How to Spot Clean a Taffeta Wedding Dress

By: Mimi Bullock

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A wedding gown is one of the few dresses a woman wants to keep forever. However, if that taffeta gown gets stained you need to address the spot as soon as possible, especially if you plan to store it. Common wedding-dress stains come from chocolate, wine and lipstick. Taffeta and heavy silk gowns should not be totally immersed in water, but you can spot clean these type of dresses. While severe staining calls for a trip to the dry cleaner to avoid discoloring the fabric, these tips will help you to wrangle smaller marks at home.

Step 1

Remove the gown if possible and place it with the stained side up on a clean flat surface, such as an ironing board or table. Place a white towel under the stain to prevent the stain from bleeding through to the opposite side of the garment.

Step 2

Blot the stain with a dry white hand towel or washcloth. Do not use water for this, just the dry towel. Press down and lift, do not rub or smear the stain.

Step 3

Spritz the stain with water. This will break up some stains and allow the substance to seep into the towel underneath. If the stain does not budge, mix 1 part liquid soap with 6 parts of water in an empty spray bottle. Shake the bottle and spray the spot with the soapy mixture.