Gown Cleaning & Preservation
Your bridal gown may not be the most expensive garment you'll
ever purchase, but it will surely be the most sentimental.
Once the Big Day is over, however, how will you take care of
your cherished gown?
Many bridal gowns end up stored away and forgotton until they
emerge, years later, stained, discolored, permanently creased, and
possibly moth eaten. Important reasons why you should have your
gown hand cleaned, hand finished and archivally preserved by the
bridal gown specialists at Museum Quality Gowncare.
Museum Quality Gowncare is the restoration, hand cleaning, hand
finishing and archival preservation service of RAVE FabriCARE, a
fabricare specialist based in Scottsdale, Arizona. We serve clients
who wish to ensure that their cherished bridal gown and other
ceremonial and sentimental garments and household textiles are
safely cleaned and preserved for future generations.
Introduction
The restoration, hand cleaning, hand finishing and archival
preservation of a bridal gown is a scientifically informed
discipline. Guided by a growing body of published
scientific research on the chemical processes by which all
textiles, including bridal gowns, deteriorate over time.
Our name -- Museum Quality Gowncare - derives from the fact that
all the techniques, processes and packaging materials we use is a
careful synthesis of:
- this published scientific research,
- the practical application of this scientific research by museum
textile conservators throughout the world, and
- the sensitivity, knowledge, skill and experience derived from
cleaning and finishing tens of thousands of designer, high fashion,
specialty and couture garments and gowns over the years.
Our reputation for technical excellence has
been built on obsessive attention to every detail.
It is this attention to detail that distinguishes our gowncare
services from the "cleaning and boxing" or "heirlooming" services
offered by other providers -- ordinary cleaners; bridal and floral
boutiques; wedding planners and consultants; home-based,
independent sales representatives; and self-styled wedding gown
specialists.
Services Overview
At Museum Quality Gowncare, we offer a comprehensive range of
bridal gown-related services and conveniences, including:
We can perfectly hand finish your bridal gown, your brides maid
dresses and your mother-of-the-bride ensembles into "walk down the
aisle" condition.
From minor to major alterations, our qualified, on premises
alterationists deliver work of the highest quality with consistent
precision and reliability.
Whether your gown has been recently worn or is a family heirloom
that has yellowed with time, we have the skills and experience to
hand clean and restore it to original or near original
condition.
- Cleaning, finishing and preservation
After the wedding, you may choose to have your cherished gown
hand cleaned, hand finished and archivally preserved in order to
protect it from the ravages of time, from harmful materials, and
from airborne pollutant gases.
- Wedding ceremony delivery
For a nominal service fee, we'll deliver your hand finished
bridal gown to the ceremony venue on the day before or on the day
of the ceremony.
- Free local pickup and delivery
We offer door to door service in any of the zip codes we
currently service.
After the wedding, we'll pick up your bridal gown, hand clean,
hand finish and archivally preserve it to the highest museum
quality standards, and deliver it back to you at your
convenience.
Non-standard weekend pickup and delivery, or pickup and delivery
within a specific time window can be arranged for a nominal service
fee.
Do you live outside the Phoenix metro area? Can't find a true
quality bridal gown specialist in your local area to whom you can
entrust your cherished bridal gown with complete confidence?
Even if you're beyond the reach of our facility or our local
pickup and delivery service, we're still within your reach. That's
because our nationwide clean by mail service ships
throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico. For
further information on our nationwide clean by mail service, please
click here.
We welcome appointments. Please call us at 1.800.GOWNPRO to
schedule a free, no obligation consultation.
Cleaning
We begin with a thorough inspection of your gown. Our bridal
gown specialists will carefully examine the fabric, seams, trim and
embellishments (such as lace, embroidery, appliques, pearls, beads,
sequins, droplets, etc.) and soiling of the gown. And, based on our
extensive experience, devise an appropriate cleaning method.
Our cleaning methods ensure that visible stains
such as hem soiling and makeup, sugar-based stains
such as champagne and soda, and salt-based stains
such as perspiration, are removed. Either completely, or to the
maximum extent possible, consistent with the type of fabric and the
age and nature of the stains.
