New research has found that one in ten brides and grooms (11%) have never washed their wedding clothes. The study, conducted by online clothing retailer Banana Moon Clothing, looked at how often people wash their clothes and how long they think they can get away with wearing dirty items. The results revealed that women are worse than men for not washing their wedding clothes.15% of brides confessed they hadn’t cleaned their dress after the wedding, compared to only 7% of men who hadn’t washed their suit.
Almost a quarter of those living in Aberdeen (23%) said they hadn’t cleaned their wedding clothing since the big day, followed by over a fifth (22%) of those in Coventry and 16% in Wolverhampton.
Commenting on the research, professional textile artist and embroider, Chloe Savage from Chloe Savage Embroidery, said: “This research doesn’t surprise me, as many of the dresses I have seen haven’t been cleaned and have been badly packed for years. This means they often become damaged from mould, light damage and insect damage, and in some cases they are unsalvageable. This is because they get forgotten in the bustle after the wedding.”
Chloe shares her top tips on how to store a wedding clothes after the big day:
Before your wedding, it is best to research and find a specialist dry cleaner as most bridal dresses are not machine washable. This also applies for veils and accessories. Make sure you shop around as the cheapest job may not be the best, so ensure you do your research.
Plan to have it cleaned as soon as the wedding is over. I recommend assigning this job to the mother of the bride or a senior bridesmaid, as they can pop it into your chosen cleaner whilst you are on honeymoon. This means stains don’t have time to seriously set, which can really help as the longer something is stained, the harder it is to remove.
When packing the dress away, it needs to be in a conservation quality box and packed in acid free tissue paper. This prevents creases being forced into the dress and fabric wearing at the folds. It also limits the yellowing of the fabric. Don’t use the bags provided by dry cleaners as this will cause the fabric to sweat.
Control moths by making sure the box contains cedar balls, lavender and basil bags. These will keep fabric destroying moths at bay.
Make sure you have the correct storage for your wedding dress - attics or cellars are a no-go because they are either too cold, too hot or too damp. Ideally, dresses should be stored at the top or bottom of a wardrobe in a cool, dry room.
Be clear about the reasons for keeping your wedding dress. Do you want it for another occasion? Are you keeping it for your daughter? Are you having it made into a christening dress for your children? There are many alternatives to storage, including selling it on or donating it to a special cause, so make sure you consider these options.
Commenting on the results, Alex Grace, Managing Director at Banana Moon Clothing, said: “When it comes to weddings, many people just wear their outfit once and put it in a cupboard never to be seen again, but leaving clothes for a long period of time unwashed can cause damage. That is a lot of money to waste when the average UK wedding dress costs over £800!”
“We hope that people take the advice of experts and remember to wash their wedding attire so that it stays in pristine condition and you can cherish the memories for a lifetime.”
To find out how often you should be washing clothes, from denim to delicates, go to: https://www.banana-moon-clothing.co.uk/blog/clothes-washing-hacks
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