Hello, My name is Mia and I hang out regularly at the "Laundry Room" forum and I stubbled in here just to see what it is like. And boy am I HAPPY I showed up!!! Over at the LR forum we are a crazy bunch, some of us own over two pairs of Laundry machines (like me) and just love to clean clothes!! Yes, you may think we are crazy, but hey- who isn't?! So I'm surfing along and I see this post and I giggle like mad to myself because I DO know the preservation process of a wedding gown.When I was a teenager I used to work at a drycleaners and the manager and I (her faithful assistant) specialized on perserving all gowns. First of all "dry cleaning" isn't really dry. They use a chemical called Perchloroethyline aka "perc". It was developed by a french chemist in 1890 looking for a better way to clean clothes, however it is VERY toxic and causes tumors, cancer, and Federal goverment is very strict on how it can be disposed of. There are harsh fines for cleaners who don't obey the law and perc cannot be available for consumers only for licensed dry cleaners. Perc is a very very bad substance and I reccomend no one try using this stuff at home. Now the perc is recycled throughout the day on various objects like shirts, pants, etc because it cannot be disposed of after just being used once. Keep in mind that perc is (in some people's opinion) the most gentle way to clean. When you pay for that big fee of $200 or whatever you are basically paying for using the Perchloroethyline first. Have you ever noticed when you pick dry cleaning sometimes it smells perfumey or smokey? That is because is was washed in "recycled" perc that cleaned something perfumey or smokey. It doesn't mean however it's not clean. Wedding dresses use the perchloroethyline first. Dry cleaners usually have a tub filled with fresh perc and they lay the dress down in the solution and then hang it to dry. The Perc then dissapates as the dress itself then dries. Nice dresses (cocktail, party, prom) usually use the perc second. Then the perchloroethyline get funneld into special front loading machines (because they wash more gentle than top loading ones) and then they clean all other things before the perc is then disposed of. After the dress has air dried, it is then steamed and put into and acid free box with acid free paper. Many people want to know whether paper is better than cotton? Well, it all depends. Cotton will attract dust which could yellow the garment or in turn attract moths. And how the cotton is washed is another thing all together. If you want cotton I reccomend that you wash the cotton sheet in the hottest water possible with sttp and tide regular. No chorine bleach or oxyclean and rinse twice and dry in dryer until completely dry. Use a cotton high in thread count and one that is thick and sturdy that won't let dust in easily. Some people believe that cotton can attract bugs or other things that will deteriorate the fibers in clothes ,but you must keep an eye on this cotton and keep it clean and you should do fine. I do prefer the paper though as it will help the dress hold up nicely and if wanted to be worn again. Acid-free paper and boxes can be bought at any paper store. Keep away from any extremes like a moist attic or damp, cold basement. When I was married and because I'm a laundry freak, I cleaned my own dress. My dress was nothing ornate (just linen) because I was married in Maui on the beach. Many dresses can be cleaned like the way I cleaned mine. Note: This is only for the ambitious like me!!! First you want to clean your bathtub with bon-ami or baking soda. Not comet or ajax that have chemicals that could taint the dress when cleaning it. If you have ta water that has a lot of chemicals in it like chlorine get a ph balancer for your water. You can probably find one at a pool store. Fill your tub with cool, not cold water, and add Forever New detergent (purchased at any Nordstroms or Bon/Macy's). Please no woolite; contary to belief it is too harsh for delicate things. Lay your dress in water and let soak for a half an hour to an hour. If you have any stains like champagne or cake there is this kit you can buy called dryel (WARNING: the Dryel drycleaning system with it's bag and wet cleaning cloth that you put in your dryer will ruin any clothes you have. Don't use it, you are only using a piece of that kit for stain removal.) In it there is a bottle filled with a stain removing material. Read the directions and remove the stain. After your dress has soaked, drain water and gently press water out of dress. Fill the tub that has the dress with cool water to rinse the dress. Do this two or three times until water runs clear and there are no suds left. Don't ever swish dress in wash or in rinse, it will damage the material. after final rinse, gently press as much water as you can from dress.and lay on clean white towels and gently press water out of dress. Hang dry. Steam when dry and fold with acid-free paper and put in acid free box. WHEW!! If you want the easiest thing that will last, I say dish the money out if you don't want to clean it yourself. If you don't like the paper, use the cotton. Thank You all again~~~~ Mia

KEWL! Thanks for posting! I want to do a wedding scrapbook, and picked up some supplies at my local scrapbook store. Great price here! Thanks again! Penny

Here is a general list of things that you may find helpful the day of: bobby pins (black and/or gold - depending on hair color) safety pins (various sizes) needle and tread (various colors - for you and bridesmaids) pen notepad lotion deodorant perfume tissues lipgloss lip liner lip stick concealer pressed powder clear nail polish single nail polish remover pads tampons pads/panty liners gum mints seamstress chalk (for stains on dress) bandaids small personal electric fan asprin/tylenol/advil umbrella (depending on where you live) extra hosery hairspray handy wipes cash ID credit card Flip flops camera (disposable or small) all your contact names and phone numbers (make copies for wedding party, vendors, and any helpers) If you don't have a cell phone, get one that you may use for that day (I think convenience stores sell them and you can just buy one that will have a couple hours of time on it). The best advice I can give you is to have someone help you bring as much of the things as you can. My DH was in charge of the marriage license and his attire. I had helpers who brought the things for the reception (guest book, toasting glasses, favors, cake knife and server, seating chart, etc.). My Mother and I bagged everything beforehand. The wedding stuff - dress, shoes, kit stuff I listed above, headpiece, veil, undergarments, etc. all came with me and were bagged together. The reception stuff was in another bag and we brought it and gave it to the helper who was going to bring it to the reception. The wedding party was in charge of getting their attire together. My MOH helped me get the kit together and put it all in a cute bag that she brought from where we got ready to the wedding and then to the reception. It was very helpful. Just let people help you as much as possible. Don't stress out if something gets left behind, because most things can be found at a local drugstore and the hotel. I did a lot of organizing and planning, but the cake knife and server were left behind. No biggie - my sister ran to Williams Sonoma and bought one. The most important thing is to remember to have a good time and try to remember and take the day in - It really does go by quickly. Best wishes!

Very nice quilt. I see your DH likes symmetry just as I do. I've done a couple of kits too. Sometimes they are just the ticket.