Garment Care

GARMENT CARE


NOTE: All garments are made differently. Different materials may need washed in different ways. The below care instructions are meant to maintain the life of the decoration in general. Always check the care instructions on your garment’s tag for more specific advice on how to clean your apparel.

Screen Printed Apparel

We recommend washing your screen printed garments inside-out, preferably on a cold water cycle.

 

  • Do not use bleach or fabric softeners.
  • When drying: tumble dry on low heat. This prevents shrinkage and helps to keep your print from fading.
  • To avoid possible shrinkage, you can also lay your shirt flat to dry.
  • Don’t iron decorated areas!Turn the shirt inside-out when ironing to preserve the print.
  • Do NOT dry clean!

Embroidered Apparel

Be sure to check the care instructions on your garment’s label. Items like jackets may need to be treated differently than polos, etc.

 

  • Do not use chlorine bleach. Detergents with chlorine, peroxide or sodium carbonate can cause thread discoloration.
  • Do not use fabric softeners.
  • Dry on low heat or let hang dry.
  • Do not leave your embroidered garment soaking/wet.
  • When ironing, use low heat. Do not use steam or any other agent that will cause the embroidery to become wet.
  • You can dry clean your embroidered clothing, but avoid pre-spotting agents and use extreme care.

Heat Transfers/Vinyl

 

  • Treat your heat transfer or vinyl-decorated garments the same as a screen printed t-shirt. Wash on cold, inside-out, etc.
  • Do NOT use fabric softeners. It removes the adhesive and will cause your transfer or vinyl to peel off.

Notes on Fabric Softeners

We know that fabric softer is super great for preventing static cling and keeping your clothes soft. However, fabric softener is not ideal for use on decorated apparel.The chemicals in fabric softener break down the ink on screen printed tees and cause it to fade or crack. It also eats away at the adhesive on heat-pressed vinyl, causing it to peel off.

 

NEVER USE FABRIC SOFTENERS WITH POLYESTER, MOISTURE-WICKING, OR FIRE-RETARDANT MATERIALS! The chemicals from the softener will leave a residue behind. This residue fills in the weave/mesh of the material which will negate any of its wicking or fire-retardant properties.

 

So what do we recommend as an alternative? For a similar softness without damaging your clothes, try dissolving 1/2 cup of baking soda in water, or try adding 1 cup of white vinegar to your load. We promise your clothes won’t come out smelling like a salad.

Notes on Shrinkage

Many brands we offer, like Gildan, Port and Company, Hanes, Fruit of the Loom, etc. will pre-shrink their cotton tees. However, fashion brands such as District, Bella, and Next Level do not. It is not uncommon for these types of shirts to shrink almost a full size in the wash.

 

Your best bet to prevent shrinkage is to run the garment through a cold wash cycle and let it air dry, or run it through the dryer at LOW heat. Heat is your worst enemy when it comes to cotton!

 

Cotton/Poly blends are typically less likely to shrink depending on the ratio of cotton to polyester. More polyester = less shrinkage. If you’re not sure if your garment is pre-shrunk, don’t hesitate to ask us!