Every man has his favorite white shirt in his closet. However, not everyone knows how to take care of it. Collar, cuffs, sleeves, button fastenings – shirts have a complex cut full of many nooks and crannies that can easily get dirty or damaged. If you’re tired of deodorant stains, folds, and other signs of premature wear and tear on this garment, read this article. Here’s how to take care of your white shirts.
Buy quality shirts
First of all, remember that you should always, or at least often, put quality over quantity. A 65% polyester and 35% cotton shirt made in Bangladesh for £50 will not last you for years, even if you try to look after it. Although the price is not a guarantee of quality, it is worth paying attention to the material.
Look closely at what the shirt is made of, how it is finished and make a checklist of points to check. When all of these points are “ticked off,” you will know that a particular shirt will last with you for at least a few years
Don’t always wear the same shirt
A practical rule of thumb for keeping clothing in good condition is to avoid over-wearing it. Just like with a pair of nice shoes, don’t put on the same white shirt several times a week! The more times you put it on, the sooner you’ll have to say goodbye to it
Choose the right wash program
The washing machine is a good friend to men, but it can quickly become your clothes’ worst nightmare. For white shirts, try to follow the directions on the label. If you’re not sure how to wash your shirt, don’t go above 40° and don’t wash it by hand. Also take care of the washing cycle, do not overload the machine and pay attention to the colors of the clothes you put into it. Wash white shirts only with other white clothes and use a special white washing powder. If necessary, use a stain remover before washing
Avoid the dryer, just use a good hanger
Once your shirt is clean, take it out of the washing machine as quickly as possible so that it doesn’t wrinkle too much and absorb the unpleasant smell caused by moisture. Even if you have the option of putting it in the dryer, don’t. Your best bet is to lay the shirt out on a fairly large wooden rack and stretch its sleeves well to keep them from creasing. This will make ironing easier later
Make sure the shirt is clean before ironing
Before ironing, take a close look at your shirt to verify that it is clean. If there is still a little dirt on it, wash it again and then let it dry. Stubborn stains can come from laundry detergent if you poured too much of it into the washing machine.
Hang up your shirt properly
If your shirt is clean and ironed, it’s time to put it in the closet. After ironing, wait for the fabric of the shirt to cool down. Avoid metal hangers that can distort the sleeves. The hanger should be made of wood or plastic with fairly wide edges and, if possible, rounded on the sides
Make sure your deodorant has dried before you put on your shirt
Deodorants in beads or sprays provide an “anti-yellow stain” effect. However, yellowish underarm stains can still appear on your white shirt. To solve this problem, remember to wait for the deodorant to dry before you put on your shirt. Wet deodorant should not come in direct contact with the fabric