The removal of sugar-based and salt-based stains are
particularly important. Sugar-based stains, caused by clear,
sugar-based liquids, cannot be removed by the drycleaning process
alone. Left untreated, these stains will caramelize over time,
resulting in unsightly brown marks. Salt-based stains, caused by
contact with the skin, also cannot be removed by the drycleaning
process alone. Left untreated, these stains can change the color of
the fabric and/or deteriorate the fabric over time.
Once we've devised an appropriate cleaning method, we'll
carefully hand clean and restore your cherished gown to it's
original splendor. Individually. Never in combination with other
gowns.
Beads, pearls and sequins on a bridal gown have always presented
ordinary cleaners with a major challenge. The big unknown is: Will
they melt or deluster? As a result, many ordinary cleaners often
reject these gowns as "uncleanable" or "extremely risky", or
subcontract them to wholesale wedding gown cleaners (a highly risky
proposition).
At Museum Quality Gowncare, we won't reject your gown as
"uncleanable" or subcontract it to a wholesale wedding gown
cleaner. In fact, we welcome your heavily beaded, pearled and/or
sequined gown. And we'll even guarantee that your beads
won't melt and that your pearls and sequins won't
deluster.
Whether your bridal gown has been recently worn or is a family
heirloom that has yellowed with time, the bridal gown specialists
at Museum Quality Gowncare have the skills and experience to hand
clean and restore it to original or near original condition.
Finishing
Next, our bridal gown specialists will carefully hand finish
your gown into "walk down the isle" condition, using the finest
European hand finishing methods. This is something few ordinary
cleaners do, especially when they know, in advance, that the gown
is to be "boxed".
At best, an ordinary cleaner will steam out the bodice -- the
area that shows through the plastic window of their wedding gown
box. After all, why bother to hand finish the gown into "walk down
the aisle" condition when, more likely than not, it's going to be
unmercifully stuffed into a wedding gown box that's far too small
for the gown anyway?
Packaging
Should you wish to preserve your gown for the long-term, we'll
delicately stuff your gown with unbuffered, acid-free tissue to
maintain its shape and line. And carefully package it in a
custom-made, archival bridal gown storage chest.
In addition to being acid-free, lignin-free, sulphur-free and
chlorine-free, our chests feature a patented, 21st Century
preservation technology which provides active
protection against atmospheric (outdoor) pollutant gases,
environmental (indoor) pollutant gases, and acid degradation
by-products generated within the paperboard as the paperboard
naturally ages -- something no other wedding gown box can
do.
It's important to recognize that the packaging
of any textile, such as a bridal gown, is absolutely
critical to it's long-term preservation.
That's because no matter how well a bridal gown is hand cleaned
and hand finished, it is of little value if your gown
is returned to a potentially damaging
micro-environment.
We'll explain.
When you preserve a textile, such as a bridal gown, what you're
essentially doing is:
- Protecting your gown against acids present in
the various packaging materials that might come into physical
contact with your gown.
- Protecting your gown against airborne
atmospheric (outdoor) and environmental (indoor) pollutant
gases that are highly oxidative and/or acid
precursors.
Protecting against acids is important because acids
cause textiles, such as bridal gowns, to yellow and embrittle over
the long-term.
Yellowing occurs when the white, ivory, eggshell or cream color
of your gown turns yellow with age. Embrittlement occurs when
textile fibers loose resiliency, elasticity and strength.
Because the packaging is absolutely
critical to the long-term preservation of your bridal
gown, it's important to recognize and understand:
- the advantages and disadvantages of the various preservation
technologies that are available
- the acid trapping and neutralizing capabilities of each of
these preservation technologies.
What follows is a very brief summary:
There are essentially three categories of preservation
technologies available today.
- The traditional, storybook wedding gown box ("storybook wedding
gown box").
