Decorated Apparel Care Instructions:
Congratulations on your new Apparel!
We are excited to have you ware it with pride! We know you want your new apparel to stay looking like new and represent the brand well.
Following these simple care instructions will keep you looking great as long as possible.
NOTE: All garments are made differently. Different materials may need washed in different ways. The below care instructions are meant to maintain the life of the decoration in general. Always check the care instructions on your garment’s tag for more specific advice on how to clean your apparel.
Screen Printed Apparel
We recommend washing your screen printed garments inside-out, preferably on a cold water cycle.
- Do not use bleach or fabric softeners.
- When drying: tumble dry on low heat. This prevents shrinkage and helps to keep your print from fading.
- When possible, allow apparel to hang dry.
- To avoid possible shrinkage, you can also lay your shirt flat to dry.
- Don’t iron decorated areas! Turn the shirt inside-out when ironing to preserve the print.
- Do NOT dry clean!
Embroidered Apparel
Be sure to check the care instructions on your garment’s label.
- Do not use chlorine bleach. Detergents with chlorine, peroxide or sodium carbonate can cause thread discoloration.
- Do not use fabric softeners.
- Dry on low heat or let hang dry.
- Do not leave your embroidered garment soaking/wet.
- When ironing, use low heat. Do not use steam or any other agent that will cause the embroidery to become wet.
- You can dry clean your embroidered clothing, but avoid pre-spotting agents and use extreme care.
Heat Transfers/Vinyl
- Treat your heat transfer or vinyl-decorated garments the same as a screen printed t-shirt. Wash on cold, inside-out, etc.
- Do NOT use fabric softeners. It removes the adhesive and will cause your transfer or vinyl to peel off.
Notes on Fabric Softeners
We know that fabric softer is super great for preventing static cling and keeping your clothes soft. However, fabric softener is not ideal for use on decorated apparel. The chemicals in fabric softener break down the ink on screen printed tees and cause it to fade or crack. It also eats away at the adhesive on heat-pressed vinyl, causing it to peel off.
NEVER USE FABRIC SOFTENERS WITH POLYESTER, MOISTURE-WICKING, OR FIRE-RETARDANT MATERIALS! The chemicals from the softener will leave a residue behind. This residue fills in the weave/mesh of the material which will negate any of its wicking or fire-retardant properties.
Notes on Pilling
What is pilling? Pilling is those annoying fuzzballs that form on a piece of cloth. Lots of people think that pilling means that a garment is cheaply made or of a lower quality, but the truth is out…. all fabrics have a tendency to pill!
Pilling is caused by friction put on your garment. This happens from every day wear, as your clothing rubs against your body while you move. It can also be caused when you put your clothes through the wash–the spin cycle will cause your garments to rub up against one another. This rubbing can cause loose fibers to push their way from the surface of your shirt, forming little fuzz balls that can be a real pain in the butt. This tends to be most prevalent in garments that are made of cotton, polyester, nylon, etc. Linen and silk are the most resistant to pilling.
Many garments we offer, are made from a pill-resistant yarn. However, no garment is truly “pill free.” It’s all about the way you care for your garment that prolongs its appearance. Only you can prevent pilling!
So what can you do? We recommend turning your garments inside-out before washing.
