First on the list of things to do is making sure you find a suitable place to store your wedding dress. It is imperative because the environment in which your dress is stored highly impacts its quality. You will have to avoid damp places because this gives mold and mildew a chance to grow.

Basements and attics

It is highly advisable not to store your dress in areas with high moisture content; this includes basements and attics because there is no proper ventilation. Lack of appropriate prevention leads to an array of problems resulting in your dress developing several snags including foul odor, damage, and mold growth.

If you don’t have much of a choice, there are a few solutions to this infamous setback; dehumidifiers and calcium chloride prove to help keep high humidity at bay. Keeping that in mind, your dress would be much happier in a place where it’s comfortable and dry; a spare bedroom, especially a spacious one, is an ideal place to keep your dress.

Closet

Next on the list of places you should avoid is probably your closet, especially if you haven’t walked the aisle yet. If your wardrobe has suitable air circulation, that is great, but if that means you can’t get your hands off your dress for a while, then make sure it stays away from you as far as possible (except for when you need it altered).

The chances of staining your gown go from one to a hundred if you keep touching it, especially if you are into applying lotion, deodorant, and makeup. You might not be able to see it but those things leave chemical residues that can cause yellow staining.

Unless you’re into walking down the aisle in a yellow dress, avoid handling it without washing your hands or removing all cosmetic products you’ve applied to yourself; a good shower also helps because even the natural oils our body produces contributes to this infuriating mishap.

Hanging rack

Another place you shouldn’t be putting your dress in is a hanging rack. It might be tempting but trust me when I say it’s not as enticing (or as safe) as you think it might be. Keep in mind that most wedding dresses are heavy, with all the extra fabric, the beading, the intricate designs, and if you’re willing to spend more, you’re sure to have that wedding dress train and that means an extra pound (or more) of drapery.

Hanging your dress, in the long run, isn’t suitable, particularly if your dress leans on the heavier side – this would mean lots of stretching if you do go through with it. You might be surprised but there are a lot of things to think about especially about cleaning and preserving a wedding dress.

Cardboard boxes

Keeping your wedding dress in a box is not a bad idea, but you have to make sure that you don’t just stuff it inside the usual cardboard boxes we’re accustomed to wadding things inside. Normal cardboard boxes are jam-packed with chemicals that could ruin your dress. There are special boxes to preserve wedding dresses; a wedding storage box is a great way (the best way, in my opinion) to preserve your dress in the long run.

You have to ensure that the wedding storage box is of great quality; meaning that it has to be acid-free and is sturdy enough to hold your dress. It should also be able to eliminate light to avoid unnecessary fading. Make sure it has a fitted lid to prevent dust from entering and forming from the inside and to ward off insects. Storing the box in a place with great ventilation further helps in preserving your dress.