Typically, these boxes are beautifully adorned in a variety of
colors with wedding-related pictures, symbols and words, and have a
clear plastic viewing window. These are the wedding gown boxes
you'll find displayed in the lobby of your local cleaner or bridal
boutique. At RAVE FabriCARE, we call these storybook wedding gown
boxes.
Traditional storybook wedding gown boxes feature 1960's
preservation technology and offer negative
protection for your gown.
Why negative protection?
Not only don't these storybook wedding gown boxes accomplish the
principle objective of preservation -- protecting your bridal gown
against acids -- but they actively contribute to
the acidification of your bridal gown over time.
Problem is, most of these storybook wedding gown boxes are
nothing more than cheap, bleached white cardboard boxes that may or
may not have been buffered with calcium or magnesium carbonate to
render the box either "acid neutral" (a pH of 7) or "acid-free" (a
pH greater than 7) over the short term.
While these storybook wedding gown boxes may look very
attractive, they are, unfortunately, functionally
worthless.
That's because the paperboard from which these storybook wedding
gown boxes are manufactured contains a caldron of acidic impurities
from the tree and from the pulp manufacturing process.
As the paperboard ages and deteriorates, it "releases" acids.
And when the acidic paperboard comes into physical contact with a
bridal gown, it causes the bridal gown fabric to yellow. And to
embrittle and deteriorate prematurely. This process is called "acid
migration" or "acid transfer". (Acids also migrate from adjacent
acidic materials, which is why you cannot line these so-called
"acid neutral" or "acid free" boxes with "acid free" tissue and
expect your bridal gown not to yellow or embrittle.)
What's more, these storybook wedding gown boxes cannot
protect your gown against airborne atmospheric (outdoor)
and environmental (indoor) pollutant gases that are highly
oxidative and/or acid precursors.
Unfortunately, these airborne atmospheric (outdoor) and
environmental (indoor) pollutant gases pass right through the
paperboard of storybook wedding gown boxes. That's because the
paperboard from which these storybook wedding gown boxes are
constructed contains no effective barrier to trap and
neutralize these airborne pollutant gases. And when these
airborne pollutant gases combine with moisture, they produce acids
which can come into contact with or form on your gown.
- The conventional, alkaline buffered, acid-free, lignin free,
sulfur-free and chlorine-free wedding gown box ("alkaline buffered
wedding gown box").
Typically, these boxes are also adorned in a variety of colors
with wedding-related pictures, symbols and words, but don't have
the clear plastic viewing window.
These alkaline buffered wedding gown boxes are a definite
improvement over the traditional storybook wedding gown boxes in
one respect: the box itself won't degrade as
rapidly as the storybook wedding gown box. So it's
less likely to yellow or embrittle your gown over the
long-term. That's because many of the acidic impurities
from the tree and the pulp manufacturing process have been
removed.
These alkaline buffered wedding gown boxes feature 1980s
preservation technology and offer passive
protection for your gown.
Why passive protection?
Because these alkaline buffered wedding gown boxes
cannot protect your gown against airborne
atmospheric (outdoor) and environmental (indoor) pollutant gases
that are highly oxidative and/or acid precursors.
These airborne atmospheric (outdoor) and environmental (indoor)
pollutant gases pass right through the paperboard of alkaline
buffered wedding gown boxes. That's because the paperboard from
which these alkaline buffered wedding gown boxes are constructed
contains no effective barrier to trap and neutralize these
airborne pollutant gases. And when these airborne
pollutant gases combine with moisture, they produce acids which can
come into contact with or form on your gown.
- The Museum Quality Gowncare bridal gown storage chest
Our bridal gown storage chest features a patented, 21st
Century preservation technology that overcomes all
the limitations of the "very best" alkaline-buffered
wedding gown box.
Our bridal gown storage chest provides your gown with
all the protection offered by alkaline buffered
wedding gown boxes: protection against light, soil and dust, mold
and mildew, insects, temperature and relative humidity.
In addition, our bridal gown storage chest
provides your bridal gown with a barrier of active
protection by protecting it against the ravages of
harmful
- Atmospheric (outdoor) and environmental (indoor) pollutant
gases that are highly oxidative.
