How do you wash a football shirt?
6 tips to keep your favourite shirt in top condition
Dirty football shirts, you've probably had to deal with it as a footballer! Such a sweaty shirt that you stuff into your football bag after a nice workout... Such a shirt obviously needs to be washed after exercise. Especially if you are careful with your shirt. It would be a shame if the quality of the football shirt deteriorates due to improper washing. The shirt's print could come off or the shirt could discolour.
That is why we have compiled 6 golden tips for washing football shirts especially for you, so that both the shirt and the print remain in top condition.
1. Wash your shirt as soon as possible
It might be obvious, but we all do it sometimes, right? You come home completely demolished from a football training or match and you throw your football bag in the corner of a room, only to not look at it again for a few days. There are two main reasons why you should absolutely not do this and wash your football shirt immediately after exercising.
The first reason: the sooner you wash the shirt after it gets dirty from grass or mud stains, the more likely the stains will disappear. The second reason is: the longer you leave a sweaty shirt unwashed, the more likely it is that odours will settle permanently in the material. And of course, no one wants that!
2. Wash your shirt inside out
This is especially important for shirts with, for example, back number or sponsor printing, so for almost all shirts. To protect the print and prevent it from sticking together in the wash, turn the shirt inside out before putting it in the washing machine. It's a very simple step that can be very useful to prevent the print from flaking or breaking.
3. Do not wash different colours with each other
Another simple step, but one that is not so obvious. Try dividing your laundry into dark colours, light colours and white clothes. Even football shirts of the highest quality can leak a small amount of colour, especially the first few times they are washed.
For example, if you play in a white shirt with red trousers and socks, make sure you separate them. Unless, of course, you like to mimic Palermo's pink shirt! ;-)
4. Wash at a low temperature
Never wash your football kits hotter than 30 degrees Celsius. It is always worth double-checking the clothing label for the exact washing specifications.
It may be tempting to hot wash your football jersey if there is a lot of sand on it or a nasty smell under the armpits, but this should really be avoided! Instead, use good quality stain removal products before washing. Or, if this is not an option, soak the shirt the old-fashioned way.
5. Always wash by hand when in doubt
If your favourite football jersey is starting to get a bit older or is of great value to you, the safest way to wash is still by hand.
‘How old-fashioned!’, we hear you thinking. True, and it also takes a bit more time, but hand washing is the only way to ensure a completely safe wash. When washing by hand, you can possibly use green soap or a strong stain remover, but make sure it doesn't get too chemical. Also, use a soft brush to remove the pesky grass stains. In this case, it is best to soak the clothes with the soap for a while longer. Just don't brush too hard when doing so! Certainly not on the areas around the print on your shirt or near the logo. Also make sure the bristles of the brush are not too hard. Many washing machines have a hand wash setting if you don't want to do it yourself.
6. Dry your football shirt naturally
Whenever possible, always avoid using a tumble dryer for printed football shirts. If you really must, use a delicate wash cycle to minimise possible damage. Also, do not let the shirts dry on a radiator. If a sponsor or number print is placed directly on a radiator, there is always a chance of it melting. If the shirt must dry on a radiator, make sure it is inside out.
Natural drying is always the best option, for example outside on the line. There is no need to wait long, as many modern shirts are made of extremely fast-drying material. Therefore, clothes dryers and radiators are not only risky, but also totally unnecessary.
Enough talk, are you looking for a nice new football shirt?