An old football shirt can usually cope with a wash, if you take it gently. These tips are safe for most shirts, but they are general: a shirt thirty years old sometimes has a mind of its own, and we cannot guarantee that the result will always be lovely.
Look first
- Read the care label in the neck. If it has worn away or you cannot read it, wash by hand only, and cold.
- Is there an ironed-on or cracked print, badge or sponsor? Then take extra care.
- Does the shirt smell of the loft? Air it outside for a day first, in the shade. Often that is enough.
Washing in five steps
- Hand wash or use a wool cycle. Hand washing is the safest. Use lukewarm or cold water (30 °C at most) and a mild detergent without bleach.
- Turn the shirt inside out. That way the print does not touch the drum.
- Do not rub the print. Submerge the shirt and press gently.
- No bleach, no fabric softener, no boiling water.
- Rinse well in cold water.
Cold, inside out and no tumble dryer.
Drying and ironing
- Not in the tumble dryer.
- Lay it flat on a towel or hang it over a drying rack, in the shade. No direct sun and no radiator.
- Do not wring it out: press the water out gently in a towel.
- Preferably do not iron. If you really have to: iron it inside out, on the lowest setting, and never directly on the print or badge.
Stains
Test any product on a hidden spot on the inside first. Dab, do not rub. If you cannot get it out, it is often better to leave it: an old stain sometimes belongs to the story.
All the tips, including on storing, are on the Washing and storing page. You can read more about the state our shirts arrive in on Condition explained.
