We all know that nothing lasts forever on this plane that we live in, and that includes the lifespan of your garments. But fret not because we can still extend its lifespan from “wear and tear” if we take good care of them. Of course, you want the quality to stay as long as it can, especially if you exert effort to grab a hold of the products you have. Here are some tips on how to take care of your garments, especially those with delicate fabric and prints.

Let’s start with the most basic ones when it comes to washing your garments, especially the printed shirts.

PRINTED SHIRTS/TEE

When it comes to washing the garments, you should always separate the colored ones from the white ones. The reason for this is to avoid transferring the color of the colored garments to the white ones. Of course, no one wants to have an unexpected tie dye shirt or ink bleeds on their white garments. 

One must also keep in mind that it is important to use cold water rather than hot water to avoid shrinkage. Knowing the material used in the garment is important in order to know if it is somehow resistant to shrinkage. If the material used is cotton and wool, it will shrink faster since these materials are like sponges and will absorb water quickly. On the other hand, natural-synthetic blend garments like nylon and polyester absorbs less water and are more resistant to heat.

When drying your garments, as much as possible, stay away from tumble drying. The reason for this is the dryer uses heat to remove moisture in order to dry your clothes. Also, the other reason could be the circular motion of the dryer causes the fibres to constrict. Thus, line drying is more advisable to avoid shrinkage. 

When it comes to ironing, always use low heat and avoid ironing the parts with prints. Or, you could iron the printed shirt inside out to avoid the risk of touching the printed parts with the flat iron. Keeping this in mind will avoid ruining the prints of your shirt.

GARMENTS THAT ARE REFLECTORIZED

Using cold water and mild detergent is a must when washing garments with reflectorized fabric. Don’t rub the materials against each other and just gently soak the product for about 5 minutes. Also, do not wring hard the garments with reflective material. In addition, do not use bleach or fabric softener to preserve the material. 

If possible, wash these garments separately from garments with rough fabric or sharp edges. Example of clothes with rough fabric or sharp edges would be jeans and buttoned shirts. The reason for this is to avoid wearing off or scratching the microscopic glass beads of the reflective fabric. However, if you are saving time and could not avoid separating these special garments, it would be safer to turn them inside out when washing at least protect the parts with reflective fabric. 

When it comes to drying, always line dry in a cool ventilated space and without exposing it to direct sunlight and avoid tumble drying because heat can damage the reflective fabric. Obviously, flat ironing these type of garments should be avoided at all cost. 

If necessary, wash this type of garments as seldom as possible to fully preserve the material. If ever the material gets some stains, gently wipe the affected areas using a clean, dry cloth and mild stain remover. The advisable stain remover that could be used should be safe for bright colors and it should not contain bleach properties. 

But you know what they say, “prevention is better than cure” so, take good care of your garment to avoid unfortunate happenings. Hope this gives you an idea of aftercare for your garments.