It is best to arrange your gown preservation before your wedding, so that you can have your gown brought to the preservationist shortly after the reception. In most cases, it is safe to wait up to two or three weeks to have the gown professionally cleaned. After the wedding, store your gown by folding it in a clean white sheet and laying it flat, perhaps on a bed in a guest bedroom. Do not hang the dress in a closet; the weight of the gown itself may cause it to become permanently misshapen. This is particularly true of bias cut gowns. It is also not advisable to store your dress in a plastic garment bag. Most plastics will not allow your gown to breathe adequately and may trap moisture and gases inside, causing the formation of mold and mildew.

There are several things that distinguish an expert in gown preservation from a local dry cleaner. According to Jonathan Scheer, President of J. Scheer & Co., “One important difference between a preservationist and a dry cleaner is the depth of the analysis we conduct prior to any cleaning. We begin with a thorough examination of the gown noting all the materials from which it is constructed. We identify the composition of fabrics and embellishments. We also analyze all staining and soiling to determine the best treatment plan for the gown.” J. Scheer & Co., a company that has an impressive history of preserving wedding gowns and museum couture, tests for sugar-based stains by placing the gown under ultraviolet light, which causes these stains to fluoresce.

Even if your gown still looks as white as it did the day of your wedding, it will not stay that way unless you care for it properly. Scheer, whose training in conservation science includes study at the Smithsonian’s Conservation Analytical Laboratory, notes “Sugar-based stains, such as those from champagne, cake icing, or ginger ale are invisible at first. Over time, sugar stains will oxidize becoming yellow or brown. Oxidation often causes permanent damage to fabric. Chloride salts, which form from perspiration, will also cause irreversible staining if left untreated.”

Most wedding gowns will need to be dry-cleaned. Dry cleaning is recommended for silks, acetate, and rayon. Dry solvents will remove oil-based stains such as those caused by make-up, lipstick, or greasy food. There are a number of dry cleaning solvents that have different effects on different fabrics and finishes. Some finishes will dissolve in standard solvents. Commercial dry cleaners often use only one class of dry cleaning solvent for all of the garments they clean. This limits a dry cleaner’s ability to properly care for the complex cleaning demands of intricate garments such as wedding gowns. The specialist you choose should have available to them a wide variety of solvents, so that your gown will receive the best care possible.

Many wedding gowns are adorned with seed pearls and other embellishments. These can be made from variety of plastics and other materials. You should insist upon the preservationist testing the materials before cleaning your gown, because some plastics used in seed pearls will dissolve or soften in certain dry cleaning solvents! Qualified wedding gown preservationists will test the ornaments prior to cleaning the gown to assure that they will not be adversely affected by the chosen method of cleaning.

It is also very important that your gown preservationist use clean or filtered solvent. Soils and dyes can transfer into the solvent, particularly with commercial dry cleaners who clean many different types of garments. The preservationist you select should clean your gown individually, either by hand or in machines that are specifically used for that purpose.

Some gowns are best wet cleaned. This is generally true of dresses made of polyester, nylon, or cotton. A fully equipped gown preservationist will offer wet cleaning as an option. The gown preservationist you select should use purified, de-ionized water and a mild anionic surfactant to remove soils and sugar-based stains.

You will want to inquire about the packaging your preservationist will use for your finished gown. The storage box and all other materials used in preservation must remain acid and lignin free to provide your dress the best opportunity for lasting protection. “Textile conservators acknowledge that even ‘acid-free’ cardboard boxes can re-acidify with in three to five years as they absorb pollutants from the environment in which they are stored,” warns Scheer. “This is much more problematic in a home environment than in a climate controlled storage area of a museum.” This is why J. Scheer & Co. uses boxes made from Polypropylene, a chemically inert co-polymer. (These are the same storage boxes used by the Metropolitan Museum of Art). Inside the box, the gown’s folds are supported by sheets of acid free abaca fiber, and the entire gown is surrounded by a layer of Nomex, a synthetic spun micro-fiber from Dupont, which protects against fire, water, dust, and insects.

Many gown preservation companies offer a vacuum sealing process where in oxygen is removed from a chamber in which the gown is stored. Mr. Scheer warns brides about this technique, because the seal prevents moisture for escaping the chamber. Without proper circulation, moisture trapped in the chamber can promote the growth and spread of mold and mildew on the fabric. “Often when these containers are opened, and the gown is exposed to oxygen, deterioration of the fabric will occur quite rapidly. If a gown is stored using this method, it is likely that it will never be wearable again.” The Textile Specialty Group of the American Institute for the Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works recommends against the vacuum sealing processes. Most reputable gown preservationists will instruct you to remove your gown from the box once a year and refold it in a different way, so that the fabric does not become creased over time. This will also give you an opportunity to examine the gown for any changes in the fabric.

Many gown preservation companies offer a warrantee for their services. Often companies that offer the vacuum sealing method will not honor the warrantee once the seal is broken. If the company is offering a reliable warrantee, it will be presented to you in writing. A warrantee should be for a finite number of years, not an indefinite amount of time, such as a ‘lifetime’ warrantee. You will also want to be sure that your gown would be covered for the full replacement cost.

In a museum, preservation is a combination of cleaning an object properly, and maintaining a controlled environment for the object. Your newly preserved wedding gown will also require you to address both of these issues. Once you have had a professional provide you with the proper care, it is important that you give some thought to the storage environment for your gown. Your gown should be stored in an area in your home where humidity and temperature are temperate. Basements and attics will have too much fluctuation in both the temperature and humidity. Storage there will likely lead to mold, mildew, or oxidation. Choose a dry, dark area with circulating air. Under a bed or in the top of a closet that is on an inside wall are two good places. If you have pets or small children, make sure your gown is not within their reach. It is also not a good idea to store any fabrics in a cedar chest, as the wood contains acids that can harm fabric.

Having a carefully chosen expert in wedding gown preservation care for you dress may cost slightly more than having your gown cleaned by your local dry cleaner, but it will insure that you can enjoy the memories and beauty of your special dress for generations to come.

Jonathan Scheer is a guest expert in wedding gown preservation for the leading internet sites theknot.com and the weddingchannel.com. He has been featured in Martha Stewart Weddings and Elegant Bride Magazine. J. Scheer & Co. is the recommended preservationist of couture bridal houses Yumi Katsura and Wearkstatt, Ltd.

For more information on the preservation services of J. Scheer & Co., visit their website at www.jscheer.com. The company offers free consultations at 800-448-7291.