As you know, shirts are men’s favorite clothes. Be it an official meeting, anniversary celebration, gathering place or formal event, it is a perfect wardrobe choice and there is no denying that! However, if designer shirts are one of your favorite pieces of clothing, that means they are likely to get dirty every now and then.
It is also said that the less often you wash your shirts, the longer they will last. As true as that may sound, you must not neglect the t shirt bedrucken lassen importance of washing, because what good are your expensive designer shirts if they look shabby and dirty! It turns your royal shirt into a royal mess.
The key is not just washing them sporadically, but washing them properly (which happens to the more important of the two). No matter how sporadically you wash your precious dress shirts, if you don’t do it properly, the fabric will quickly begin to wear out. To find out the best way to wash your shirt, read the washing instructions on the label.
Assuming you have read and followed the instructions given, the next step is to dry the shirt. Now that may not sound so important, it couldn’t be further from the truth. Proper dyeing techniques are essential to making your dress shirts last longer. Not only does it help preserve the shirt’s shape, but also its quality.
With that in mind, the three most common drying methods include hanging, tumble drying, and dry cleaning. Each method has its own advantages and disadvantages. For better understanding, all three methods are described as follows:
Hang your shirts out to dry
This is probably the most common and easiest way to dry a shirt. The shirt is washed, shaped and then hung on a hanger. Some people also prefer to button the shirt after hanging it. If you want the dress to be wrinkle-free, tugging at it can help.
In addition, it is important to consider the type of hanger (material) on which you will hang your shirt. It is advisable to use a plastic hanger (as opposed to metal hangers) as it ensures that the fabric is not damaged. The reason metal and wooden hangers are not such good choices is due to the fact that they cause hunched shoulders, which is the last thing you want to add to your designer shirt.
Dry your shirts in the dryer
Another method of drying shirts is “tumble drying”. As the name suggests, it involves placing the clothes in a drum (usually heated) which then continuously tumbles the clothes until they dry. This drying method is widely used because of the convenience it offers. Your clothes will dry in a comparatively shorter time, without much effort on your part (a nice example of how people benefit from technology).
In addition, there are many options available to people who want to use this method to dry dress shirts. For example, you can choose to tumble dry on low, medium or high heat. The higher the temperature, the shorter it takes for the shirt to dry. However, high heat is not recommended as it can weaken the fibers of the fabric. A notable disadvantage of this method is that it tends to create a lot of creases on the shirts and is therefore not ideal for dress shirts.
Dry clean your shirts
The third most common drying technique for shirts is dry cleaning. Well, this is a technique that is especially used by laundries. It differs from the above only in that in this process the shirts are not washed in water but in a liquid solvent. So it’s not literally dry cleaning. The clothing is soaked in a liquid/chemical called “perchlorethylene”. One of the biggest advantages of this method is that it removes oil and grease stains exceptionally well.
But as you all know, everything has its pros and cons, and so does this method. Aside from being relatively expensive, it also lacks the ability to remove water-soluble stains. For example, if your dress shirts have a sweat stain, it’s unlikely to come out through this method.
That being said, many designer shirts are designed to be washed using this method solely because it tends not to damage the fabric of the shirt.
Which method should I use?
There is much debate as to which drying method is best. Many prefer the traditional (first), while some prefer the second and third. The fact is, there is no such thing as a “best drying method”. Every shirt is designed differently, so what is ideal for one shirt may not be as good for another.
So the key is to read the labels carefully. It contains valuable information that is essential for the long life of your dress shirts. These instructions come from the very designer who knows best what is good and bad for the shirt. Therefore, follow the instructions on the label.
How much should a shirt shrink?
If there is one article of clothing that can be worn at any time (whether it be at official meetings, parties, hangouts, celebrations, etc.) then it has to be shirts. There is absolutely no doubt about it! Whether you are going to work or a party, you will see the majority of men in designer shirts.
It also means that the more you wear your shirt, the more often you need to wash it to keep it looking clean and beautiful. This is where the disruptive part comes in. Shirts and frequent washing do not go together. It is said that for a shirt to last a long time, it needs to be washed sporadically (as little as possible). So if you consider washing a designer shirt after wearing it five times, you can significantly extend the shirt’s lifespan.
Here you encounter another problem, which is shrinking. Every shirt is at risk of shrinking when washed. This is the unfortunate truth not only for shirts but for other types of clothing as well. It can get pretty annoying when a shirt (which used to fit perfectly) shrinks just because you washed it!
If you don’t have a working knowledge of shirt shrinkage, here’s a great opportunity to learn a lot about it:
Standard percentage of shirt shrinkage
The standard percentage of how much designer shirts shrink can vary from 1% to 3% depending on the type of fabric the shirt is made of. For example, cotton (woven) dress shirts have an average shrinkage percentage of 2%. Now that may sound relatively insignificant, but if you break it down into different facets, that 2% means 0.7% for the sleeves (35 inches in length), 0.3% for the collar (15 inches), and so on. So it’s important to keep this in mind. However, if your shirts shrink by more than the standard percentage (ie over 3%), you probably brought in a faulty piece. So there’s not much you can do about it.
Wash And Dye Shirts
When it comes to dry cleaning, there always seems to be conflicting opinions. Some people find that shirts don’t shrink when washed this way, while others assume that they do. The fact is that it all depends on how carefully the shirt is washed. If the dress is absolutely not exposed to water, then it must not shrink at all. However, if it absorbs some water, it will shrink slightly. In other words, the more often you wash your dress shirts in water, the higher the possibility of shrinkage.
In addition, shrinkage is much more pronounced if you wash the shirts in the washing machine and then tumble dry them at high temperatures. Therefore, the way you wash and dry your shirts has a direct impact on the level of shrinkage.
Shrinkage is gradual
One of the biggest misconceptions people have about shrinkage is that their shirts will shrink immediately after the first wash. This is not the case at all! Shirts will fade over time, not right after the first or second wash. So the next time you decide to wash your shirt, be sure to check it carefully before and after washing. You are unlikely to notice a change in proportions.
Reduction in length and width
In general, shirts tend to shrink more in the length and less in the width. That’s why the sleeves and collar will often shrink much more compared to the width. Also, the shrinkage ratio between length and width can vary from fabric to fabric.
Fabrics with a high percentage of shrinkage
As previously mentioned, most dress shirts have a standard shrinkage percentage of 1% to 3%. However, there are some fabrics that have a higher shrinkage percentage (than the standard), including oxford, chambray, and finely printed fabrics. These fabrics are generally used for casual style shirts and shrink well in excess of 3%. Therefore, they should be washed using the “Chemical Clean” method. This can help minimize the degree of shrinkage.
Important Considerations
You should know how expensive designer shirts can be, from $150 to $500 (that’s a lot of money). For this reason, it is very important to weigh what is pros and cons for the shirt in order to ensure a long service life.
Also, if your shirt is t shirts designen very expensive, it’s always better to take it to a reliable dry cleaner than to wash it yourself. They use advanced technology, ideal for modern dress shirts. This not only protects the fabric, but also prevents unwanted shrinkage.
Another good tip is to buy shirts made from pre-shrunk fabric. This simply means a fabric that the manufacturer washes several times before use. This process eliminates the possibility of further shrinkage. So if you want the fit of his shirts to be unchangeable, then pre-shrunk fabric is the way to go.
