Laundry Tips for Your Favorite T-Shirt

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If you spend money on custom-printed T-shirts, there’s little doubt that you want to keep them looking new for as long as possible. While most people simply accept the fact that their clothes will wear out, you can keep your clothes looking new for a decent amount of time. Here are five ways to keep your T-shirts looking new:

1. Wash in Cold Water

Many people have the bad habit of washing their clothes in warm or hot water, thinking that their clothes will get cleaner. While this may make your clothes clean more quickly, it will destroy the fibers of your fabrics over time. Instead, wash your clothes in cold water, pre-treating any tough stains before you pitch them in the wash. To pre-treat stains, apply a bit of detergent or a touch of stain remover, soak them for 30 to 60 minutes and then wash. Before you dry your clothes, make sure the stains have come out. If not, repeat the process.

2. Skip the Bleach

When you stop to consider how harsh bleachcan be to your skin and how many times you’ve taken the dye out of your clothes by inadvertently splashing bleach, you will realize how tough bleach can be on your clothing. Even color-safe bleach can wreak havoc on your clothing; avoid it at all costs. Take this tip for what it’s worth when it comes to your budget. It’s often better to bleach your whites than to run out and buy new clothes; but know that you will eventually be buying a new package of T-shirts.

3. Turn Clothes Inside-Out

You’d be surprised at how much difference turning your clothes inside-out can make. There’s undoubtedly some scientific reason for this, but for our purposes, let’s just say that it works. Before you toss your printed tees in the washing machine, and any other article of clothing for that matter, turn them inside-out. This saves the wear and tear on the outside of your clothing, making it look newer longer.

4. Avoid the Dryer

Unless you absolutely have to put your clothes in the dryer, try to avoid doing so. There’ll always be a time when you do a load of laundry so that you can wear your favorite shirt for a night out and need it dried quickly; outside of these times, hang your clothes on the line. The high heat from a clothes dryer is incredibly damaging to the fibers in your fabric. High heat is also drying to the inks that your shirts are printed with, causing them to warp, shrink and eventually crack. If you live in a cold weather climate, consider hanging a clothes line in the basement or garage so that you can air dry your clothing.

5. Pay Attention

One of the easiest ways to keep your clothing looking new is to use a bit of common sense. Don’t wear your printed tees if you’re going to be painting, doing yard work or eating spaghetti. If you’ll be wrestling with the kids, working on the car or digging a ditch, wear your old, dingy clothing. Remember that if you don’t get your clothes stained, you won’t have to fight to get the stains out. Save your favorite printed tees to wear on days when you aren’t likely to be rolling in mud or eating pasta; keeping your clothes clean is the first step in keeping them looking new.

You don’t have to buy new clothing every season if you take care of the clothes that you have. By following the five tips above, you’ll be sure to keep your t-shirts looking new for as long as possible. To find out more about keeping your clothing clean, be sure to scour the web for more great tips.

Amy Nielson is an avid blogger. You can follow her on Twitter @NielsonAmy.

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2 Comments

1. 

   Ali

   February 19, 2013 at 10:49 am

   Thanks for these tips. Very useful!

   Reply
2. 

   Knock Off Bags For Less

   May 16, 2013 at 10:40 am

   I really need your blog! Thank you so much!
   From Mary

   Reply