Dear Stain Wizard,
I have a 40 year old wedding dress that a customer wants to “renew” her vows in. She was appalled by the stains she found on the dress. These brown stains were around where the beading was glued onto the fabric. The customer doesn’t care about losing the beads,she just wants the gown to be perfect for the ceremony.
Please Help,
Marci,
Casa Grande, Arizona
Dear Marci,
It’s seldom that you see glue breakdown like this and turn this brown.
It frequently happens in laundry shirts where some manufacturers glue the collar and cuffs to the shirt before sending it down the line to be sewn. A lot of people think it’s “ring around the collar” but when the glue breaks down, you will see yellowing along the stitching.
If this is the glue that was used to hold on the beads, in order to remove the glue (stains) the beads, unfortunately, will be removed in the process.
As this is a gown not containing silk, our best option is wetcleaning.
Apply InkGo, to the affected areas, allow the InkGo to sit overnight.
Wetclean in your wedding dress formula and you should be set to go. The beads will come off, but the dress should be beautiful.
After wetcleaning the dress,put it on the “Susie” and the dream/air should help knock the wrinkles out.
Good Luck.
The Stain Wizard
Jeff Schwarz “The Stain Wizard” has been in the drycleaning and laundry industry since 1991. He is a Regional Vice President for A. L.Wilson Chemical Company covering 18 states and Western Canada.
Jeff has been part of several drycleaning associations and conducts seminars and in-plant training across the United States.
He wears his stained lab coat as a tribute to Doris Easley.
He writes for various trade publications as a tribute to the legacy of his closest friend Kenney Slatten.
Jeff can be reached at (201) 240-9446 or email: JeffSchwarz@Alwilson.com.
