Tips to Maintain the Color of Graphic Tees
Graphic t-shirts have become a mainstay of daily fashion, worn by everyone from babes in arms to celebrities onstage. This fashion trend has transformed the lowly t-shirt from an overlooked top into a fashion-must. Drawers are stuffed with different graphic tees for every day of the week, reflecting every mood. Worn with jeans, over leggings and under blazers, the Graphic Tee is emblazoned with everything from literary witticisms and rock icons to political leanings and product endorsements. The question is, how to keep all those graphics looking good?
Easy: Inside Out
The fastest, easiest way to protect graphics on a tee shirt is to turn the shirt inside out before placing it in the washer. The split second it takes to do this can mean the difference between preserving a fresh looking design and a creating a graphic that looks vintage before its time. The agitation of the wash cycle can create unwanted wear on a graphic image or in some cases cause the image to flake and detach from the fabric. Wash in cold water for the best result.
Wrinkle Free
A graphic t-shirt may suggest certain casualness but it doesn’t need to be sloppy. Ironing shirts will make them appear neat and crisp. However, ironing a graphic t-shirt presents a challenge as the heat of the iron can melt the design, irreparably damaging the shirt. It is possible to iron around the design, but the shirt may look unfinished. To press the design with out harming it, lay a cotton cloth or towel directly over the graphic and iron on top of the towel. The heat of the iron removes wrinkles without destroying the graphic.
Bleach with Care
Occasionally a white shirt with a graphic acquires a splash of grape juice that threatens to ruin it. Laundering the entire shirt with bleach can fade the graphic beyond recognition. However, spot treating the offending stain can eliminate the problem without harming the design. Carefully apply a little bleach to the stain. Rub the bleach in with an old toothbrush. Let the shirt sit for 15 minutes to give the bleach time to work. Hand rinse the shirt in cool water and launder as usual with detergent in cold water. Check to see if the spot is gone before placing the shirt in the dryer, as the heat from the dryer will set the stain.
Hand Wash to Preserve
Hand washing and drying on a clothesline is the gentlest way to launder any item. Since most t-shirts are made of cotton or a cotton blend, this method can be applied to almost any graphic t-shirt.
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