Clean Dress Shirts

A nice dress shirt is an investment. As such, when it comes to cleaning your dress shirt, you want to make the right choices. Whether you prefer to to wash your shirt at home or bring your shirt to the cleaners, there are a few important practices to getting the job done properly. Additionally, if you should spill something on your shirt, it is crucial to manage the stain right away.

Steps

Washing Your Shirt at Home

  1. Unbutton the shirt and remove any collar stays. Before you can wash your shirt you need to get it ready. Unbutton every button on the shirt, including buttons on collars and cuffs. Then remove the collar stay (if your shirt has one) and put it in a safe place.[1]
  2. Pre-treat any stains. If there any sweat stains or spots on the shirt, it is a good idea to pre-treat them. You can use a simple fabric spray (such as Shout or Spray-n-Wash). Be sure to spray a bit inside the collar, as well as anywhere else you notice stains.[2]
  3. Choose the settings on your machine machine. Set your machine machine on "delicate." If the shirt is white or light-colored, set the water temperature to hot. If your shirt is dark-colored, set the temperature to cold to avoid fading.[2]
  4. Use a minimal amount of high-quality detergent. You will want to select a gentle, high-quality laundry detergent, such as Woolite, for your dress shirt. Additionally, you'll want to use approximately half of the recommended amount. Add this to your washing machine.[2]
  5. Place your shirt inside a laundry bag and wash it in the machine. In order to further protect your shirt from snags and other damage during the wash, place your dress shirt inside a laundry bag. Close the bag, place it inside your washer, and start the cycle.[2]
  6. Hang your shirt to dry. Avoid placing your dress shirt in the the dryer. Instead, hang your shirt on a hanger and allow it to air dry. If this is not possible, dry your shirt on your dryer's lowest setting.[2]

Removing Stains

  1. Remove any large chunks and blot up any liquid. If you have an accident or spill, it is important to act quickly! Grab a brush, washcloth, or paper towel and try to carefully flick off any large pieces or chunks, without smashing the stain into the shirt. Then use a clean paper towel or washcloth to gently blot up any excess liquid.[1]
  2. Choose a stain solvent. You are going to need a stain solvent to treat the stain. You can use a store-bought product, such as a spray (like Shout) or a stain-remover pen (like a Tide Pen). Or you can use household items like lemon juice, vinegar, or seltzer water. Grab whatever stain solvent you have ready-to-hand.[1]
  3. Put some solvent onto to the stain. Spray or carefully dab the solvent you've chosen directly onto the stain. You want to saturate the stain area without putting any pressure on the fabric. Be very careful not to press the stain into the shirt, as this will make it more difficult to remove. Wait 1-3 minutes.[1]
  4. Rinse off the solvent with cold water. After you've waited for just a few minutes (no more than 3), run the stain under cold water. Allow the running water to lift out the stain and the solvent. Once again, do not wring or press the stain into the fabric. If you can still see the stain, repeat this process from the beginning.[1]

Taking Your Shirt to the Cleaners

  1. Ask for a "wash and press." Even when you go to a "dry cleaner," dry cleaning is not the only service they provide. For a typical cotton dress shirt, a wash and press is in many ways your better option. The cleaner will wash your shirt in a typical washing machine, then place it in a clothing press which removes the water and irons the shirt.[1]
  2. Opt to have the shirt dry cleaned. Of course, dry cleaning is still an option. Unfortunately, dry cleaning will not remove water-based stains (such as sweat), but it will eradicate oil stains. If you have gotten something oily on your shirt, dry cleaning is the way to go.[1]
  3. Pay a small fee. Bring your shirt to the cleaner of your choice and explain which service you'd like to have done. The cleaner will tell you when to return to pick up your shirt. In most cases, you will pay when you retrieve the shirt, but some locations may ask you to pay before service are rendered.[1]

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 http://propercloth.com/reference/how-to-wash-a-dress-shirt/
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 http://www.realmenrealstyle.com/3-tips-wash-dress-shirts/

Tips

  • Wait to wash your shirt until it's dirty. Look inside of the collar, inside the cuffs, and under the arms for sweat stains.
  • You can lengthen the time between washes by wearing an undershirt.

You may like

Retrieved from "https://kipkis.com/index.php?title=Clean_Dress_Shirts&oldid=270830"