Usually there are only a couple of things that can make your bridesmaid dresses online
smell funny. The first is when it’s brand new and “fresh” from the bridal store.
Since almost all wedding dresses are made in China and then shipped to
the U.S. they must be chemically treated in China. This treatment is to
keep unwanted insects from being accidentally transported with the
wedding gowns. So they are chemically treated to kill these insects. The
insects won’t be in the bridesmaid dresses plus size
itself, but will have gotten a free ride on the outside of the shipping bag.
You would probably describe the smell as being a bit fishy smelling.
Not so much like rotten fish per se but just kind of a fishy odor. It’s a
different enough odor, you’ll know it once you’ve smelled it.
Don’t be alarmed or scared about some insect getting in and eating your
wedding dress or even crawling around inside the bag. The manufacturers
all have a very clean environment when producing their wedding gowns.
They have to to keep the dresses clean. Obviously everything has to be
extra clean to keep your wedding gown in perfect shape and beautiful.
The chemical treatment is a requirement for all garment and fabric
importers from any foreign country. And when you consider how important
this is enviornmentally it’s a good precaution. So if your wedding gown
has a peculiar smell, be glad it does.
Under most circumstances
by the time your wedding gown arrives in the U.S. it doesn’t smell any
more because the smell has dissipated. If you can still smell the
chemical then just a quick spray of a fabric care product like
“Febreeze” will do wonders.
The second reason your gown may smell is after it has been dry-cleaned.
Dry-cleaning solvent called “perc” can cause an odor. The older the
perc and the poorer the dry-cleaner’s filters are the more the perc
picks up various smells and the more concentrated the odor become.
(Your local dry-cleaners place various fabrics and garments in together
to be cleaned. This can also transfer odors from one garment to another
causing your wedding gown to smell - not like the solvent smell of
perc, but with pecular ordors.)
The dry-cleaning equipment has
special filters. These filters are designed to keep the solvent clean.
The problem comes when the longer it goes between cleaning the more
concentrated the solvent smell. These filters are expensive and each
time they are changed a considerable amount of solvent can be wasted.
The cleaning solvent is expensive. Dry cleaners want to use the perc as
long as possible, this is important for the profitability of the
dry-cleaner.
Dry cleaning smell can also be removed using a
commercial fabric spray like “Fabreeze”. It is best to follow directions
by the manufacturer.
If your wedding gown is cleaned and
preserved it should not smell at all. And you’ll have the cherished
memory of your wedding for years and years to come.