How to Wash a Printed Work Shirt So the Print Lasts

A printed work shirt takes a beating from more than the job. The wash cycle is where most prints actually die: high heat, harsh chemicals and an agitator grinding the print against everything else. A few simple habits keep the skull and crossed cutlasses looking sharp instead of cracked and faded.

Before the wash

Deal with the big stuff before the shirt hits the machine. Grease does not come out on a normal cycle, so get to it while it is fresh: work a little degreaser or dish soap into the spot by hand, then wash as usual. Sweat is the other quiet killer, and salt left in the fabric is rough on both cotton and prints. If you cannot get the shirt in the machine right away, rinse the sweaty areas with cold water and hang it up until wash day. Turn the shirt inside out every time. That one habit protects the print more than anything else you can do.

Washing

Wash cold, inside out. That is the whole recipe. Cold water keeps the cotton from tightening up and keeps the print from softening and lifting. Skip the heavy duty detergents and the bleach for these shirts. A regular detergent and a cold cycle will get a work shirt clean if you handled the grease and sweat first. Wash with similar colors and skip the fabric softener on the dry-fits, since it coats performance fabric and dulls how it feels in the heat.

Drying

Tumble dry low or hang dry. Hang drying is the gentlest option there is, and in South Florida the line outside the garage door is free. If you must use the dryer, keep the heat low and pull the shirt when it is dry, not bone dry. High heat is what shrinks cotton and cracks prints, so the dryer dial is the most important decision you make.

What to skip

• High heat in the washer or the dryer.
• Ironing straight on the print. If the shirt needs pressing, turn it inside out or iron around the artwork.
• Bleach and heavy stain boosters on a printed shirt.

Cotton vs dry-fit, quick notes

The cotton tees and tanks are the ones that care about heat, because heat is what shrinks cotton. Follow the steps above and keep the heat off them. The dry-fits are lightweight performance shirts and are forgiving in the wash, but treat them the same way: cold, inside out, low heat or a hang. They dry fast on a line anyway, so you get the shirt back sooner.

If the fit goes wrong

If you are between sizes or like room to move on the job, the honest move is to size up. The shirts are a standard, regular fit, and size exchanges are free: we cover shipping the new size to you. Returns are open for 30 days after delivery on unworn, unwashed shirts. Something arrives damaged, misprinted or wrong? Send a photo within 14 days and we replace it or refund you at no cost. Full details are on the returns page, and when the drawer needs filling, shop the lineup.