DAMAGE that was done to her gown and warned us all to stay away from you. Have you had any gowns damaged in your cleaning process? Thank you!
April
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April,
Thank you for your question. I’m not sure which dress you are discussing, because we have not been contacted regarding damaging a gown. We clean hundreds per month. When a dress is too delicate or otherwise problematic, we don’t clean it, but instead we inform the customer and issue a refund.
Best regards,
Jim Parham
Anna,
Yes we’ll have your dress looking like new and you can trust WedClean. I’m so proud to have so many satisfied customers.
My suggestion about the bra send it in and we’ll process it at no charge.
“Warmest regards, Jim”
Hey:) My poor dress and all it’s assessories have been hanging in my closet for soon to be 8 years. I never trusted anyone to take my dress. Well, after reading this blog and the website infomation I’m happily going to mail it to you guys. I had a question about packaging the accessories. I have the dress, slip, garter, veil, slippers(shoes) and bra. I noticed that you don’t package the shoes… what about the bra? Just wondering what all to send!
Thank You Anna:)
Carrie;
Signature required is an option but not required without a request.
“Warmest regards, Jim”
Hello,
I was wondering if on the return shipping, a signature is required?
Thanks!
Carrie
Jenna;
We always reccommend mending the gown first. There are to many accidents that may happen during mending and alterations.
“Warmest regards, Jim”
Hello!
I was married in August of this year and I’m planning on having my dress cleaned by you guys! My question is, during the evening, a couple of my bustle points tore (from people lovingly stepping on my dress). Is it best to have the dress cleaned and then repaired? Or repaired and then cleaned? All the tears are on the inside (lining) of the dress.
Thanks!
Jenna
Grace,
There are several reasons that your gown was returned in the condition you described. I sounds like your gown was cleaned in dirty cleaning solvent among other things. Even though dry cleaners have signs in their windows claiming that they specialize in “Wedding Gown Cleaning and Preservation” it is not always the case.
The yellowing will only get worst and eventually become permanent and needs to be properly cleaned. Yes, we will remove the hem line soil; pickup soil does not chemically set after time.
If you contact me at info@wedclean.net I will personally see that we’ll restore your gown.
“Warmest regards, Jim”
Julie,
We have cleaned and preserved gowns of many different colors. Asian gowns are often very colorful and take special care. Our CareLoom cleaning process is safe with all colors and fabrics.
No the missing crystals will not cause any problems, if we see any potential problems I will call you and discuss them.
I hope I’ve helped.
Best wishes,
Jim Parham
Sandra
So far, our loss of gowns during shipping has been zero; this is truly amazing considering the number of gowns we process (20+ per day).
If you buy no insurance, your dress is automatically covered by us for its depreciated value. Buying the extra insurance covers the dress for its full value (assuming you purchase the correct amount).
I hope I’ve helped.
Best wishes,
Jim Parham
President
My wedding gown is red. Does this change anything or can WedClean still clean and preserve it? It is missing many of the crystals as a result of a bad job done by the bridal shop, either way, I want my dress preserve. Does the missing crystals present a problem?
Thanks.
Julie
I’m embarrassed to admit it but my wedding dress went uncleaned for several years after the wedding. Recently I took it to a local cleaners for cleaning and when it came back (smelling of chemicals)
I noticed that there is some yellowing on the bodice. I don’t know if it is from what the cleaners used or just from time. Also the inside satin layer of the skirt has a lot of dirty stains around the bottom still…as from being drug around on the floor during the ceremony. Is it worth having you clean it again or do those type of stains set in after several (seven!) years? Red-in-the face! Grace
hi - i got married in september and need to clean and preserve my wedding gown. love what i’m reading on this site but i’m REALLY REALLY nervous about shipping my gown. i know there’s an option to buy shipping insurance. what does that cover exactly? do i really need it? do i buy the amount that my dress costs? thanks!
I love the photo you took of my dress, can I have the original hi-res photo to add it to my scrapbook?
Alexandra, your questions come up often so I’m breaking them down for easier reading.
Q - I just have a few questions. When I receive the dress back, can it be taken out of the box?
A - Yes, I suggest that you do,we even send repackaging instructions.
Q - If I can take it out, are there any dangers to the gown such as it yellowing when I place it back into the box?
A - No, fresh air does not yellow fabric.
Q - Will the gown be wrinkled and creased years from now after being in the box for so long?
No, the dress is cushioned with acid free tissue. That only happens in a vacuum sealed bag.
A - I am pretty sure my dress is three layers of silk so does the dress go through a dry cleaning process or wet cleaning?
Drycleaning
Q - Is the dress dehumidified before it is placed in the box to make sure no moisture is locked away with it?
