Maintaining a T-shirt can be a real pet peeve. Most of the time, we only notice the damage when it’s already irreversible, and at this point, we have no choice but to say goodbye to our beloved tees.
However, things don’t always have to happen that way. To care for your T-shirts properly, take pointers from the expert Susan Miller, Lead Product Manager at the leading POD brand Lion King Shirt. She will be covering everything from quick T-shirt fixes to optimal washing and storage methods.
Revitalize And Refresh The Tired T-Shirts
1. Touching Up Cracks And Fades
For screen-printed designs that crack over time, Miller suggests using small amounts of fabric paint to touch up the chipped areas. You have to lightly brush the paint into the cracked regions, feathering gently at the edges. This paint will build up the cracked area to blend with the original color. The print designs that have faded over time can be fixed in the same way.
2. Removing Odors And Stains
To kill odor-causing bacteria and remove minor stains, Miller recommends letting T-shirts soak for 1-2 hours in a bath of 2 cups of warm water with half a cup of distilled white vinegar added. For tougher stains, gently rub undiluted vinegar directly on the spot before washing as usual.
3. Repairing Small Holes and Tears
When tiny holes form along the T-shirts’ seams or collars, you should immediately turn the tee inside out and patch the holes up by hand. Sew over the hole with threads that closely match the original shirt color. Do these quick fixes regularly, and you won’t have to throw your tee away too soon.
Nasty holes will not look good on any T-shirt!
Wash The T-Shirts In The Right Way
1. Some Notes Before Washing
Every T-shirt has a clothing tag that tells you exactly how to wash them. But because the tags always scratch the back of our necks, we tend to rip them off before reading anything useful. Next time, always double-check those things and follow the recommended instructions to prevent damage from improper cleaning. This saves you plenty of heartache!
Set your washing machine to use cold or warm water cycles when washing tees. If the water is too hot, it can cause the shirt to shrink excessively and the colors will bleed or fade out, as heat degrades fabric. Cooler water is ideal for gentle cleaning.
2. Use Mild Detergent
For all Lion King Shirts, Miller strongly advises using a mild, bleach-free liquid detergent made for sensitive skin, rather than harsh detergents. Whatever you do, never use bleach because it can degrade fabrics over time. The chemicals in harsh soaps and whiteners will break down delicate material.
3. Wash Similar Colors Together
Be sure to group lights, darks, and brightly colored items separately in washed to avoid colors bleeding across loads or lighter tees becoming dingy from running darks. Wash same-color families together for protection.
Store The Tees Like A Treasure
1. How To Fold The Tees Properly
To avoid permanent creases on the T-shirts, try refolding them in a different pattern each time you put them away. Rotate the orientation you fold shirts into.
Also, when you stack the tees in dresser drawers, always fold them vertically, not pile them horizontally. Vertical folding prevents the neck holes and collars from becoming misshapen over time. Maintaining a T-shirt requires you to remember those delicate details.
Store the T-shirts vertically to give them some breathing space
2. Use Moth Protection Materials
Even if you’ve stored the T-shirts, the work is still not done, since your tees are vulnerable to moth and other insects. Put cedar blocks or essential oil into your tee shirt drawers and closets to naturally repel moths, avoiding mothball chemicals. Cedar's pleasant scent is unbearable to the insects.
All of the knowledge and advice above came from an expert in the POD industry. You can read more about her at https://www.bandlab.com/post/22eeed7d-6737-ef11-86c3-000d3a42581b.
The Ending
In short, the lifespan of a T-shirt can be much longer than you think. Thanks to the tips from Susan Miller, we can keep their comfort intact. If you show them the proper care, the basic tees that brought you joy from day one will stay alongside you for years on end!
