dry cleaning sample gown?

southernbride00

I recently bought a dress at a sample sale that I love!  It's in perfect condition, minus the dirty hem.  The dress is much too long, so it definitely needs to be shortened.  My question is, should I get it dry cleaned first, or should I take it to get tailored, because the dirty part may just get cut off when hemmed? 

kvruns

If the hem weren't dirty would you still be wanting to get it cleaned? I know some people would bc of buying a dress others may have tried on.  If that doesn't bother you and there are no other stains to worry about then I would wait.  You could aways call the tailor to ask too and see what they think

southernbride00

I hadn't even thought of that, so I guess it wouldn't bother me!  Good idea to call the tailor and ask.  The dress was a little more than I hoped to spend, so I'd love to save a few bucks if I can avoid dry cleaning, plus I've heard horror stories about dresses getting lost/ruined.

blabla89

I have a sample dress, and my seamstress is taking care of the cleaning. I trust her a lot more than I trust a dry cleaner. Since she has an eye for wedding dresses she pointed out some spots that needed cleaning that I hadn't even noticed. Definitely take it for fitting first, and see if they can clean it for you or at least recommend a good dry cleaner.

southernbride00

That's a great idea--thanks! 

CMGragain

Cleaning any wedding dress will cost at least $100.
Most wedding dresses are made of polyester fabric.  This is washable.  You could carefully clean the hem yourself with a bowl of liquid detergent and water.  Rub gently, just cleaning the dirty areas.  Test on an inconspicuous place first.  If you are patient, the dirt should come off.

southernbride00

Oh gosh, I'm not sure if I could do it myself without panicking that I'm going to ruin the dress.  It's really long, so I'm planning to call the seamstress first and see what she thinks.