There are – presumably – worse things that can happen to someone than a wrecked tee. But! When your washing machine spits out your favorite t-shirt in toddler size – oh the horror! – it’s hard to think of what that might be.
Cheap prints can crack, flake, and disappear. Decent prints can wear away, or slowly fade with time while the fabric gets roughed up, stretched, and discolored.
It’s all very sad.
Here’s the good news…
You can totally fight that fate by following some simple steps.
It is recommended you…
Wash your shirts with COLD WATER + Line Dry
– If having your apparel printed, use a quality, reliable company. The number one thing that can cause a print to fade after washing is not being properly printed in the first place.
Teed Designs provides that quality.
– Don’t dry clean t-shirts – ya weirdo – and, bleach isn’t healthy for your laundry or your lungs.
– Don’t take them off by grabbing the collar, WWE-style – refrain from beast mode for a few seconds – and grab the bottom hem with both hands, then pull it up over your head.
– When dry .. fold + store.
The experts at Lazy Coconuts added…
Here are a few tips that we use regularly (with our reasoning behind them)…
- Use cold water when possible (Easier on your clothes and uses less energy)
- Air dry outside when possible (The sun’s UV rays naturally kill bacteria and viruses. Not using a dryer also extends the life of your clothes and again saves money on electricity. And who doesn’t love the smell of freshly line dried clothing?)
- Pre-soak stained or smelly clothes. Fill a tub with water, drop a strip in, drop clothes in. Gently scrub the stained area and leave to soak overnight.
My 2-cents…
Here’s what I do, just giving you my method as another option to possibly consider.
As an athlete, an active person, and a guinea pig caretaker — I pretty much do laundry daily.
After jiu-jitsu my t-shirts come back to the house drenched with the sweat of a dozen or so of my favorite people on Earth – Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu life – even though they are amazing humans, I walk to the washer as soon as I enter the door, and then immediately run to jump in the shower.
The cocktail of sweat will easily get really, really gross‘er if left to funkify.
I wash all my t-shirts – my rashguards, tights, and most of my clothes – inside out, with warm water and a laundry detergent sheet.
Laundry detergent sheets are more convenient. There is no annoying plastic bottle to lug around, store, and recycle. They are free from the chemicals I don’t want on my skin, and the sheets I use are from a U.S. business — ‘merica! — and, they tuck neatly in my gym bag when traveling.
Washing clothes inside-out keeps clothing looking new for years…
I have an Armbar Pro hoodie from 2010’ish that still looks relatively new, today. No pills, printing is still good. It was always washed inside out and hung dry.
Also important… make sure to zip all your hoodies, jeans, et cetera before washing; otherwise, you’ll find those little, bitty, dinky holes ripped into the other clothes you wash them with.
Although, I recommended not to dry your t-shirts, because of all the sweat I dry most of my gym shirts -inside out- on a light setting with a dryer sheet. It takes a slight toll on the printing, but I don’t want to be the stinky person in class .. oh the horror!
Also, if your shirt is exactly the size it should be, hang it up, don’t take the chance it comes out a Baby Gap tee.
I NEVER, ever put rashguards, yoga pants, tights, bras or gi’s in the dryer.
Gi’s in the dryer is a never, nope, não, don’t do it thing so I use fabric softener in the washer with gi’s.
I hang my rashguards, yoga pants, tights, bras, gi’s, and any smaller tees on hangers to dry.
When hanging t-shirts, insert and remove the hanger from the hem to keep from stretching out the collar.
Because of my size shirt, hangers don’t leave tents on the shoulders. If you’re a larger size, fold your tees in half and drape them on the part of the hanger you would hang your pants on.
When dry .. fold + store.
Any other laundry questions?
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