Custom printed shirts are fun fashion items that anyone can have in their wardrobe. They’re easy to put together with other clothes and accessories for fashionable attire, and they can also be worn in many different ways. However, some custom prints can be more fragile than others, which means that they can quickly crack, flake, or fade. Because of this, it’s essential to know how to care for your custom-printed shirts to make them last longer.
If you’d like some tips on how to care for your customized shirts properly, continue reading this article:
Caring For Custom Printed Shirts During Handwashing
Many consider handwashing the safest way to clean T-shirts designed using silkscreen printing since it’s easier to minimize the impact of friction and movement on the printed parts. To ensure that the print on your shirt remains intact and vibrant, here’s a step-by-step guide for handwashing custom shirts:
- Put lukewarm water in a wash basin and add a mild detergent.
- Turn the custom-printed shirt inside out and soak for 10 minutes.
- Handwash gently and use a soft washcloth to remove stains.
- Rinse the T-shirt thoroughly with cool water.
- Gently wring out excess water and hang dry.
While handwashing, it’s essential to avoid excessive friction between the cloth and the print to prevent damage. Also, wringing out water after washing should be done with sufficient care, as twisting the wet fabric is a common cause of cracking or flaking.
Caring For Custom Printed Shirts During Machine Washing
You can also safely wash your printed shirt using a washing machine, provided that you choose the proper wash settings and detergent. Also, you’ll need to make changes to how you place your load of laundry in the machine to ensure that your shirt won’t be damaged.
Here are some tips for safe and gentle washing:
- If the custom shirts have stains, pre-treat the stained spots using stain remover sprays and gently rub with a soft washcloth.
- Turn your custom shirts inside out before loading them on the washer.
- Select lighter items to go with your custom-printed shirt when loading your washer. Avoid washing your shirt with heavy items such as towels and jeans. Doing so will prevent exposing the print to too much pressure and friction, which can cause fading and damage to it.
- Use cold water and mild cleansers. Avoid using bleaching agents.
- Select a gentle cycle and wash as per instructions.
While some may discount machine washing for screen-printed shirts, doing so without damaging clothing is still possible as long as the wash settings are appropriate and the print won’t be worn out by friction or harsh chemicals.
Drying Custom Printed Shirts
Once done, you’ll need to ensure that the drying process will also be gentle on your clothing. For this reason, experts advise against using heat or tumble dryers unless air drying isn’t a viable option for you. Air drying minimizes the risk of damage since the shirt won’t be in contact with other clothing as it dries. Also, since the shirt is turned inside out, the print would be protected from direct sunlight. Doing so is also ideal for maintaining its color and design.
Here are some suggestions you can consider to dry your custom T-shirts safely:
- Use rounded hangers to hang your custom print shirts dry.
- When air drying, select a location where the clothes aren’t exposed to direct sunlight to prevent fading.
- If you need to machine dry your printed T-shirt, turn it inside out to prevent direct exposure to heat and friction.
- Include the printed shirt in a lighter load on your clothes dryer to minimize friction and pressure from the weight of other items.
- Use the lightest setting on your heat and tumble dryer to allow gentle drying of your custom print shirt.
After drying your shirt, you can either use a flat iron or a steamer to smooth out the fabric to remove the wrinkles. However, you’ll need to ensure that the print won’t be directly exposed to heat and that the heating appliance will be on the lightest setting. For instance, you can place a towel on top of the print before ironing it over. On the other hand, you can skip steaming the printed part or do so minimally. Hence, your T-shirt won’t be damaged and will retain vibrant colors.
Conclusion
You can keep your custom print T-shirt in the optimal condition given proper usage and care. To minimize the impact of washing, drying, and ironing, you’ll need to use the lightest settings on your appliances and use gentle cleansers. Moreover, it’s essential to avoid direct exposure to heat, pressure, and friction to prevent damage.
Personalized gifts like a custom shirt make a great gift idea for any occasion, just be sure to pay attention to the care instructions and pass them alone to the person you are gifting the item to!
