To have basic knowledge on how to spot clean a wedding gown will help a blushing bride remain calm and collective when faced with one of the most frequent wedding day emergencies – the unanticipated stain on the expensive and gorgeous dream wedding gown!
THE GOOD: The good news is that most accidents happen during the reception (later half of the wedding day) when formal photos have been taken. Also, most wedding gown stains tend to be small or located in a relatively inconspicuous spot on the dress.
THE BAD: Before breaking down, quickly assess the situation. If it is not too noticeable, you may be better off not taking any action as trying to get rid of the stain may cause it to spread or become worse!
THE UGLY: Never, NEVER ever rub! When encountered with a stain, never rub or scrub at the spot. This only makes the stain spread or force the stain deeper into the fabric. The key is to dab, dab, DAB!
Included below are some useful wedding day stain removal secrets:
Red Wine
First, gently dab at the stain with a clean white cloth. Then damp the area with WHITE WINE or club soda, and dab some more. Keep dabbing with clean parts of the cloth until most of the stain has been removed. Disguise any remaining stain with white chalk or baby powder.
Lipstick or Make Up
The best solution is to cover the area with CORNSTARCH or baby powder to absorb the excess oil. Wait for 10-15 minutes, then brush the powder off with a clean white cloth or towel. Cover any remaining stain with white chalk or try to remove the stubborn stain by blotting the area with club soda.
Oily Food or Perfume Oil
For oily stains, gently sprinkle the area with BABY POWDER. Let it sit for 10-15 minutes while it absorbs the oil then brush the powder off with a clean white cloth. Repeat until all the oil is gone. Cover any remaining stain with white chalk or baby powder.
Ink Spot
Believe it or not, the solution to remove an ink spot is to dab at outer edges of the stain towards the middle with a cotton swab dipped in HAIRSPRAY! Remember to protect the underside of the dress with a clean white cloth to help absorb the ink. Cover any remaining stain with white chalk or baby powder.
Small Blood Spot
Have the bride wet the end of a cotton swab with SALIVA then gently dab at the outer edges of the stain towards the center. The acids in saliva will break down the blood. Disguise any remaining stain with white chalk or baby powder.
Chewing Gum or Candle Wax
Removing chewing gum and/or candle wax involves a two step process:
- Place an ICE CUBE over the gum/wax to harden it. Wait 10-15 minutes and break the harden gum/wax off the dress. Repeat process if required.
- For wax, once the harden wax has been removed, press a clean paper towel over the remaining spot and hold a HAIR DRYER closely over the paper towel. The heat of the paper towel will melt the wax embedded in the dress. The paper towel will soak up the melted wax. Cover any remaining stain with white chalk or baby powder.
* Remember, bleach pens should not be used on the wedding dress as they can cause yellowing of the white fabric.
