Stains…
**Disclaimer: The below blog post is intended to help quickly address stains. We highly recommend seeking the help of a professional dry cleaning and/or preservation company, and although we completely understand that seeking a professional is not a realistic solution in the middle of your wedding preparations or reception, the below is advice and may not be a fool-proof solution for all situations.
It’s the dreaded situation: You were enjoying a nice drink, something got bumped, and now your beautiful dress has a very ugly stain. What do you do??
A quick way to triage the stain - if it is liquid, use a towel (cloth or paper) to immediately absorb as much liquid as possible. If it is solid, scrape off as much debris as possible without rubbing it in further. Always work from the outer edges of the stain to prevent it from spreading.
Some ways to treat a stain. You will need to know what the stain is and what type of fabric are you dealing with treat it.
Silk: DO NOT use a spot treating pen or wipe. Silk is very temperamental and this could cause discoloration. Instead, massage in a little detergent and let sit for a few minutes before hand rinsing in cold water. If the material is satin, you can use a spot treating pen or wipe.
Oil Based Stains: think greasy fingers from eating appetizers or from an oil based make up. Grab the baby powder or baking soda and spread a thick layer of the powder on the stain and leave to absorb as much as possible. Leave it until it starts to change color (up to 15 minutes), then scape off the powder and repeat, if necessary, until your stain is gone.
Makeup and Lipstick: scrape off any solid debris. For loose powders, try blowing them off before wiping to prevent pushing them further into the fabric. Then wet a towel with cold water and a small amount of dish soap, work from the outside of the stain towards the center. You can also use a cotton swab with a small amount of makeup remover on small, colorful stains. For oil-based makeup stains, see the above bullet.
Red wine: this always seems to be a big culprit of unfortunately spills and stains. Your best option is to wet a towel with water to neutralize as much as you can in the moment (do not use club soda - this will cause invisible damage to your dress that will result in discolored spots down later on). Blot the stain - do not rub it in - until you have removed as much as you can. If the stain persists, and your dress is NOT silk, blot the stain with clear dish soap or cover it with white chalk.
Ink: ink can be very difficult to remove. Try rubbing a small amount of rubbing alcohol to remove the stain. If this is unsuccessful, cover with chalk or baby powder to disguise the stain until you can seek professional help.
Blood: use a damp cotton swab or cloth to blot the blood. Saliva enzymes can also be helpful to remove blood. Once the stain is removed, dry the fabric or disguise with baby powder.
Dirt and Mud: remove as much solid debris as you can by scraping or picking it off (but don’t rub it in further). Start at the edges of the stain towards the center with a stain pen or wipe until the stain is gone.
Grass Stains: use chalk or baby powder to disguise this stain during your wedding, then seek professional cleaning help.
Pollen or debris: whether from your bouquet or the environment, sticky tape can be very helpful for getting rid of pollen and debris.
When the stain is gone, use a hair dryer ON LOW HEAT to dry any damp spots on your dress. For any stains that remain, take your dress to a professional cleaner after your event.
The easiest way to handle a stain is to prevent them. So, make sure your makeup is fully set before getting into your dress, and limit any final touches once you are in your dress. If the weather isn’t great, the path is muddy, or the grass has been recently mowed, recruit help to carry your dress so it does not drag in the ground. Be prepared by having a stain pen or stain wipes somewhere on site (ask one of your bridesmaids, friends, or wedding coordinator to be in charge of this day of), try to hide what you can with white chalk or baby powder, and talk to your photographer ahead of time to ensure they can photoshop out any unsightly stains from your attire.
But, as heartbreaking as staining your gown can be, don’t let an unfortunate accident ruin your wedding. If you are enjoying yourself and having fun very few will notice a stain, and a little mud or grass on the hem of your dress will not take away from your beauty.
Photos Courtesy of: Jessica Lynn
