Must Read if you are planning on getting your Wedding Gown Cleaned and/or Preserved!

Dry Cleaners are NOT all the same

I have made this point many times before.  But it needs to be repeated. Anyone can open a shop and call themselves a drycleaner.  There are no training requirements, no regulations (beyond a business and equipment permit) and no way of telling by the store front what you are getting into!

Quick tip: Ask a high end clothing boutique (or wedding gown salon) for a cleaner recommendation

Wedding gowns care is NOT the same as drycleaning.  Your cleaner may be fabulous.  However if they don't have specialized knowledge about the types of soils and materials that occur on gowns, you will be disappointed.  And many cleaners send their gowns out to wholesale gown cleaners that seal your gown in a preservation chest.  I would steer clear of these outfits too.  If there were an issue, you will have little recourse to get the problem corrected.

How do you find someone capable and trustworthy to clean your gown?

Check out this article by preownedweddingdresses.com about the leading wedding gown cleaning association in the world, The Association of Wedding Gown Specialists.  Some 100 of the best cleaners in Canada, the US, Australia, Mexico and England (so far) get together to learn best practices, share findings and in the end provide superior services to you, the wedding gown owner

enjoy the article

Thanks for Wearing clothes!

Sasha

Ruined Clothes: What does a drycleaner owe you?

Buyer Beware!

I ran across this article this morning that I thought was well put together and a good reminder for all drycleaning consumers. It was fair and had all the right information. In a nutshell, a woman took her sample wedding gown into a cleaners to be cleaned before the wedding, and it came back ruined. She is now out over $1000 and the cleaners is doing nothing.

Ruined Clothes: What does a drycleaner owe you?

One important thing not addressed was; How much did Gigi's French Cleaners Charge for the gown cleaning?

Now I know on the surface, this looks like the cleaner is all wrong. And maybe he is. But all cleaners are not alike. It takes a tremendous amount on training to clean gowns that are intentionally manufactured to not be cleaned (hence "spotclean only")

In 2010, a full wedding gown cleaning should cost between $200-$400 dollars. That's how much it cost to be able to 1) afford the proper training, 2) take the time necessary, 3) honor the error and cover the cost of any possible damage. The Association of Wedding Gown Specialists has members that can replace panels, and have even ordered replacements for brides (from damage by the client that was irreparable).

When taking treasured items into a cleaner, YOU should 1) check the reputation of the cleaners - the BBB website is an easy way to see, 2) ask a clothing boutique (in this case she could have asked where she purchased the gown) and 3) Remember, you get what you pay for. I believe if you that spend less than 8% of the new cost of the clothes - you may not be getting the service you should. For example: If you have a $1000 Armani suit, and you are paying less than $80 to have it cleaned. . . . then you may just end up getting what you paid for, a ruined suit with no compensation.