Ballito Dry and Clean tips brides on dress care

Whether it be a white lace ballgown or a show-stopper red silk sari, the bride’s dress is a central feature of the wedding that may have taken months of deliberation and multiple fittings to produce.

Guarded under lock and key in an airtight chest, the wedding dress will probably be any bride’s most guarded possession until her big day.

Once the vows have been said, from here on the fate of a former ‘state secret’ guarded more closely than former President Jacob Zuma’s current medical condition may well be at risk of just about anything.

Nasty grass stains on the train, a red wine spill from a drunk cousin and oily finger stains from the hundreds of well wishers are a few common stains a bride might be faced with once the confetti has settled.

Most brides are at a loss for what to do with this sacred garment or how to keep it in good condition for years to come.

Brides now have three options, trash it (as in a ‘trash the dress’ photoshoot where you can completely go wild and get down and dirty), sell it or to keep it for future generations.

If you decide to sell it or store it you will need to return it to its original perfect state, and to help you do just that Dry and Clean Ballito owner, Roy Travers has this advice.

1. Stain removal
“First off, before you actually put away your dress in whatever way you intend to, ensure that it has been cleaned,” said Roy.

If your dress has been stained, do not wash and iron the stain as this will cause the stains to be absorbed permanently by the material’s fibers.

“Coloured candles are sometimes common at weddings, and candle wax can be problematic when it comes to wedding dresses,” said Roy, who advised that professionally cleaning the dress would be the best solution.

He added that a wedding dress should never be bleached as this in the long run would see it lose that vibrant white colour. “Spilled some red wine, no problem – just add some white wine to the spill zone and bring it to us afterwards,” said Roy explaining that white wine aids in removing red wine from a wedding dress.

If all else fails, and your dress is made from synthetic materials, drop it in some water and add a teaspoon of sunlight liquid, this should help with stain removal.

Bring it in to Dry and Clean Ballito to have it professionally cleaned.

2. Storage
Having it shrink wrapped after wash would be the best way to preserve the dress and its fibres.

Roy said that if you were unable to have the dress shrink wrapped, you could place it – after ensuring that it is completely dry – in a heavy duty bag, squeeze out all of the air and store it in a dry place away from moisture.

Dry and Clean Ballito offers shrink wrapping as an added service.

3. Longevity
If you would like to ensure that your dress remains in bride-ready condition, an annual steam and re-wrap would be the best way to keep it in good condition.

Contact Dry and Clean Ballito – which offers the greatest care regardless of the materials used in your dress – at 065 719 0061 / www.dryandclean.co.za for more information or, find them at Shop 5, Building 3, Ballito Drive.

Dry and Clean Ballito is open Monday to Friday from 8am to 5pm and, Saturdays from 8am to 1pm.