Get To Know The Wedding Pro: Champion Cleaners UAE

Each week, we shine the spotlight on Bride Club ME vendor club members, allowing you, our reader, to get up close and personal with some of the best wedding vendors in town. Here, you can learn more about the people behind some of the businesses you may be using to make your wedding day perfect!

This week, we have a little bit of a twist on our usual format, as we look ahead to after your wedding and discover how you can ensure your wedding dress stands the test of time once your big day has been and gone. Below, we speak to Babak Moghaddam, Operations Manager of Champion Cleaners. As recent BCME vendors, Champion can help brides clean and preserve their valuable wedding dresses for years to come. Read on to find out more…

Above: Babak Moghaddam, Operations Manager of Champion Cleaners.

Why should a bride get her dress professionally cleaned after her wedding?

Your wedding gown is the most important garment you will ever own; it’s a symbol of your marriage’s first bloom, a delicate piece of wearable art and destined to become a priceless heirloom cherished by your children and grandchildren. Preserving your white wedding gown for posterity requires diligent maintenance and careful attention to details to prevent fabric discoloration through the coming years. Take the gown to your dry-cleaner within 24 hours of wear. The longer soiled materials remain untreated, the more difficult it will be for your dry-cleaner to remove them. Stains may not be immediately apparent in the gown. Alcoholic beverages and body oils can dry clear, but they will turn brown or yellow over time.

We have heard stories about wedding dresses going yellow if they are not cleaned…why does this happen and how do cleaning and correct storage help?

One of the leading causes of bridal gown yellowing is the plastic bags that many brides keep their gowns in. Most plastics give off damaging fumes that actually promote yellowing. But, even with proper care, some fabrics will yellow more than others and it may be impossible to prevent all yellowing.

Wedding dress preservation in an acid-free environment is your best protection against yellowing. At Champion Cleaners, your wedding gown will be wrapped with acid-free tissue and stored in a wedding dress preservation box to prolong the life of your gown. 

What process does the dress go through when it is being cleaned by Champion?

When being cleaned, the wedding gown goes through the preservation process which includes cleaning, finishing, and packing.

How does Champion ensure that utmost care is taken of the dress? After all, they are expensive items…

At Champion Cleaners, our experts would study the gown and according to the type of the fabric and its elaboration, the cleaning and finishing process would be decided.

Does the cleaning process vary according to the fabric and detailing, etc?

Cleaning processes vary depending on the type of the fabric and care label instructions, which are not always a reliable source. Therefore, all gowns, branded ones and tailor made, should be thoroughly assessed and the following modes will be decided: dry clean, green-earth cleaning, soft wash or hand wash. In some cases, due to the unserviceability of the gown, we resort to spot-cleaning of those rare gowns.

How would you recommend storing the dress after it has been cleaned?

Preserving wedding dresses in a breathable environment will protect it best from mildew and mold. Wedding gowns should be protected from direct light and not stored in humid areas.

How often should the dress be cleaned?

Periodical inspection of preserved wedding gowns will ensure the dress remains in the best condition. The sooner an abnormality such as yellowing or appearance of any stain is observed, the more likelihood of finding a solution to the problem by referring to your expert cleaner.

Thanks, Babak! For more information about Champion Cleaners, click on their Bride Club ME vendor listing, or head straight to their website.