How to wash shirts

According to Bernhard Retzel, menswear expert, a quality shirt can withstand repeated washes. It can be washed from the front side for a week, from the inside out for a week, and the primary signs of wear will begin to appear only after 5-6 years, even without special treatment.

But there are other tips, following which, you will keep your shirt in its original appearance for a long time.

Key Recommendations

Do not use chlorine bleach, starch or softener. A suitable option is powder or gel for products of different colors. Such funds are marked «color». Optical brighteners are often added to products without this mark, which adversely affects colored shirts — they begin to fade over time.

You can also use detergents designed for white linen.

Always follow the dosage indicated by the manufacturer. You can also add a little less product than indicated, especially if the shirt is almost not dirty.

Much depends on the material of the shirt. Linen products need delicate cleaning, while cotton products are quite unpretentious. Silk shirts run the risk of shrinking and fraying — it is recommended to wash them by hand, carefully.

Preparatory actions

First of all, fasten all the buttons on the shirt, including those on the cuffs. This will prevent the clothes from bunching up and becoming twisted.

It is not necessary to turn it inside out, but if you do it from time to time, the shirt will wear out evenly.

Make sure your shirt pockets are clear of change, keys, and other items.

Read the label before washing your shirt. Manufacturers indicate suitable washing methods, restrictions and warnings.

Dry cleaning shirt

If the label indicates that washing is prohibited, then only dry cleaning is suitable for the shirt. So, if the shirt is made of linen, then it will shrink when washed in a typewriter, and a silk product needs to use a special product.

In other cases, it is permissible to wash such products in a machine at a minimum temperature and without spinning — or by hand. Most likely, so the manufacturer is only reinsured.

Dry cleaning a shirt requires the purchase of a stain remover, a mesh bag and special sheets.

It is carried out in several stages:

1. Apply a stain remover to the soiled areas of the shirt;
2. Place it in a bag, put napkins there, which will prevent accelerated loss of moisture and drying of the product;
3. Place the bag in the dryer or in the automatic machine, turn on the “Drying” mode with a minimum air temperature for half an hour.

How to wash a shirt in a machine

Suitable mode — «Delicate wash», «Hand wash», «Quick 30 minutes», the number of revolutions is minimal, the temperature is 30 ° C. You can add to the compartment along with detergent 2 tbsp. l. vinegar — so the thing will become more shiny.

Turn off automatic spinning — after washing, lightly wring out the clothes yourself, in no case squeezing or twisting them. Also, you can not dry the shirt in the machine, otherwise in the future there will be difficulties when ironing it.

If there are old stains on the surface of the product, use bleach without chlorine, and for fresh stains, a stain remover is suitable.

Attention! In no case do not put a white shirt with colored things. White items can be washed with light-colored laundry.

If your water is too hard, add soda ash or table vinegar to make it softer.

If the shirt is too heavily soiled, then the product must be soaked before washing in the machine. This will provide more effective cleaning of sleeves in the armpits, collars, cuffs and other difficult places.

How to wash a shirt by hand

Hand washing will give the shirt a snow-white color and more gentle cleaning of the item.

Procedure:

1. Fill the container with warm water, add the gel or powder and stir well;
2. Wait until the water has cooled down and place the shirt in the container;
3. Leave it on for a few hours (and preferably overnight): soaking is safer for such clothes than a short wash in hot water;
4. Wipe the stains and rinse the shirt several times.

If there are small stains on the shirt, use laundry soap. Lather areas of dirt, then wipe them with a brush. Place the clothes in a plastic bag for 3-4 hours, then wash as usual.

Do not rub soiled areas too hard by hand, otherwise the fabric in these areas will weaken and the clothing will become unusable. Such areas are best treated with a soft brush.

Rinse the shirt thoroughly to get rid of the detergent residue, otherwise it may lead to an allergic reaction.

Folk remedies

Sometimes, with severe pollution, folk remedies for cleaning a shirt come to the rescue:

1. A solution of ammonia and peroxide / glycerin will eliminate tea and coffee stains;
2. Dish detergent, baking soda with lemon juice, or toothpaste are effective ways to remove grease stains. It is enough to rub the contamination with any of the means, and then place the shirt in the machine;
3. The alcohol will help remove ballpoint pen marks.

Large stains should be removed on the product with caution, otherwise it runs the risk of shedding.

How to dry your shirt properly

After washing, hang the shirt on a coat hanger. Such a product should dry in a straightened form in a natural way. It is advisable to dry it outside, in windy weather — this will prevent the appearance of a musty smell. However, a shirt should not be kept in direct sunlight, especially a white one, otherwise yellow spots may appear on it.

Don’t wait until the shirt is completely dry. As soon as it becomes damp, remove it from the coat hanger and iron it.

If the shirt has had time to dry, moisten it with a spray bottle. Otherwise, it will be too difficult to smooth out all the folds on it.