How to Care for a T-Shirt to Make It Last Longer

Teeanime provides some basic instructions for cleaning and caring for a 100% cotton T-shirt. By following the nine rules below, you can greatly slow down the natural aging of your T-shirts and so extend their lives.

How to clean and care for a T-Shirt so it lasts longer: summary

1. Wash less

Minimalism is effective. Laundry tip is useful. For increased durability, only wash a 100% cotton T-shirt when necessary.

Although high-quality cotton is long-lasting, each wash stresses its natural fibers, causing your T-shirt to age and fade faster. As a result, washing less is one of the greatest methods to keep your favorite shirt in good condition.

Washing less minimizes both your water use and your carbon footprint. Westerners wash their clothes after each wear out of habit rather than necessity (e.g. wash when dirty).

Washing clothes as needed is not only sanitary, but it also benefits the environment.

2. Wash with similar colours

White-white! Washing summer tees in brighter colors keeps them white. Washing bright colors together minimizes the likelihood of a white T-shirt turning grey or pink. Darker colors may be washed together if washed numerous times.

Sorting by fabric type improves washing results because sportswear and workwear have different requirements than a delicate summer shirt. Before washing a new outfit, always read the care label.

3. Wash cold

100% cotton T-shirts can shrink when washed in hot water. Detergents work better at higher temperatures, therefore determining the ideal washing temperature is critical. Unlike darker T-shirts, Sanvt’s Perfect White T-Shirt should be laundered at 30 degrees (or it can be washed at 40 degrees if needed).

Washing your white T-shirt at 30 or 40 degrees minimizes yellowing under the armpits and increases the life of the garment. Washing at low temperatures, on the other hand, reduces energy consumption and environmental impact by 35%.

4. Wash (and dry) inside out

By washing your T-shirts “inside out,” the inevitable wear and tear occurs on the inside of the shirt rather than the exterior, where it can be seen. This reduces the likelihood of natural cotton becoming fuzzy or pilling.

T-shirts should also be dried on the inside. This means that fading is more likely on the inside of the garment, while the exterior remains unchanged.

5. Use the right (amount of) detergent

There are currently more environmentally friendly detergents on the market. Instead of oil-based chemicals, these detergents use natural components.

However, it’s crucial to note that even “green” detergents can pollute waste water and damage textiles if used in excess. This is due to the fact that they might include a wide variety of compounds. Because there is no 100% green solution, keep in mind that using extra detergent will not make your clothing cleaner.

When there are fewer items in the washing machine, less detergent is required. The same is true for mostly soiled garments. Also, in areas with soft water, less detergent can be used.

6. Do not tumble dry

It’s vital to understand that all cotton products shrink naturally, mainly after they dry. Shrinkage is less likely if you don’t use a dryer and instead let things air dry. Even though tumble drying can be easy at times, hanging a T-shirt to dry is the ideal option.

When air-drying your garments, avoid direct sunlight to keep the colors from fading too much. As previously stated, 100% cotton items dislike being too hot. Hang delicate cotton garments over a rail to prevent wrinkles and stretching out of shape.

Skipping the dryer will not only make your T-shirt last longer, but it will also have a significant impact on the environment. Tumble dryers require up to five times the electricity of a standard washing machine. This means that if tumble dryers are never used, a household’s carbon footprint can be considerably decreased.

7. Iron on reverse

Cotton, depending on the fabric of the T-Shirt, might wrinkle and crease more or less easily. However, if you handle your T-shirts correctly when you take them out of the washing machine, you can reduce creasing. You can also gently stretch or shake each object to return it to its original shape.

You don’t want the T-Shirt to lose its shape, so take additional care around the neckline and shoulders. If your washing machine has a “reduce creases” setting, you can use it to keep your garments from becoming wrinkled. Eliminate the spin cycle on your washing schedule to assist reduce creases, but your T-shirt will be slightly wetter when it comes out.

If you need to iron a T-shirt, the simplest approach to figure out what temperature setting is safe is to check the care label. The iron symbol on the care label indicates the amount of heat that can be used. The more dots you observe, the more heat you have at your disposal. The SANVT Perfect T-Shirt, for example, can be ironed on medium heat (two dots).

We recommend ironing your T-shirt reverse and using the steam setting on your iron. Wet cotton before ironing it to make the fibers smoother and the fabric simpler to flatten.

And, if you want your T-shirt to appear even nicer and be treated carefully, we normally recommend using a steamer rather than a regular iron.

Tip: If you gently stretch The Perfect T-Shirt by Sanvt before drying, you won’t need to iron it at all. The SANVT T-extra-long Shirt’s fibers soften it with time, and after a few washes, you won’t need to iron it as much.

8. Store your T-Shirts correctly

T-shirts should be folded and stored flat on a flat surface. Knitted materials (such as the Jersey Knit of The Perfect T-Single Shirt) may expand if hung for an extended period of time.

If you must hang your T-shirts, use wide hangers to evenly distribute the weight. To avoid overstretching the neckline when hanging T-shirts, insert the hanger from the bottom.

Finally, to prevent color fading, avoid direct sunlight during storage.

9. Treat stains immediately!

The most important rule in an emergency is to treat a T-shirt stain as soon as possible. Cotton and linen absorb liquids such as red wine and tomato sauce, therefore the sooner the stain is removed, the easier it is to remove.

There is no such thing as an all-purpose detergent or stain remover. According to research, the more successful a stain remover is, the more abrasive it is to garment color. As a result, we recommend removing the stain with warm water and using a little detergent or soap.

For tough stains, use a commercial stain remover, but avoid bleach on colored cotton articles. Bleach may cause the fabric to fade.