Whether it’s from last year’s softball season or your very first concert, most of us have a T-shirt that we reach for first when we get home. If you wash your screen-printed T-shirts properly, you can keep your favourite shirt in rotation for a long time and avoid pilling, fading, and shrinking.
Try incorporating these measures into your laundry regimen to help keep your bespoke gear in good condition.
- Neither of these things is identical to the other: Get your sorting talents on display and group your custom clothes with other things that are similar in nature. This means keeping your darks and lights separate, your heavy goods from your lighter items – think jeans vs. T-shirts – and avoiding mixing drastically contrasting hues (red and white don’t get along, for example.) If you only wash your screen-printed t-shirts with like products, you can help prevent colour issues such as fading and texture problems such as pilling.
- Turn it around and reverse it: Please make this one of your top priorities if you just follow one of our suggestions. Make sure to wash and dry your screen-printed T-shirts with the insides facing out to help keep them looking new longer. While in the washer and dryer, this will prevent the print from rubbing against the other garments.
- Handle with Caution: If you have the time and patience, you can wash printed things by hand in cold water if you have the opportunity. This will be the most gentle on your outfit and will aid in the preservation of the design. If you’re washing clothes in the machine, always choose a short cycle with cold water to save time. Never use bleach, especially chlorine bleach, and always opt for a light detergent like Tide or Windex.
- Keep the Line in Place: If at all feasible, hang your screen-printed clothing outside to dry, making sure to keep it away from direct sunshine. This will go a long way toward preventing shrinking. If you’re going to put it in the dryer, choose a tumble-dry cycle on low heat. When at all possible, avoid using fabric softener and dryer sheets and instead use wool dryer balls. This method can even be used with the other: put your shirts in the dryer on low heat, remove them before they’re totally dry, and finish by air drying.
The iron should be avoided if you are unable to stand the heat. Do you despise the task of ironing? If you’re getting screen-printed tees, we’re giving you permission to forego the process for now. As previously said, heat is the enemy of your printed artwork, so proceed with caution if you must iron. Before you begin, make certain that your garment is completely dry. Transform your garment from the inside out and iron it on the lowest heat setting possible. It is not recommended to iron directly on the printed design and to use the steam setting. You can add an extra layer of protection by placing a towel between the iron and the clothing you’re ironing.
Advice on How to Keep Screen Printed Garments Looking as Good as New
- CARE FOR SCREEN PRINTING DO’S Always wash screen-printed clothing inside out to avoid fading. This shields the screen print from abrasions caused by other objects that are washed alongside it.
- Reduce pilling and lint transfer by washing screen-printed things alongside products made of the same (or similar) fabrics as the screen-printed items.
- When washing screen-printed clothing, use a very mild detergent or a chemical like WooliteTM to prevent colour fading.
- Always use cool water while washing your hands. It is safe to wash screen-printed clothing in any water that is less than 90 degrees Fahrenheit.
- If at all feasible, wash the clothing by hand or on the mild cycle of the washing machine.
- To dry the garment, either hang it up or lay it flat.
- Iron the screen-printed clothing from the inside out if necessary, using a cool iron if necessary.
- The screen-printed garment should be ironed between two pieces of cotton in order to protect the design.
- DO’S AND DON’TS IN SCREEN PRINT CARE Do not dry clean screen-printed things. Spotting and staining might occur as a result of the chemicals used in the dry cleaning procedure.
- Avoid using bleach, especially chlorine bleach, because the agents in bleach will discolour the threads of cloth and the dyes used in screen-printing projects.
- Fabric softener should not be used on items that have been screen printed. In the screen-printing process, fabric softeners damage the ink that is utilised, resulting in the cracking and/or fading of the areas that have been printed.
- Do not use steam on the screen-printed garment while ironing it.
CLEANING YOUR SCREEN PRINTED T-SHIRTS
Screen printed T-shirts, as opposed to conventional T-shirts, necessitate the use of additional precautions to ensure that they preserve their quality after being washed. The lack of proper care when cleaning your screen printed T-shirt will result in a gradual degradation of its appearance and durability over time. Listed below are some simple actions you may take to guarantee that your screen printed T-shirt is properly cleaned.