Yes, all dresses hang in a dehumidified room 12 hours after drying.
A - How long will it take before I receive the dress back again?
From the time we receive your dress, in Orlando Florida, it will be shipped back to you within seven working days.
“Warmest regards, Jim”
Hi Jim,
I just have a few questions. When I receive the dress back, can it be taken out of the box? If I can take it out, are there any dangers to the gown such as it yellowing when I place it back into the box? If I should not take out the gown from the box, then will the gown be wrinkled and creased years from now after being in the box for so long? Is everything acid free such as the box and the tissue paper or are they just coated acid free? I am pretty sure my dress is three layers of silk so does the dress go through a dry cleaning process or wet cleaning? Which is better for my sort of dress? Is the dress dehumidified before it is placed in the box to make sure no moisture is locked away with it? How long will it take before I receive the dress back again?
Sorry for all the questions, I am trying to do my research and ease my nerves.
Thank you,
Alexandra
Lauren,
I understand your concerns. Our technicians have had extensive training in handling fragile gowns. We also have cleaned many Swarovski crystal beaded and sequined gowns. Our chief technician always OK’s the cleaning methods used on each and every gown cleaned. During the initial inspection of all gowns are inspected for loose or missing beads and the gown owner is contacted before cleaning.
We may have heard some of the same horror stories! WedClean has restored many gowns that have been sent elsewhere prior to WedClean. All our cleaning agents are environmentally friendly and your gown will return odorless, WedClean guarantees it.
“Warmest regards. Jim”
Hello!
I got married in July and am looking to have my dress cleaned. My dress had an organza overlay with a lot of hand beading and embroidery. I’m a little concerned because the dresses profiled on your blog seem to not have that heavy of detailing to them. I just want to be certain you have experience with delicate fabrics and beading. I’m sorry if I seem rude, but I’m attached to my dress and want to be sure it is returned in good condition! Also, I initially was strongly against preservation because I’ve heard horror stories of how the dresses reak of formaldehyde/other noxious chemicals. What sort of chemicals do you use to preserve the dresses?
Thanks for your help.
Vince,
Good question. The WedClean technicians have been trained to identify all fibers and fabrics. We have seen way to many erroneous cleaning care labels to trust any of them. WedClean guarantees it.
“Warmest regards, Jim”
My wife’s dress was custom made and therefore, does not have a ‘dry clean only’ tag or other markings. Is this okay? Will you be able to clean and preserve the dress per your services?
Thank you
Barb,
We are 100% confident that all materials used in the WedClean storage chest are acid free that we can send a Lifetime written guarantee. If any besides what WedClean uses is added to the chest our guarantee would be voided.
As for the storage chest vs. a cotton bag for storage I strongly suggest the WedClean storage chest.
1) The dress will never be crushed by something heavy put on it.
2) Hanging a wedding dress will eventually distort the shape of the dress.
3) The WedClean storage chest will repel water spills or minor flooding.
4) Pets will not be able to find their way into the WedClean storage chest.
“Warmest regards Jim”
Hi,
I just read about your wedding dress cleaning service online. I am wondering if it would be better to store my dress in the cloth bag that breaths that it came in or in the box you supply?
Thanks for your response.
Barb Fossum
Teresa,
You’re probably right for blaming the grass for the yellowing spots. The sugar in the grass is different than we are normally use to but resulting with the same side effects.
A WedClean technician cleans all the shoes by hand. The yellow stains can be removed or lightened but not necessarily for a long time. Because of the adhesives used to make the shoes they can not be successfully preserved. When we clean shoes with the gown they are returned back to you in a bag with instructions not to store your shoes with your gown.
“Warmest regards, Jim”
Hello,
This question is a bit off the topic, since it relates to shoes vs. wedding gown. I bought Coloriffics shoes for my wedding, which are those dyeable shoes. I left them in white and did not dye them. After the wedding, I noticed that they have these unexplained yellow stains along the sides of the shoes. Since the wedding was outdoors on a grassy area, and the ground was damp, I’m guessing that maybe the yellow is actually from the wet grass. What do you do to clean and preserve shoes? Same process as the wedding gowns, or something slightly different?
Annie,
Your CareLoom Preserved gown is guaranteed against all age stains, abnormal discoloring or caramelized sugar stains for the lifetime of the gown. If your gown ever shows any age stains WedClean will restore the gown, at no charge. All warrantee claims must be validateed by returning your guarantee certificate along with the WedClean Quality Inspection sheet. All warantee claims will be voided if the gown is mishandled or worn after the preservation of the gown.
I can’t speak for other companies 20 year lifetime guarantee but WedClean’s definition of lifetime guarantee is as long as the person named on the certificate still is in possession of the dress. You will receive this guarantee with your preserved gown along with the Quality Inspection sheet.
