A good shirt is just like any other investment. In order for them to last, they need to be taken care of. Here is a few Do's and Don'ts to make sure your shirt can keep being worn years from now.
DO’S
- Wash your shirt inside out. This protects the screen print from abrasions from other items sharing the washer.
- Wash with like items. Pick similar fabrics. This helps decrease pilling and lint transferring.
- Use a mild detergent. Harsh detergents can damage the ink and cause premature wearing and cracking. Use a very mild detergent or a product like Woolite™ when washing screen-printed clothing.
- Always wash in cool water. All water temperatures below 90° Fahrenheit are safe for screen-printed garments.
- Hand-wash when possible. the garment if possible or use the washing machine’s gentle cycle.
- Avoid heat when possible. Hang the garment or lay it flat to dry. Use a cool iron, if necessary, and iron the screen-printed garment inside out. If ironing is necessary, iron the screen-printed garment between two pieces of cloth to protect the design.
SCREEN PRINT CARE DON’TS
- Don’t dry clean screen-printed items. The chemicals in the dry cleaning process can cause spotting or staining.
- Don't use bleach. Avoid bleach, especially chlorine bleach; the agents in bleach will discolor fabric threads and the dyes used in screen-printing.
- Do not use fabric softener on screen-printed garments. Fabric softeners degrade the ink used in the screen-printing process and
- causes cracking and/or fading of the screen-printed areas.
- Don't use steam if you must iron. If ironing the screen-printed item, do not use steam.
DETAILS AND COMMON ISSUES
Shrinkage
Shrinkage is a commons issue that can be frustrating. Its one of the most common reasons why a garment becomes unusable before its natural life-span runs out. A large number of manufacturers pre-shrink their fabric before shipping it for screen-printing and this is particularly helpful. Garments made from fabric that has not been pre-shrunk can shrink as much as one full size during their first washing. Heat from the dryer and hot water washing are the major causes of shrinking. This is especially true if the garment is 100% cotton. A good general rule is the higher the cotton content, the greater the potential shrinkage. Avoid high-heat settings while drying and make sure you check the garment details before you wash. 8up Kustoms uses a variety of bank manufactures, so fabrics and their reaction to drying may vary. All details of the shirts are included on each shirt order page.
Pilling
The idea that only poor quality clothing will pill is a just a popular myth. All fabric regardless of quality has the potential for pilling. Friction the garment endures from wearing or washing causes pilling. The friction loosens the fabric’s fibers and pulls them away from the fabric. The fibers then form fuzzy balls or “pills” on the surface of the garment. A hand held fabric shaver can help eliminate pills, but turning a screen-printed garment inside out before washing is a better way to prevent them.
Hard water
The minerals found in hard water are an enemy of screen-printed garments. The minerals deposit in the fibers of the fabric and cause the fabric to become stiff. Hard water degrades the dyes used in screen-printing and the colors tend to fade or run. The same minerals also increase pilling of the fabric. Aside from purchasing a water softening system, the best way to protect screen-printed garments is to soak them in a gallon of water mixed with one cup of white vinegar prior to washing.