Printed T-shirts look elegant and are in trend. Aren’t they? They come in different styles and patterns, making them look gorgeous. Slogan or custom design on T-shirts gives you a personalized look. However, many people are unsure about how to wash a printed T-shirt.
Undoubtedly, washing printed men’s t-shirts are more challenging process than washing one without any prints. A slight mistake can ruin the design or slogan printed on these shirts. Once the design starts to fade, it affects the overall vibrancy and appearance of the t-shirts. In this article, I’ll discuss the complete process of washing the T-shirts without affecting their quality.
Why Is Washing Printed T-shirts challenging?
Before going into details, let’s first understand the challenges when washing printed t-shirts. Knowing these possible difficulties will help you avoid them when cleaning the T-shirts.
- The printed designs are delicate. Rubbing the T-shirts harshly can damage the print. In some cases, the design can even peel off.
- Generally, we use warm water to wash shirts with stubborn stains. However, we cannot use hot water when dealing with printed t-shirts. Doing so can damage the printed design on the t-shirt.
- Generally, you can wash many clothes at once. Right? However, you cannot wash printed t-shirts with hoodies or zippers. These zippers can rub against the designs or prints and damage them.
- Our washing processes heavily rely on detergents. Right? They help clean the clothes effectively at a lower price. However, these chemicals can affect the color of prints and cause fading issues.
- The printed T-shirts should never be dried in the dryer. Those machines quickly dry the shirts by exposing them to a higher temperature. If t-shirts have prints, the higher temperature will cause the prints to melt and deteriorate. You should dry shirts with delicate prints in sunlight.
How to Wash a Printed T-shirt? Step-by-Step Process
Despite the above challenges, you can wash the T-shirts safely. For this, you’ll have to follow a specific washing process. Your washing does not need to be a harsh approach or rubbing. Instead, the gentle approach is more than enough to wash the printed t-shirts. In the section below, I’ll explain the steps involved in this process:
1- Understand the Fabric of Your T-Shirt
Have you ever seen a label on the back of a T-shirt? This label is called a care label and has applicable instructions. It tells if the shirt is made of 100% cotton or polyester. Additionally, these care labels provide instructions on washing methods.
Some shirts can be washed in washing machines while others require hand washing. Additionally, this label indicates the maximum water temperature a shirt can withstand. Remember, knowing this information is essential, especially when washing printed t-shirts. Following them will help clean the shirt, ensuring safety.
2- Separate Your Printed T-shirts
One of the biggest mistakes people make is failing to distinguish between printed T-shirts and other clothing. You should always separate the printed and colorful shirts from the plain or white shirts. The reason is that the colorful shirts can leave some color.
This color can be applied to white shirts and alter their appearance. Additionally, your other clothing can have zippers. The zips can rub against the prints of your T-shirts and scratch them. Therefore, you always sort T-shirts and keep them in separate piles. The colorful and printed shirts should be washed separately.
3- Turn the T-shirt Inside Out
As I said earlier, the printed design on the T-shirts is very delicate. If they undergo any friction or rubbing, the prints can deteriorate. Therefore, I highly recommend you turn the inside of a printed t-shirt down.
This will prevent rubbing of prints against other clothing. Remember, washing machines agitate the clothing. As a result, the different clothes rub against each other. If the printed side is downward, it will remain safe against those rubs. As a result, the printed design won’t undergo fading or cracking and will last longer.
4- Put the T-shirt into the Machine
After turning the t-shirt inside out, you can then put it into the washing machine. Remember, you can add multiple men’s shirts simultaneously. However, be sure not to add any clothing that has a zipper. This zip can cause scratches on the T-shirts.
The next step is to set the water temperature in the Machine. Modern machines allow you to adjust the water temperature. For most printed T-shirts, I recommend using 30°C. This range of temperature is perfect as it cleans the shirts while keeping them safe. If the water temperature is higher, it can affect and weaken the ink of prints.
5- Put a Mild Detergent into the Machine
The next step is to put the detergent into the washing machine. There are different types of detergents available in the market. Some are very harsh and can remove stubborn stains. On the other hand, some detergents are mild and don’t affect the quality of fabrics.
I recommend using less harsh detergents that are 100% safe for t-shirts. You can also find information on care labels about which detergent to use. Some people use bleach to remove stains from printed t-shirts. I am highly against the usage of bleach. The reason is that bleaches contain harsh chemicals that can affect the printed designs.
