How to Preserve a Baptism Gown
Baptism gowns, also known as Christening gowns, are beautiful garments worn by babies at their baptisms. It is a sacred ceremony, and many parents prefer to preserve the gown after the baptism. Frequently, the gown is an heirloom handed down generation to generation so that all new babies in the family wear the gown. Families also want to preserve the gown as a symbol of a treasured memory of an important first milestone of their child's life.
Other People Are Reading
Things You'll Need
- Mild detergent
- # 5 Plastic storage box
- Muslin Fabric
- Archival tissue paper
Instructions
-
How to Preserve a Baptism Gown
-
1
Examine the baptism gown carefully after its use. Search for any spots or stains. Pay close attention to the neck and front and the upper legs area, as this is where a baby can stain the gown the most.
-
2
Clean the baptism gown on a gentle wash cycle in the washing machine if cleaning the gown at home. Pretreat any stains and use a mild detergent. Run the gown through a gentle rinse and hang up to dry on a cloth hanger. Another option is taking the gown to a dry cleaner for gentle cleaning.
-
-
3
Buy a plastic storage box made out of cast polypropylene. These types of plastic boxes are created out of a special kind of plastic that issafe for preservation purposes. Look for a recycling code on the box. If there is a number five on the inside the triangle shape, then the box is safe. There may be the letters PP instead. Either of these symbols shows that the plastic used in making it won't damage the fabric.
-
4
Prepare the baptism gown for storage by first removing any metal snaps or buttons to prevent them from rusting against the gown during long storage times. Place them in a small plastic bag and store them away from the gown.
-
5
Place a large piece of muslin fabric on a flat surface, and then lie tissue paper especially made for storage purposes on the muslin. Also stuff the sleeves with the tissue to help them keep shape during storage. Lay the gown on the tissue paper and fold the gown with the paper so that the tissue paper is in between folds. Place the gown in the box with a small packet of silica gel and seal the box. Place the box in a dry closet or a hope chest.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Always use clean hands free of lotion and perfumes to handle the baptism gown. Archival tissue and other preservation supplies can be found where baptism gowns are sold.
Using tissue paper not specifically for storage can damage the gown over time. Cardboard boxes, metal hangers and plastic bags leak acids on to the gown over time.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit http://www.flickr.com
