One of the concerns a wetcleaning beginner has is the fact that he needs to learn new methods. I have always said the simpler the wetcleaning method, the better. In fact, I have never spent more than 30 minutes explaining my wetcleaning method. Even my short lecture will be forgotten soon anyway.
Do you need to know the engine mechanism and gasoline’s chemical composition to drive a car? Know the traffic rules and drive safely. The same goes for wetcleaning. Let the manufacturers and chemical companies deal with technicalities. It’s up to you to know how to do it in real life.
So, I will start to talk about real life cleaning. Of course, I will add simple theories if needed.
The ruined wedding dress
It was the year I sold my first cleaner so it’s probably about 33 years ago. A smiling newly wed couple came into my store. The bride proudly set her wedding dress on the counter and began explaining what it was. It was her mother who put 200 rose decorations on the dress by hand. The bride wanted to pass the dress to her daughter so she wanted to preserve it in a keepsake box.
The dress had a lot of white roses. It was not for my taste but I told myself to do my best to make her happy.
I decided wetcleaning is best for the dress so I brought it home and put it inside the filled bathtub. That’s when I realized I made a terrible mistake. As soon as I lifted the dress, all the roses came off the dress. My goodness! The $%# mother did not sew the roses on the dress. She used paper glue to attach them. Even the roses were made by gluing cut fabric pieces. To make a long story short, there were one plain white dress with hundreds of small fabric pieces floating in the tub. There was no way I can put them back together.
My store manager saw what happened and he was a schemer.
“Are you going to run this store for the rest of your life?”
“You must be kidding.”
“Then, don’t worry. I’ll take care of it.”
He packaged the dress in the nicest preservation box money can buy. He was nice enough to collect all the fabric pieces and put them in a nice bag. Then he put multiple layer of packing tape to seal the box tighter than a vault.
A few days later, the bride came back to pick it up. My manager bragged about how expensive the keepsake box was and how he asked me not to charge for the box.
“So, you are going to give it to your daughter?
“Yes, yes.”
“That’s like 25 years from now?”
“Yes, yes.”
“You should never, never open this box until then. Air and sunlight will yellow the dress. Understand?”
“Yes, yes.”
She was the happiest mother-to-be leaving the store with the box in her arms.
How to wetclean a silk wedding dress
If you are a drycleaner, you probably have washed more than one wedding dress. But if it was a very expensive silk dress, you wouldn’t be so casual about it. If it has multiple decorations and pleats, you will probably conclude it’s not wetcleanable. But wedding dresses have stains that are best removed by water.
The key to successfully cleaning any silk garments is good quality chemicals. It is the conditioner that maintains the feel and texture of silk. It also makes finishing much easier. My go-to chemicals are Aqua Master chemicals I developed.
Removing stains
Most stains on a wedding gown is in the hem area from being dragged on the floor. They are a combination of dust, oil and whatever were on the floor. Nasty. Most wedding gowns are made with polyester so spotting is not a problem. Silk is a different story.
I use Aqua Master Stain-Out stain remover for this. I would mix Stain-Out with water 1 to 1 and spray it on the stain. Then, I would follow up with a brush with soft bristle. But if I want to save time and effort, I add 12~16 oz. of Stain-Out in 3 gallons of water. Then I soak the hem gently rubbing it with my hands.
Wetcleaning
Use a high level of water to minimize friction. Dark color silk will show chaffing if you wash it with less water.
The selling point of a wedding dress is its bright white color. That’s why I prefer to use an acidic soap. If you use an alkaline soap and do not rinse it well enough, it will eventually cause yellowing. The key to maintain bright white color is acidic chemicals.
Conditioner
The quality of wetcleaning a silk wedding dress depends on the conditioner. A good conditioner will remove wrinkles, keep silk soft, makes finishing easier and preserve its natural sheen. If you are using a 50 lbs. washer, add about 12 oz. of conditioner in the last rinse.
Extraction and drying
I do not recommend extracting a silk wedding dress. Just drain it well and hang it dripping. Extraction can leave deep wrinkles.
If it looks almost dry after a day or two, put it in the tumble dryer at 45°C (113°F) ~ 50°C (122°F) to activate the conditioner in the fabric to remove wrinkles.
What you have to remember is the fact that you need some moisture when you put it in the dryer. If it is completely dry, tumble drying won’t remove wrinkles. If it is dry, I recommend spraying some water.
If you process silk wedding dresses following these simple steps, you won’t run into any finishing problems. Excellent quality and cleanliness are bonuses.
Yangsoo Kim
The author is the developer of Aqua Master wet cleaning chemicals and is currently operating Green Life Cleaners, a 100% wet cleaning service. You can contact him by phone (201) 699-7227 or email at yangkim50@gmail.com.