TRANSFORM IT FROM THE INSIDE OUT
When you clean your screen-printed T-shirts for men, make sure to turn them inside out before putting them in the washing machine. Your printed logo is sensitive to variables that can cause it to come loose from its connected cloth, and this includes factors such as water. Turning your screen-printed T-shirt inside out will help to keep the colours from fading as rapidly as possible. Another point to mention is that this is a wonderful strategy to utilise for jeans as well.
WITH SIMILAR FABRICS, WASH AND DRY
In spite of the fact that it may seem like common sense for everyone to follow, there is a valid rationale for washing your screen printed shirt with other items made of comparable fabrics and materials other than colour matching. When you wash your screen printed T-shirts with materials that are of a coarser texture, the coating of ink that has formed on the garment can easily be scraped off. Washing your screen printed T-shirt with other textiles of a similar material helps to prevent the ink layer from being rubbed out, extending the life of your T-shirt.
COOL WATER SHOULD BE USED
All of the different types of water that you use to clean clothing are determined by the type of fabric that is being cleaned. You should also use cold water when screen printing T-shirts, as hot water can damage the ink. Hot water will progressively erase the application of ink that has been applied to your T-shirt and will distil the ink from your T-shirt. It should be noted that cold water does not have this impact and, more importantly, it saves you money on your electricity bill.
DON’T USE DRYERS
An electric drier can produce results similar to those obtained through the use of hot water. General heat will cause the design or logo on your screen printed T-shirt to be distilled, faded, and removed from the shirt within a short period of time. Don’t put your screen printed T-shirt in the dryer; instead, hang it up to air dry.
ONLY DRY IN THE SUN OR IN THE SHADE
Once again, heat is a significant factor in the demise of screen printed T-shirts. Make sure you only hang your T-shirts in the shade before putting them out to dry! Placing them in direct sunlight will, without a doubt, expose them to heat, which will cause them to disintegrate over time.
AVOID IRONS AT ALL COSTS.
Heat should be avoided at all costs, as has been said previously. Avoid using an iron to straighten out the wrinkles if at all possible. Ironing your screen printed T-shirt on the lowest heat setting and turning your T-shirt inside out is the best option if you must iron your T-shirt. Also, avoid letting the iron come into contact with the design or brand.
We’ve put together a list of 6 washing and drying tips for your screen printed shirts.
1: Avoid the use of bleach and harsh detergents in your home.
A number of chemicals are harsh on clothing and can cause the print on your garment to fade over time. When washing, avoid using bleach or powerful detergents to ensure that the pattern lasts as long as possible. Whenever you need to remove spots and stains, use light stain removers and gentle detergent products to accomplish your goal.
2: Make use of cold water
When washing certain materials, such as hospital or hotel sheets and towels, hot water is required in order to achieve thorough cleaning and disinfection. Shirts with screen printing, on the other hand, just require moderate washing. The use of cold water will help to prevent fabric damage while also thoroughly cleaning your clothes.
3: Turn the clothes inside out and wash and iron them.
Turning your screen-printed shirts inside-out before washing and ironing them will help to keep the design from being ruined. This will assist to lessen the likelihood of fading and cracking while also ensuring that the print remains intact for an extended period of time. Aside from that, try to avoid bringing the design into contact with your washing machine as much as possible to prevent the ink from becoming brittle.
4: Try not to wash your shirts after every wear.
Putting your screen printed shirts through the washing and drying process accelerates the ageing process and makes them more vulnerable to damage. The most effective method of extending their lives is to avoid washing them after each and every use. If you have only worn them for a short period of time and want to keep them clean, consider hanging them or putting them back in your closet.
5:Keep your shirts out of the dryer on high heat.
It is not a good idea to expose your screen printed shirts to extremely high temperatures. The same way that washing delicate items in hot water can harm the fabric, using the highest setting on your dryer can do the same. In order to dry them properly, they should be hung on a clothesline or in a location where they may dry naturally.
6: Group shirts that are similar in colour and texture together in the washer.
Take into consideration the fabric and colour of the garments while selecting which screen printed shirts to wash with one another. To reduce discoloration and cracking caused by materials rubbing against one another, wash garments that are similar in colour and texture together in the same washing machine.
