How to Wash a Printed Football Shirt
Washing your favourite printed football top is - hopefully - an inevitable part of owning it. Washing it will extend its longevity and allow you to show it off for many more years to come. Those close to you will appreciate the effort, too.
Football shirts have changed in designs, colours, materials and cuts over the years. So, the advised care for a printed shirt from your parent’s generation will not always apply to newer printed shirts. At TOFFS, we are football shirt specialists, so if you are wondering how to wash a printed football shirt - whether retro or modern - read our guide below to learn how to extend the lifetime of your memorabilia.
Separate colours
Before throwing anything into the wash, you need to separate your colours. You do not want a classic lilywhite shirt to transform into a peachy pink, or your loyalties might start to get muddled.
Separating football kits by colour can be more difficult than it sounds. Fans have seen and worn some wild and exciting football shirt designs over the years, and you may own a technicolour shirt that is hard to pair with any other. If this is the case, consider handwashing - there will be more factors that you will need to consider further down that may be negated by handwashing too.
If you are adamant about putting it in the washing machine, decide on the main colour block of the shirt, favouring the darker colours as these are more likely to run, and pair this with similar clothing.
Turn your shirt inside out
The washing machine poses a few notable risks to a delicate printed shirt. Exposing the materials, especially the badge and any print, to direct water may be too harsh and remove the adhesive that holds the print to the material.
Turning your shirt inside out reduces the risk of a print rubbing against other, more abrasive materials, which can easily catch on the print and rip it off. The last thing you want is a single letter coming off the back of your shirt.
Wash at low temperatures
Once you have paired the shirt with other similar colours and turned it inside out, it’s time to pick your wash settings.
All shirts will have a care instructions label, which you should always consult. To minimise the risk of causing damage to the shirt, always pick a cold wash. Shirts have been made from evolving materials over the years, and will therefore have varying heat-retaining properties. Veer on the side of caution and never wash a shirt over 30°C - consider going even colder.
Most modern washing machines have a setting for delicates, which is typically not above 30°C. The spin speed is also lower on this setting, which reduces the risk of the shirt stretching or catching on another item of clothing.
Avoid fabric softeners, as the print on a shirt may not respond well to it and start to degrade. It is not worth the fresher smell in exchange for a damaged shirt.
If in doubt, handwash
Although the majority of modern washing machines have a delicate wash setting, for printed shirts with a lot of emotional attachment, you do not want to leave anything to chance.
There is always a risk that a top will shrink, bleed or get caught in a spin and possibly tear. Printed shirts, as well as fragile sponsors and badges, have the additional risk of detaching from the shirt when spun around.
If you are too worried about the potential risk of a shirt being damaged, handwash it in cold water in a clean bath or sink. Use delicate handwashing cleaning products, and if you notice delicate or peeling prints, be extra careful.
Dry naturally
Tumble dryers pose an ever greater risk of damaging your shirt than washing machines.
If you must tumble dry, use the most delicate setting possible, and do it with similar colours once again.
However, to avoid gambling with a printed shirt about which you care, dry it in natural conditions. It should not take too long to dry in direct sunlight or even at room temperature on a clothes rack.
Avoid placing your shirt directly on a radiator, as the print may stick to it, and you will have to peel it off, undoing your cautionary care work.
Natural air will be the quickest way of drying your shirt and will make it smell fresher. If you cannot air it in direct sunlight or wind, consider buying a dehumidifier and placing it close to the clothes rack - this will speed up the drying process.
Match worn? Skip the wash
You might be fortunate to own a match-worn shirt. If this is the case, ignore all the advice above, and carefully store your prized possession - preferably in a classy display for all to see.
The stains and marks tell a story, and are unique to that shirt, so do not wash it! The smell, while not particularly inviting, is also part of the shirt’s history, and washing any of the novelty away would do the player a disservice.
Furthermore, if you want to sell or authenticate the shirt one day, keeping the match stains will make it easier to do so.
Find out more
The experts in retro, classic, modern and printed football shirts at TOFFS have long given advice and guidance on the world’s favourite sport.
We stock a wide range of high-quality replica shirts from the most loved eras and leagues, with leading handcraftsmanship to invoke the memories and aesthetics of football’s greatest kits. Using 100% cotton and made right here in the UK, there is no better array of retro football kits available for purchase.
For more information on football memorabilia and attire care, be sure to explore The Terrace - the home of timeless football counsel.
