Choosing the clothes you buy and wear is a big question. After all, people will absolutely judge books by their cover, or at least make some guesses based on social cues and their own experiences. Moreover, your outfit can be a strong reflection of who you are as a person. Intentionally or not, you reveal something about yourself simply by deciding that these specific clothes are what you want to wear.
This concept applies even more to custom-printed apparel. You did not just buy those clothes — you commissioned them with a design of your choosing, or even of your making. Personalized articles are as unique as their wearer and may ultimately say more about them than wearing department store products ever could.
Anyone who owns custom-printed apparel needs to take proper care of them, lest they lose the parts that make them so distinct. Here is a guide to washing your custom clothes:
- Put Similar Colors Together
The situation has appeared in so many cartoons and sitcoms. With the simple inclusion of red clothes in the washer, a load of white clothes emerges in a glowing shade of pink! These hijinks may be amusing on the small screen, but not so much in real life — especially to clothes that you designed yourself.
People usually separate “lights” from “darks,” which is good. If you really want to be careful, you can split them even further based on color groupings. Throwing your custom-printed clothes with clothing of similar colors is the surest way to avoid unwanted blending.
- Rely on Stain Removers
Detergents and bleach can be quite good at getting stains out of clothing — hence, why people often use them when doing laundry. Unfortunately, too much of either can result in the removal of colors and printed material as well. Even using regular amounts can be bad if the inking and printing quality of the clothing is low.
Of course, you cannot just avoid trying to clean personalized clothes when they get dirty. You just have to be clever about it and take an alternative approach. Using milder detergents can make a big difference. Spot-cleaning with a stain remover is an even more ideal solution. Make sure that it is strong enough to do the trick, but light enough to keep from taking things too far.
- Turn the Clothes Inside Out
Folding and putting away newly cleaned laundry can be a hassle. Adding one more step to the chore may sound even less appealing. Alas, that is what you would need to do if you turn your clothes inside out before sticking them in the wash. Despite any reservations you may have, it would be a great idea for custom-printed apparel.
The material used to add a design onto a piece of clothing is not natural to said clothing. It gets stuck on there, which means that enough abuse could cause it to chip, flake, or fall off. If you want the front of your shirt to survive the rough-and-tumble world within laundry machines, inverting it would give it an additional layer of protection. That just might be enough to keep it safe for the duration of the process.
- Only Use Cold Water
Many different types of clothing can be adversely affected by a high temperature setting on a washing machine. They can shrink, lose their coloration, grow weak, or gradually get torn apart. If the clothing happens to have a custom design printed or inked onto it, then you risk damaging that design or losing it altogether.
Honestly, you should always have the temperature on a low setting with these machines. Cold water is gentle to fabric, which allows it to last longer. The only benefit that hot water could ever provide to laundry is disinfectant. Hospitals can get something out of it, but not most other people, including folks with personalized clothing.
- Set the Dryer’s Temperature Low
Everyone enjoys sinking into a pile of warm clothing, fresh out of the dryer. Anyone who says otherwise is just shy or embarrassed. Sadly, you will have to sacrifice this joy any time you launder custom-printed apparel. High temperature settings are terrible for these clothes — not just in the washer, but also in the dryer.
For starters, clothes can shrink just as much while drying as they can while washing. According to Absolute Appliances Repair, “the low-heat tumble-dry cycle [can shrink] fabric just as much as the high-heat dry cycle.” Unless you are ready to drop a shirt size and content with seeing your design get scrunched, keep the temperature settings low.
- Consider Alternative Drying Methods
Lint may consist of more than dust, loose hairs, and the occasional penny. The harsh nature of the drying process can cause “microscopic tears.” Over the course of many drying cycles, those tears may expand into visible, gaping holes. Imagine how bad that would be for customized clothing. After spending money and time on personalizing the shirt, this would be a waste.
Of course, drying machines are a recent invention, only the latest in a long line of methods for drying clothes. Hanging them up to dry removes the forced hot air factor altogether. It may take more time, but a little patience is worth keeping your customized clothes intact.
- Choose High-Quality Custom-Printed Apparel Makers
Anyone reading this article almost certainly cares about their custom-printed apparel and wants them to last as long as possible. All the tips discussed above should help. Unfortunately, clothing made with low-quality material or printing may still lose their sheen after a few washes. If you really want your customized clothes to last, then the clothes themselves should be of excellent quality.
You can find such options right here at Wholesale Blank Clothes. We strive to offer only the finest blank clothes in many colors and styles for all people of all sizes. They are great for screen printing, sublimation, and other methods of personalization. With these products, you can add your own designs without the worry of losing them and create exactly the clothes you want.