How to Wash Custom Printed Shirts So They Last

A great custom shirt deserves to last longer than one vacation. The good news: printed designs are durable when you treat them right, and "right" is mostly about three things — cold water, low heat and turning the shirt inside out.

Here's the full routine, plus fixes for the most common laundry mistakes.

The quick version

• Turn the shirt inside out
• Wash in cold water on a gentle cycle
• Use a mild detergent, and skip bleach
• Tumble dry low, or hang to dry
• Never iron directly over the print

If you only remember one line, make it that one.

Before the first wash

Wait a day or two after your shirt arrives before washing it for the first time — it's not strictly necessary, but it gives the print time to fully set. Then wash it with similar colors: dark shirts with darks, whites with whites.

Washing, step by step

1. Turn it inside out

This is the single most important habit. Inside out, the print rubs against the soft inside of the shirt instead of zippers, jeans and the washing machine drum — the friction that causes fading, cracking and peeling.

2. Use cold water

Cold water is kinder to printed designs and to cotton. Hot water speeds up fading and is the main reason cotton shirts shrink.

3. Choose a gentle cycle

A gentle or delicate cycle reduces agitation. If your machine is crowded, the shirt gets more friction, so avoid overloading it — especially with heavy items like towels and jeans.

4. Go easy on detergent

Use a mild detergent at the normal dose. Too much detergent leaves residue that can dull colors. Skip bleach entirely, including on white shirts with printed designs — it can discolor the print.

Drying

Heat is the enemy of prints and the cause of most shrinking:

• Best: hang dry or lay flat. The print and the fabric both last longest.