- Atmospheric (outdoor) gases that are acid precursors.
- Acid degradation by-products generated within the paperboard as
the paperboard naturally ages.
No storybook wedding gown box or alkaline buffered
wedding gown box can provide this additional
protection.
How does our bridal gown storage chest protect your gown against
these airborne pollutant gases and acid degradation
by-products?
Because the paperboard used to manufacture our bridal gown
storage chests actively traps and neutralizes these harmful
airborne pollutant gases, and acid degradation by-products. Before
those gases and acids can come into contact with or form on your
gown.
The cornerstone of this patented preservation technology is the
barrier of active protection created by a combination of three
separate, yet synergistic elements within the exterior layer of
paperboard of our bridal gown storage chests:
- Innovative paper structure
- Acid traps
- Dual alkaline buffers.
How do you know that our bridal gown storage chests will trap
and neutralize these airborne pollutant gases and acid degradation
by-products generated within the paperboard as the paperboard
naturally ages?
Because the paperboard used to manufacture our bridal gown
storage chests has passed ANSI (American National Standards
Institute) Test IT 9.15 1992. This is a test that measures the flow
of potentially damaging pollutant gas molecules through paperboard.
No other paperboard-based bridal gown storage chest
available today has passed this test.
How do you know that our bridal gown storage chests will keep on
trapping and neutralizing airborne pollutant gases and acid
degradation by-products generated within the paperboard as the
paperboard naturally ages?
Because independent laboratory tests have proven that the
paperboard used to manufacture our bridal gown storage chests has
170 times more acid trapping and neutralizing
capacity than the paperboard used to manufacture alkaline
buffered wedding gown boxes of equivalent size and weight.
Put another way, to receive the identical acid trapping and
neutralizing capacity offered by our bridal gown storage chests,
you'd have to replace your alkaline buffered wedding gown
box 170 times before you'd need to replace ours.
This means that our bridal gown storage chest can be expected to
remain effective long after the alkaline buffers in the "very best"
alkaline buffered wedding gown box have been exhausted.
No Stuffing
Unlike ordinary cleaners, we'll never stuff your gown
into a one-size-fits-all wedding gown box.
At Museum Quality Gowncare, we offer four different
sizes of bridal gown storage chests. This way we can
accommodate any size dress -- from a classic, straight line, tight
fitting gown to a princess gown with a voluminous skirt and
cathedral train. And we can still gently and carefully
package your gown with a minimum of creases or folds.
Why do we offer four different sizes of bridal gown storage
chests?
Because compressing a bridal gown into a wedding gown box will
result in extensive creasing that'll be almost impossible to remove
in future years.
No Sealing
More importantly, we'll never hermetically or vacuum
seal (actually shrink-wrap) our bridal gown storage chests
in any type of plastic of any color.
"No stuffing. No sealing. No
purging."
Instead, your bridal gown is layered and supported with
unbuffered, acid-free tissue and wrapped in a large sheet of
unsized, unbleached cotton muslin inside the chest. After the lid
is replaced, the entire chest is inserted in an unsized, unbleached
cotton muslin outer cover.
This allows air to circulate throughout the chest and
allows the gown to "breathe" as recommended by museum
textile conservators. It also allows you to view your gown whenever
you so wish.
The unbleached, unsized cotton muslin liner and outer cover acts
as a dust filter and assists in regulating fluctuations in
temperature and relative humidity. In addition, the outer cover
serves to keep the chest clean and free of dust, and can be
periodically washed.
One more thing about "sealing": the notion that you can
hermetically or vacuum seal a wedding gown box constructed of
paperboard is pseudo-scientific nonsense. A true
vacuum requires the absence of air. This would cause the box to
implode, crushing the box and the gown in the process. Just like
the demonstrations in the Space Bag® television commercials.
No Purging
Many ordinary cleaners claim, that in order to
prevent oxidation or yellowing of your bridal gown, you should:
- hermetically or vacuum seal the wedding gown box in plastic,
and
- remove all the oxygen from the box and replace it with an inert
gas such as nitrogen.
