Do you know how to wash your dress shirt? Or do you leave it to your favorite dry cleaner to do?
To many people, laundry is one of the most boring chores that they would rather delegate at any time. Come to think of it, doing laundry means you need to separate them based on colors, fabrics, and so on. It’s just too much work for what seems trivial.
Washing Dress Shirt in 4 Steps
- First, you need to completely unbutton the shirt and turn it inside out. It will wash out the deodorant and you can see also protects the colors.
- Before you start washing, you need to look for stains by pre-treating the shirt. The most common offenders are the collar, cuffs, and armpits. Pre-treat your shirt with the necessary care, yet choose to use gentle chemical usage.
- After you’re done pre-treating, you can soak the shirt in the water, put your detergent in, and start washing.
- When you’re done, pull the dress out by holding on to the collar. Gently shake them to remove excess water and hang them to dry.
Washing Machine vs Hand Washing
Since dress shirts use natural fabrics, you should hand wash them most of the time. If you want to use a washing machine, then you need to ensure that you’re successful in your pre-treatment. Also, you must wash the shirt inside a cloth to keep the fabrics from taking in the lint and residues from other clothes.
As laborious as it may look, hand washing can give you the most care for your dress shirt. First of all, you get to notice if any wear and tear is happening. Then you also can do a better pre-treatment, especially when removing hard stains.
How You Can Protect Your Dress Shirt
1. Always Use Cold Water
This is a non-negotiable aspect. Some parts of the shirt, especially around the pocket and armpit area, are prone to shrinking. Using cold water also means your shirt won’t boil inside the machine, in case you’re washing with one.
2. Do Not Tumble or Squeeze
A dress shirt easily decreases. Therefore, you need to ensure that you don’t squeeze the shirt when you’re done washing. Just like why you should use cold water, it’s to retain the fabric elasticity.
3. Choose The Right Detergent
It may sound a bit trivial, but a good detergent can help you keep your dress shirt in its prime condition. Choose a good detergent that is specific for delicate and natural fabrics.
Anyhow, you may get confused when you start seeing stains but also want to retain the color. But you should keep in mind that pre-treating can work better than using an all-in-one detergent.
4. Iron Instead of Steam
Even though it sounds like a hassle, ironing will give your shirt a sharper, more formal look. It also will help you to remove creases and look impeccable all the time.
Steaming works well if you’re in a hurt or only need to straighten a small part. But if you can, you should do iron instead of steaming your shirts.
DressColor suggest washing a dress shirt is not as difficult as you may think. As long as you follow the instructions on the label, your shirt can last tons of washings. After all, your shirt can last for decades when it has proper care.