Margaret's Cleaners is Southern California's only 5 Star Certified Couture Cleaner and respected as one of the Nation's finest and most experienced gown preservation specialists. We strive for excellence in craftsmanship & customer service. With store locations in La Jolla, San Diego (Kearny Mesa), Del Mar, Newport Beach and Las Vegas, we are equipped to service brides all over the region, including complimentary pick-up and delivery to church or reception sites.

Margaret's Recent Awards:

• People's Choice Awards - from BridalInsider.com (2007 thru 2010) for Preservation, Dry Cleaning and Alterations
• Bride's Choice Award 2010 - from WeddingWire.com. The WeddingWire Bride's Choice Awards recognizes the top local wedding professionals from the WeddingWire Network that demonstrate excellence in quality, service, responsiveness, and professionalism. Unlike other awards in which winners are selected by the organization, the Bride's Choice Awards are determined by recent reviews and extensive surveys from over 500,000 newlyweds. This year's winners represent the top five percent of WeddingWire's vendor community, which consists of over 100,000 local wedding professionals nationwide.
• Award of Excellence - from the Dry Cleaning and Laundry Institute
• Best Dry Cleaner - Voted by readers of San Diego Magazine, La Jolla Light, and La Jolla Village News.
• 5-Star Certified Couture Cleaner - Awarded by Leading Cleaners Internationale
• Dry Cleaner of the Year - Consumer Business Review

Pre-Wedding Services:

• Couture Fine Alterations: Margaret's Couture Alterations department can handle any type of bridal alteration, from minor refitting or bustling, to extensive re-sizing and restyling of a gown. Call for an appointment.
• Cleaning and Pressing
• Gown Storage: Consider this before the wedding to keep your husband-to-be from spying on it and to protect your gown from being crushed in a crowded closet!
• Site Pick-up and Delivery: We'll deliver (and pick up) your gown (and any garments needed by the rest of the wedding party) throughout San Diego County, Orange County, Beverly Hills, and Las Vegas

Post-Wedding Services:

• Cleaning following the wedding: Have your gown cleaned soon after the wedding. Invisible stains caused by spills or perspiration need to be removed to prevent damage caused by caramelization of the sugars.
• Legacy Gown Preservation: Utilizing our trademarked Legacy Gown Preservation service your wedding day CAN last forever. Our Museum-Quality preservation is performed entirely in-house. With over 50 years of preservation experience you can be sure your gown will be preserved to established museum-care standards and only true archival-quality materials will be used. Our Legacy Gown Preservation includes a lifetime/international guarantee honored at over 500 locations. We service most of Southern California and Las Vegas. Gown Preservations are often handled through our CleanByMail courier service. Remember, acid-free is not enough.
• Vestito Gown Storage: For a small fee we will store your gown in a temperature and climate-controlled environment for as long as you wish. For preserved gowns, Vestito Gown Storage service includes a yearly gown inspection and refold whenever needed.
• Zero Carbon Preservations and GreenEarth Cleaning: Visit our website for more information about our Zero Carbon Preservations.

Other Bridal Services:

• Garment Restoration
• CleanByMail courier service

Wedding Gown Travel Tips from Margaret's Cleaners

Traveling with your wedding gown can be problematic. It's bulky and difficult to replace should something unexpected happen to it. Whether you ship your gown in advance or carry with you, avoid any last minute surprises by planning ahead:

• We recommend that you hand carry your bridal gown to your wedding destination instead of entrusting it to a shipper. Direct delivery of the gown to your wedding location following its final pressing is always your best option. If shipping is necessary, plan for it needing touch-up pressing before the wedding.
• If you are traveling by plane, check with the airlines prior to departure to find out about their carry-on requirements. If there's a length limit, you'll need to fold it over a suit hanger. With professional packing techniques, your gown may not have to be pressed when it arrives to your destination.
• Never put your gown in checked luggage! If at all possible, buy an extra plane seat next to you for your gown, otherwise expect to be asked to stow it in the overhead compartment or in the plane's small closet.
• If you are traveling by car, pack your luggage first, then place your gown across the top of bags in the backseat, placing the hanger on your car's hook. Packing your gown in a fabric garment bag, with plastic pulled over it will temporarily protect it from temperature changes and spills which can occur during travel.
• Pack your bridal accessories, ie., shoes, headpiece, and other accoutrements into a carry-on bag. Your fiancée may have to carry one of the bags as his one carry-on item (remember, you're also going to be carrying a garment bag).
• Carry your wedding jewelry in your purse and never let it out of your sight while traveling. Carry your purse with you wherever you go or have your fiancée be in charge of it during your absence.

Bridal Gown Storage Tips & Recommendations

• If you have your gown preserved after the wedding, choose a cool, dark, dry place to store it. Avoid places conducive to moisture or excessive heat.
• Do not place directly on top of a cement slab, in a basement, or in a closet with an exterior wall.
• Do not store in an attic...temperature extremes can cause the fabric to become brittle. We suggest that you check the gown every two to three years and refold it every three to five years, if needed, to prevent permanent creases, but otherwise keep handling to a minimum. Because skin oils can damage the preservation, we include white gloves for whenever you need to handle your gown. Instructions are provided. Additional Facts About Archival Garment Storage & Preservation Avoid all plastics. This includes boxes with a plastic viewing window, and even just the plastic bag that fits over your gown or box. Plastic is chemically unstable, and promotes the formation of mold and mildew.
• Do not allow your gown to be packaged in a standard cardboard wedding gown box as it may contain acid that could damage your gown over time. Only archival-quality materials should come into contact with a preserved gown.
• Make sure that only white acid-free tissue is used.
• Be wary if you're told that opening the "preservation" box will void the warranty. Opening the box will NOT void the lifetime warranty on an archival preservation.