We strongly disagree. For a number of reasons:
- It's scientifically impossible to "seal" a paperboard-based
wedding gown box so it's completely airtight.
- The plastic typically used to "seal" these wedding gown boxes
is not airtight over the long term. The inert gas will escape over
time rendering the gas-for-oxygen-swap functionally useless.
- The plastic typically used to "seal" these wedding gown boxes
is not chemically inert. This means that as the plastic ages and
deteriorates, it'll degrade, "release" acids, and trap
these acids inside the chest. This negates the very reason
for preserving your bridal gown in the first place -- protection
against acids.
- The plastic used to "seal" these wedding gown boxes traps
moisture inside the box and promotes the formation of mold and
mildew.
- It's important for air to circulate throughout your bridal gown
storage chest. All textiles, even synthetics, must be allowed to
"breathe".
Sealing a wedding gown box in plastic and substituting the
oxygen with an inert gas is nothing more than a marketing
gimmick. No museum textile conservator would store any of
their museum textiles in this manner. There's simply no
substitute for using a bridal gown storage chest that
incorporates the most advanced preservation technology available to
protect your cherished gown over the long-term.
But don't take our word for it. Visit the Smithsonian
Institution or Textile Museum for their do's and don'ts of textile
preservation. These museum textile conservators are responsible for
protecting tens of thousands textiles in their collections. So you
can rest assured that they're on the cutting edge of preservation
technology.
No Kitchen Sinks
Ordinary cleaners will often encourage you to include bouquets,
bras, favors, garter belts, guest lists, hats, invitations, menus,
money bags, napkins, photographs, ring bearer pillows, scrapbooks,
shoes and slips. Even cake tops. Everything but the kitchen
sink.
And the reason? They charge for each extra item included in the
box.
We strongly advocate that you resist
the urge to include such items. Why? Because you don't
know -- and probably will never know -- the chemical composition of
each of these items. For example, the foam and elastic in bras and
the glues in shoes will probably acidify as they deteriorate over
time. And if any of these acidic materials come into physical
contact with your bridal gown you've effectively negated
the very reason for preserving your gown in the first
place -- protection against acids.
In-house Performance
Because all this work is done in house, we invite you to view
your bridal gown prior to packaging.
We've even got a dedicated bridal gown "clean room" where we
complete our packaging process. You're also invited to observe the
entire preservation process if you so wish.
Pricing
Our minimum price for hand cleaning, hand finishing and
archivally preserving a bridal gown is $425.
More typically, our prices range from $450 to $550, depending on
a number of factors, including the
- type of fabric(s) used
- quality of the construction
- physical size of the gown, including the train, if any
- number of fabric layers
- nature and extent of the soiling
- nature and extent of the trim, such as beads, pearls and
sequins.
We do request a 50 percent deposit on the hand
cleaning, hand finishing and archival preservation of a bridal
gown.
We regret but we cannot apply gift certificates towards the 50
percent deposit. You're welcome to use your gift certificate to
wholly or partially offset the remaining balance. If the amount of
the gift certificate exceeds the remaining balance, the excess can
be applied to the 50 percent deposit.
On a number of occasions, we have been asked to hand clean, hand
finish and archivally preserve full bridal suites, comprising the
bridal gown, brides maid dresses and mother-of-the-bride ensembles.
Please contact us for special pricing on full bridal suites.
Our nationwide clean by mail service prices are identical to the
prices you would pay if you were a local in-store client or a local
picup and delivery client.
Furthermore, we do not add a 3% to 6% environmental surcharge to
each service order.
There is no sales tax on drycleaning and related services in
Arizona.
Turnaround Time
Our turnaround time for cleaning, finishing and preserving a
bridal gown is typically 4 to 8 weeks.
Guarantees and Warranties
Many service providers offer "guaranteed stain removal" and
"guaranteed preservation".
At Museum Quality Gowncare, we always advise brides to
consider these stain removal and preservation guarantees
with a healthy dose of skepticism.
Here's why.
