We can usually clean and restore antique wedding veils back to a near pristine condition including the removal of the majority of stains, and repair of holes and damage.

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​Before we can tell you if we can restore your veil or give a quote for the restoration work we will need to see some images and any history you have of the veil. Please email these to us and we will let you know what is possible.

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​Antique wedding veils often appear discoloured and stained when taken out of storage after long periods of time. Generally, this discolouration is oxidation of the cellulose fibres and can be removed without too much difficulty. Stains and ‘rust’ patches can be more problematic depending on their cause.

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Most deep staining is related to ‘iron mould’ due to the veil having been stored in a contaminated state holding invisible champagne splashes, grease and sweat from touching the veil, this acts as a food for moulds which produce waste that oxidise with a rusty appearance over time. The older and deeper this staining, the more difficult to remove. Ultimately, if left, these rust stains will deepen and destroy the fabric of the veil leaving holes with a burnt appearance around their edges. Most iron mould staining can be removed if caught in time.

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Veils that have been dyed in the past may or may not be able to be returned to their original colour dependant on the dyes used and the type of material. Veils that have been washed in the past will lose their crispiness which was often due to the use of Gum Arabic or other ‘starches’. We prefer not to use starches to stiffen the veil, preferring to leave the softer feel as part of the veils history.

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Veils that contain silk, due to the nature of the silk, have a finite lifetime and can start to fail structurally becoming brittle and tearing at the slightest touch. The silk can also fail due to the wetting involved in the cleaning process which is not possible to predict until it is too late. For this reason, we DO NOT undertake cleaning of veils that contain silk in any proportion, sorry. Also, we do not undertake work on more modern veils of synthetic man-made fibres as these do not always respond as we would wish.

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Cleaning antique veils is not an exact science and we cannot guarantee the results, usually we have success in removing discolouration and staining but on occasion a few might remain. Similarly, due to the structure and age, the effects of cleaning on the structure of the veil cannot be guaranteed and we only undertake cleaning on the understanding that we cannot be held responsible for any damage caused to the veil due to the cleaning process. Obviously, we have a good idea before we start of any problems that might occur and always consult with you before commencing any work.

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Cleaning and stain removal is a slow and time-consuming process and there is no one single way to clean a veil, every veil requiring a combination of techniques and time scales. For this reason, we can only offer guide prices prior to seeing the veil in hand. 

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If you are interested in having your veil cleaned and restored please email us first with images of the veil taken against a contrasting background. An overall view and detailed images of the lace work and any major areas of staining and damage help no end. Also can you advise of the size and any history you have of the veil. From this we can give you a good idea if we may be able to help and a guide price. If we think we can help we will suggest you sending the veil to us for a proper quotation.

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​PLEASE - DO NOT send your veil to us until you have emailed us with details & images, we can then get back to you with our recommended course of action and a rough guide to the costs involved.

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