The guarantee is not on our website, you didn’t miss it. But I thank you for bringing up that great point!
“Warmest Regards, Jim”
Hi,
I would like to know about the “lifetime guarantee”. Can you provide details of the guarantee? Do you ensure there will not be any discoloration exceeding 20 years (which is about the guarantee period for many other gown preservation companies I’ve seen)? Is there a written guarantee on your website that I may have missed?
thank you!
Andrea,
Foam padding should not be stored along with the gown. The panel can not be preserved so it would be best not to include it. We remove all foam pieces and return them in a zip lock bag with a note for them to be removed.
The ribbon will be cleaned and preserved along the gown and veil so sent it on.
“Warmest regards, Jim”
My dress has a corset back that has a panel that buttoned to the inside of dress, underneath the lacing. I’m not sure what the panel is made of, but I suspect it has foam inside of it. I have heard that sometimes foam (like the kind used for shoulder pads) can discolor the dress over time if it comes into contact with the fabric. Should I include my panel with the dress to be included in the preservation box, or should I store it separate? What about the long ribbon used for the lacing? Thanks!
Donna,
Your are correct the chemicals used in plastics to make them flexible and soft are the cause of the oxidizing fumes being released. If you have ever had any plastic trim on clothing get hard and crack from drycleaning that’s because those chemicals have been flushed out of the plastic.
The hard plastic window on the WedClean Wedding Dress Chest does contain any of those softening chemicals making it completely safe from fume damage.
The wedding dress chest has a heavy sleeve protecting it from any light no damage there.
“Warmest regards, Jim”
I have read that plastic in the storage box can damage the dress because of static-clean, fumes, and light causing oxidation. Is that a problem with the plastic viewing window in your box? If not, why not?
Donna
Jamie,
Sealed or not sealed oxidizing residues left in the gown are going to turn yellow. Oxidizing residues are any stains containing sugars such as Champaign, soft drinks most all foods and most everything you’ll be getting on you gown that day.
Your gown being sealed up in a plastic bag will not stop the yellowing if stains are left in the fibers of that gown. Your gown returning from WedClean will be 100% free of any of those yellow-causing stains.
Yes the dress will be in great condition for many years plus you’ll be able to check it out every few years. You’ll know from the time you receive the dress back from WedClean that the dress is stain free.
“Warmest regards, Jim”
It seems that some other gown preservation companies do not allow you to take the gown out of the box after it is sealed. How does your preservation process differ so that this is possible? Will the dress be in the same great condition years from now using your method?
Pam,
Beading and beads are covered in our workmanship guarantee. Workmanship is defined as if for any reason the gown has been damaged in cleaning or preservation by faulty workmanship. All beading is tested for colorfastness and clean-ability prior to processing. If there were a loss of color to your gown’s beading that would come under faulty workmanship.
Yes, the veils are packaged with the gowns so they can be seen through the chest window. We are very proud of how nice the veils look after cleaning, never wrinkled.
“Warmest regards, Jim”
I was wondering what the policy is if any damage occurs to the beading on a dress during the cleaning process? The colored beaded design is what makes my dress unique.
Also, how are the veils preserved and packaged with the dress? I am concerned that the wet process will wrinkle to veil too much to display with the dress. Thanks.
Heather,
Designer gowns are a big percentage of the gowns we clean and preserve. This has taken several years to gain trust and through word of mouth we have increased our designer gown business substantially. Check out the dress of the day and you’ll see many designer gowns featured.
The amount of insurance listed in the shopping cart covers your gown during the shipping process. Also, WedClean’s guarantee covers your gown, for the same amount, in the instance of a damage due to workmanship or total loss.
Warmest regards,
Jim Parham
How much experience does your company have with designer gowns? My dress was over $5,000. I am a bit nervous having it sent in but nervous about the local dry cleaners a bit more.
Is there any insurance against damage to the gown while it is in your care not just during shipping? Is it insured for the full value of the dress or just the cost of cleaning? Thanks.
Carly,
Good question. This box, we call it a chest, will be with you a long time. I asked Joanna to take a shot of a gown ready to be shipped. Notice the picture window allowing you to show off the gown without removing it from the chest.
We do need to have a better picture of the gown put on our website, thanks for bringing it up!
“Warmest regards, Jim”
Hi Jim,
I think I have a pretty simple question…I’m just wondering what the actual box that the dresses are stored in looks like. Is there anywhere online that a photo of the box is posted? Thanks so much
Missy,
I’ve seen to many last minute catastrophes caused by alteration shops accidentally soiling the gown. Ink, machine oil, pick-up soil, lipstick, etc. sometimes mysteriously appear generating last minute cleaning miracles.
