I washed my wedding dress 22 years after the wedding (Talk about procrastination) and all I did was to soak it on the machine. I left it shake maybe one minute and then spin. I wanted to take out most of the water. I hung it to dry. When it was dry I put it on a dressform and steamed it to get the wrinkles out. It was as white as the day I wore it. I promise, the rest of my laundry has been done a little more promptly than that.