As regards guaranteed stain removal, only the unschooled would
guarantee the removal of all spots and stains --
in advance of completing the cleaning process.
While perfection is always the goal, perfection may not always be
fully achievable.
As a skilled cleaner of bridal gowns, Museum Quality Gowncare
always strives to achieve the "very best possible
result", given the gown's fabric, the trim and
embellishments, the construction, and the nature and extent of the
soiling.
The same healthy skepticism should be applied to preservation
guarantees.
In this regard, this section of our website has attempted to
provide you with answers to two important questions:
- Why preserve?
- What alternative preservation technologies are available?
Now you know that preservation is all about controlling the
micro-environment in which your bridal gown is stored over the long
term. And the "very best possible result" can only
be achieved by simulating a climate-controlled environment in a
technologically advanced bridal gown storage chest.
So, with this in mind, what's the value of a 30 or 50
year guarantee?
Not much when you consider this simple fact: none
of the "cleaning and boxing" or "heirlooming" service providers
have been using their current cleaning processes
and packaging methods for the full guaranteed period. So
none of these service providers are in a position to have seen the
results of their current cleaning processes and packaging methods
on gowns that have been stored for the full guaranteed
period.
And what's the value of a lifetime
guarantee?
Not much when you ask yourself one simple question:
whose lifetime? Your decendents? Yours? The
service provider's lifetime? The wholesale wedding gown cleaner's
lifetime? Or the gown's lifetime?
At Museum Quality Gowncare, we take a different approach to
these so-called guarantees: we prefer to offer scientifically
informed advice and to guarantee that we'll hand
clean, hand finish and archivally preserve your cherished bridal
gown with extraordinary care.
Gift Certificates
A gift certificate for the hand cleaning, hand finishing and
archival preservation of a bridal gown makes the perfect gift. Long
after all those other gifts are forgotten, the gift of preservation
will be remembered year after year.
Gift certificates are available in increments of $50.
Other Ceremonial Garments
In addition to bridal gowns, Museum Quality Gowncare offers
museum quality restoration, hand cleaning, hand finishing, and
archival preservation of all types of ceremonial
garments, including flower girl dresses, brides
maid dresses, communion dresses, confirmation dresses, christening
gowns, baptismal gowns, pageant gowns, debutante gowns, cotillion
gowns, and ball gowns.
Sentimental Garments and Household Textiles
Museum Quality Gowncare can also restore, clean, finish and
preserve sentimental garments and textiles such as
your child's first suit or dress, your father's military uniform,
or your great grandmother's lace table cloth.
Consult Us!
Museum Quality Gowncare has a bridal/couture consultant on staff
to advise you on the alteration, restoration, hand cleaning, hand
finishing and archival preservation of your bridal and formal
gowns.
We'll work with you, personally and professionally, keeping you
appraised of our progress at every step of the way.
Visit our Museum Quality Gowncare Information Center. See.
Touch. Ask questions. Get answers. Before you entrust your
cherished gown to an ordinary cleaner.
Come in for a free consultation. There's
no obligation. To set up an appointment, call us
at 1.800.GOWNPRO.
Attend a Seminar
Museum Quality Gowncare conducts quarterly seminars on the care
and storage of bridal gowns, and other ceremonial and sentimental
garments and household textiles.
To obtain a schedule of our upcoming seminars, please call us at
1.800.GOWNPRO, or email us at seminars@ravefabricare.com.
Summary
Our restoration, cleaning, and finishing procedures are
consistent with the very best conservation practices. Our
preservation materials are the same ones used by the finest museums
to protect and preserve their costume and textile collections.
Packaging an appropriately cleaned textile in archival materials
is the most effective method to protect the textile from the
deteriorating effects of light, soil and dust, mold and mildew,
insects, airborne atmospheric (outdoor) and environmental (indoor)
pollutant gases, and physical handling as well as from sharp
fluctuations in temperature and relative humidity.
At Museum Quality Gowncare, our approach to the conservation and
preservation of garments and textiles is pure textile
science. Not ordinary cleaner myth.