To wash or not to wash? That is the Question!

Do you associate the moment when you picked up a printed T-shirt and it’s time to wash it, and you have no idea what temperature to set on the washing machine so that nothing bad happens to the print? And another question, can I iron it afterwards? Or maybe you just found yourself in such a situation that you washed a T-shirt at 50 degrees and found that the print suffered?

With our tips, washing printed clothing will no longer be scary.

All you have to do is remember a few rules:

How to wash printed T-shirts?

Always wash the garment on the left side – this is the first step to protect the print from mechanical damage during washing. It’s also worth choosing gentle washing programs for the same reasons.
The maximum temperature is 30-40 degrees – high temperatures quickly cause the print to fade. After just one wash at 50 or 60 degrees, the print can become damaged.
Do not exceed 600 revolutions per minute – too high a speed can cause permanent crushing and cracking of the print.
Do not tumble dry – dryers can shrink the fabric and damage the print.
Avoid strong chemicals – mild detergents are safer for the print.
Iron only on the left side (never directly on the print) – this way the high temperature of the iron will not damage the print.
Follow the markings on clothing labels, but remember that they apply to the garment itself, without the print.

These rules apply to printed clothing made with technologies such as:

Screen printing – the most durable and popular method. The inks are fixed at high temperatures, making the print resistant to repeated washing.
Flex and flock – heat transfer films that are durable, although less so than screen printing.
Sublimation – the print is printed into the structure of the T-shirt, making it very durable.
DTF digital printing – the prints are strongly saturated with colors, but their durability is lower than with screen printing. Therefore, it is important to follow all washing rules.