Steaming vs. ironing: which is better?
Ladies, hopefully you won’t have to deal with this on your wedding day. But just in case we posed the question of steaming vs. ironing your dress to our expert Sally Lorensen Conant, who owns the larges gown preservation service in New England. Here is her response:
It all depends upon the fabric. In general, the best way to remove wrinkles is a combination of heat, steam, and pressure. This is why crisp weaves such as mikado and taffeta look better when they are pressed with an iron. Soft weaves such as chiffon and crepe, on the other hand, respond well to steam only and do not require the weight of an iron to smooth the fabric.
However, sometimes the style of the gown prevents the use of an iron. For example, an ordinary iron does not fit into the “pickups” or “poufs” that are currently so popular, and steaming is very nearly the only way to work with this fashion.
Thanks for the tip Sally! We appreciate the advice!
For more information on gown treatment and preservation, please visit Sally’s website at www.gownrestoration.com
Best,
Julie
