It does help us streamline the repurposing process if donated garments are cleaned before we receive it, but it is not compulsory. Usually these types of garments need to be dry-cleaned, but it is often possible to wash them on a gentle/delicate machine cycle or by hand to protect the delicate fabrics and then have them air-dry.
It is important to note that sometimes garments are so heavily stained or damaged that we are not always able to use the complete gown. We do however try to use as much of it as possible and we often mix parts of different garments in order to yield a bigger number of Angel Gown® garments from our donations.