How to Dress your Loved One for Cremation

Cremation services in Phoenix, AZ, especially when it is a direct cremation arrangement, don’t include dressing. But you can still dress and groom them yourself or have a professional caregiver do it if they passed away in a hospice or care center.

If you choose to go at it yourself, here is how to dress your loved one before cremation.

1.  Remove all the clothing you don’t want your loved one cremated in

There are two considerations to this: your personal taste and the acceptable clothing for cremation.

Not all clothing materials can be cremated. So, if your loved one has anything made with plastic, metal, glass, or synthetic material, it should be removed.

You should also remove electronic devices or implants like pacemakers or hearing aids.

To remove the clothing, use scissors or a knife to cut them off to make the process easier, but you can always remove it by hand if you prefer to keep the clothes intact.

2. Wash them (optional)

This is not necessary, but many people prefer to do so for personal or religious reasons. If you are, all you need is soap, water, and a washcloth.

Run them through the entire body and make sure to dry their skin thoroughly after.

3. If your loved one will be wearing a dress, skirt, or shirt…

…carefully split the garment straight up the back using a fine pair of scissors. Next, place their arms into the sleeves and slide the shirt or dress up their arms.

Once the sleeves and arms are in place, tuck the shirt or dress underneath your loved one.

4. If they will be wearing pants or shorts…

…make sure to press the pants so that the bottom cuffs are pressed against the seat of the garment.

Next, raise each leg and slide the shorts or pants into both legs. Try and go as high as you can, preferably the top of the thigh.

Then, roll your loved one on one side before using a belt to pull the pants up to their waist. Repeat this for the other side to get the entire pants/shorts to waist level.

Finally, fasten the cloth closed.

5. Add other desired accessories

Since you are doing this to make them look their best, feel free to add any accessories. Just make sure the material is acceptable for cremation.

If you dress them in a prohibited material, the crematory operator will remove them before the cremation takes place.

Some acceptable desired accessories include socks, shoes, handkerchiefs, and scarves.

Grooming is also allowed. You can gently brush or comb their hair, apply makeup, or do any other desired grooming activities.

When the dressing is complete, the cremation provider will take care of the rest.

Depending on the arrangement, if the dressing occurs at home, they might come to pick them up, or you may have to transport their body to the crematory yourself.

At Simply Cremation & Funeral Arrangements, we offer full-service cremation services in Phoenix, AZ. We arrange the transportation and handle all the necessary paperwork. Our family care team is available 24/7. You can reach them online, via phone, or visit our location if you have any questions.