Hem line soil will not set or become permanent in just a few months. I suggest that you have the alterations completed and send the gown to WedClean. Our preservation turnaround, from the time we receive gowns, is seven days.
“Warmest regards, Jim”
Sorry Amy I did not answer all your questions.
Lost items and negligence on our part are fully covered at replacement value by WedClean. The extra insurance covers all UPS shipping liability.
Amy,
We issue a written guarantee with the return of all WedClean preserved gowns. Instructions are included with the guarantee that the invoice and quality control sheet must accompany any claim. This written guarantee pledges complete restoration of the gown at no charge.
Also included with the return gown are instruction for gown removal and repackaging so you can inspect the gown to assure it’s pristine condition.
“Warmest regards, Jim”
Hi Jim,
My dress will not be altered until Jan, 2008. Right now it is hanging in my closet “double bagged” and there is some dirt on the hem. Would it hurt the dress if I had it cleaned before & after alterations?
Take care,
Missy
What kind of guarantee does Wedclean provide? I’m especially interested in lost items, damages, and the gown not being in prestine condition when I take it out of the box a few years from now. Thanks!
Jessica,
You’re right the oxidized stains are the bad guys. First try this:
• Dampen a Q tip with peroxide and apply it to a small area of the “orange” spot.
• Let the gown hang in the light for a few hours.
• If you notice the “orange” becomes lighter yes we probably can remove the “orange” spots.
• Blot the area with a damp cloth and the peroxide will dissipate.
Most chenille fabrics should be dry cleaned, but when properly wetcleaned and air dried fabric damage will be minimized. If you do decide to send your gown please e-mail me, jim@wedclean.com, and I’ll walk it through the restoration process.
“Warmest regards, Jim”
My dress has been hanging in the bag for almost 2.5 years now and has “orange” spots all down the front. From reading some of the “ask the expert” posts, I am assuming this is from oxidation. How difficult is this to remove and will it be a waste to even attempt to have it cleaned (the dress is chenille if that makes a difference)?
Alison it’s been done let me explain how and why.
Moth larva do not feed on natural or synthetic fibers, they feed on the stained areas absorbed into the by the fibers. While feeding on those protein residues they damage the fibers leaving holes in the fabric.
Mothballs and other chemicals, at one time DDT was used, are used to deter the moths from laying their eggs in the fabric.
Your WedClean has no residues left the fibers for the moth larva to feed on leaving the gown naturally moth proofed.
“Warmest regards, Jim”
Is there some way to mothproof my WedClean Preserved wedding gown?
Linda,
Yes we are familiar with the “Southern Belle” type gown and this is why we stock an extra large wedding dress chest. This chest is the same construction and quality as our large chest. If our packging department sees that the extra large chest is needed we will contact you for permission to use the extra large chest for an additional $20 charge.
“Warmest regards, Jim”
My daughter will be married in a very large dress with lots of beading-I read about your beading process but we just wonder if the huge skirt and train will fit in your box. I’d liken it to a “Southern belle” type of skirt.
Tina,
No, we do not take the air out of the box. Air is not going to damage the gown, the residues left in the gown will oxidize and damage the gown leaving ugly brown stains.
WedClean recommends that you check out your gown before storing it, a vacuum bag or sealed box will not allow that.
Yes we do put in the ‘fake’ bust form.
Thanks for asking the expert.
Hi,
How do you go about preserving? Do you take the air out of the box or do you just put it in the pretty box? My friend got screwed (I don’t know where she went) so she told me to ask the question…so here i am…asking the question. Also, do you put a ‘fake’ bustier in it to preserve it’s shape? Thank you!
The loss of gowns in shipping has been zero; this is truly amazing considering the number of gowns we process. I believe, it all has to do with the follow through and customer service the WedClean team provides.
I understand your fears but believe me there is more risk in using a local drycleaner that occasionally cleans gowns. Remember the WedClean technicians clean and preserves only wedding attire and they are very good. They will communicate with you before any cleaning risk are taken.
Jim
I just got married about a month ago and I know I need to have my wedding dress cleaned, but I’m having a problem letting it go! Does wedclean have any problems with gowns in shipping or the cleaning? Thank you!
Janelle,
The hem line soil removal will be no problem our technicians have that perfected - the wine maybe a problem according to the color of the wine. A very dark red wine may require a wet cleaning process. Our wet cleaning is a very gentle soaking process, which is normally successful in removing wine stains.
Thanks for asking,
Jim
Hi!
My wedding dress has been hanging in my closet for the past year as I never had a chance to send it in for cleaning last year. Is it still possible to remove stains? There’s dirt along the bottom and a wine stain on the front.
Thanks!
Janelle