6- Turn on the Washing Machine and Start the Process
Once you have added the detergent, close the lid of the washing machine. Now, you’re ready to switch on the washing machine. Remember to constantly adjust the wash cycle to a gentle level. If the wash level is too high, the washing machine will cause extreme agitation of the T-shirt. Due to this agitation, the printed design can peel off.
When the Machine is set up with a gentle cycle, the t-shirt gets cleaned perfectly without design deterioration. Some people pause the machine midway during washing T-shirts. I highly recommend not doing so because the detergent can stick to t-shirts and their designs. The Machine should run for a specific duration to clean the printed t-shirts perfectly.
7- Air Dry Properly
Modern washing machines come with an auto-stop feature. Once the washing is done, the washing machine will stop itself. You can take the printed t-shirt out of the washing machine. At this stage, you’ll receive a t-shirt, but it will still have some detergent residue on its surface.
Therefore, you should rinse the T-shirt with clean water. This will ensure that the t-shirt is cleaned of the detergent and ready to be dried. Some people use a tumble dryer to dry their T-shirts, which is not correct. I recommend air-drying the printed t-shirts. The reason is that tumblers dry the t-shirt by blowing air on it.
This hot air can weaken the color and prints present on the surface of t-shirts. Therefore, you can hang the t-shirt in the sunlight. The air and sunlight will dry your printed t-shirt without causing any damage to its prints. For hanging, you can use clothespins or place T-shirts on a drying rack. They will reduce the stretch of fabric during hanging.
How to Hand Wash a Printed T-Shirt?
Washing printed t-shirts by hand is the best way. It helps prevent the aggressive agitation of t-shirts that occurs during washing. There are significant differences between hand-washing and machine-washing printed t-shirts. Here is the detailed t-shirt process:
- First, fill a tub or bucket with cold water. The temperature of this water should not exceed 30°C.
- After that, add a small amount of detergent. When washing t-shirts by hand, use a minimal amount of detergent. Using detergent in large amounts can be a significant disadvantage.
- Once done, you turn the printed t-shirt inside out. By doing so, the printed side of the T-shirt will go inside. The plain side will remain outside and face the friction and rubbing of hands.
- You can then put this t-shirt into a tub of water. After that, continue to move the t-shirt around with your hands. This gentle swish will remove the stain and dirt from the t-shirt.
- After swishing, you can rub the collar, sleeves, and underarms. These are the areas that tend to get the most stains and spots. You can even scrub these points to remove all the stains perfectly. While scrubbing, be sure not to touch the prints on the t-shirts.
- Once done, you can then remove the shirt from the bucket. It is time to pour some clean water on the printed t-shirt. This water will remove the detergents and other chemicals present on the T-shirts.
- After that, you can gently press the t-shirt to remove excess water absorbed by the shirt. At this stage, you’ll have an clean but wet shirt. You can then place it under the sunlight to air-dry.
Frequently Asked Questions
How to dry shirts with prints?
The t-shirts with prints should always be dried in the sunlight. Exposure to light and air removes moisture, causing the shirts to dry. I don’t recommend using specialized tools like tumble dryers to dry the printed shirts.
Should I hand-wash printed T-shirts?
Yes, I highly recommend hand-washing printed T-shirts. It gives you more control over the washing process. The shirts don’t undergo aggressive agitation that could damage the prints. Additionally, you can identify which portion of the shirt has stubborn stains that can be cleaned ideally.
Should I turn the printed t-shirt inside out when washing it?
Yes, printed T-shirts should always be washed by turning them inside out to prevent fading. This helps keep the printed side inside and the plain outside. During washing, the printed surface does not come into contact with rubbing, ensuring the safety of designs.
Conclusion
The printed t-shirts are suitable for men, women, and babies alike. They are comfortable, stretchy, and feel smooth on the skin. Their custom-printed designs, slogans, and colors give a more unique look. However, washing such printed shirts is very challenging.
A slightly harsh approach during washing can ruin their designs, prints, and colors. In this article, I’ve discussed the complete t-shirt washing process and easy steps. Remember, you must turn the printed portion inside out, as it saves the design from rubbing and friction. Additionally, their washing requires more time, so it’s best to use a gentle approach.