Charvet/Turnbull shirts say machine wash warm

[newyorknoir]

Both my Charvet and Turnbull Sea Island shirts say to machine wash warm.. I always thought that warm water gradually wears down the fabric faster, but is this not the case? When I spoke to one of the guys at the Charvet at Bergdorf Goodman he said it's not so much an issue of ruining the fabric, it's moreso about shrinkage.. I read on here that most of you guys wash only using cold.. so what should I do? If warm water won't affect these particular shirts then I would like to wash on warm, as I do my own laundry and it would definitely help clean tougher dirt buildup.

 

[bespoken pa]

I own garments from both as well as kiton. I was advised by a member on another message board to hand wash anything I care about with octagon soap in cold water. I can only afford to purchase a few shirts a year so taking care of them is of the utmost importance. If I am going to part with my hard earned money I will spend equally as much time properly caring for those garments. I definitely agree that taking care of your own garments is the way to go provided one has the time and know how. Let's face it you will take better care of your garments than anyone else will.

 

[MyOtherLife]

I own several Turnbulls but no Charvet or Kiton shirts. All of my shirts are washed in cold water. If collars or cuffs require extra attention those areas are pre-treated with a dab of detergent and an old toothbrush before they are tossed into the machine. I strongly recommend using a front loader washer and NEVER one of the old washing machines with the center agitator...those old beasts will destroy clothes. All of my shirts are hung dry and never placed in a dryer. I use a misting bottle with filtered water and mist them lightly as I iron. I always get perfect results. Anyway, this is just what I do.

Welcome to Styleforum, bespoken pa.

 

[Swede66]

I wash all shirts (cotton shirts that is) in 40 degrees Celcius, and occasionally in 60. It does not wear out the shirts, and with regards to shrinking they're made with shrinking allowans to meet the right size after washing. Hang to dry of course.

 

[addedfuel]

Follow the same procedures as Man of Lint and Swede66 for laundering shirts. I also use the method provided by one SF thread to treat tough collar stains and it works like magic (involved soaking shirts in vinegar then in oxyclean for a day). If you use newer laundry machines set to a gentle cycle, the front loading ones, there's no need to hand wash shirts.

 

[bespoken pa]

Thank You for the welcoming, I would own more T & A, however I can only purchase them when I'm in NY. I agree with the methods espoused above, I avoid machines throughout the process.

 

[Griffindork]

The washing instructions on my charvet shirts vary depending on the material of which the shirt is made. I always follow the instructions on the shirt. who would know better than charvet? they do advise that the shirts be ironed by hand and that the collar and cuffs be stretched when damp before ironing. in my experience, the longevity of the shirts leaves something to be desired.
A

 

[philosophe]

As I recall, Alexander Kabbaz has a "complete guide" to washing shirts on his website.

 

[newyorknoir]

As I recall, Alexander Kabbaz has a "complete guide" to washing shirts on his website.

I've seen that.. good stuff.. I was really just curious as to why washing cold is better than warm. I actually don't mind a little shrinkage in my shirt (and all my shirts are white or light blue—so I don't have to worry about color fading), what concerns me more is ruining the cotton over time.. So far nobody seems to really know whether warm water will do that or not (except one person on the thread who claims it won't—but if that's the case then why doesn't everybody else wash on warm?). I've been washing my Turnbull shirts on cold/gentle cycle for a while now and haven't had any problems except that sometimes dirt stains are hard to get out even after pre-treating the area. It would be nice to just throw them in on warm (as the label says) and spend less time scrubbing.. and the other thing is gentle cycle as opposed to regular cycle.. Say if there are only two shirts in the machine and it's a front-loader, I don't see how the little bit of extra speed on a regular cycle is going to ruin the shirt? Is it because it pulls on the seams and creates more torsion? will that really drastically affect the shirt though?

 

[Griffindork]

Keep in mind that the collars are fused. It may be that the warm water has an effect on the glue over time.
A

 

[Pawz]

I hand wash mine in the sink, roll in a towel to remove the excess moisture, and let hang dry.

 

[newyorknoir]

Actually, does anyone know why it's not okay to put shirts in the dryer yet they get much more heat from an iron?

 

[bespoken pa]

The heat from the iron is steam not direct air contact. I have experienced plenty of socks and such that have been burned in the dryer but not shirts with an iron. I would guess that when one irons the heat source is only present on the garment for a short period of time as opposed to a dryer where the heat is constant. that's just my .02 I have nothing factual to back up my previous statement.

 

[Swede66]

Guys. I am surprised to see that so many of us are afraid to follow the care instructions in our shirts. Cotton is not damaged by warm water. Period. Do you wash cotton bed linnen i cold water too? A pure cotton shirt handles 60 degrees Celcius just fine.
I have several T&A and H&K shirts (and other brands) and have never had any problems.

 

[Toffee]

Guys. I am surprised to see that so many of us are afraid to follow the care instructions in our shirts. Cotton is not damaged by warm water. Period. Do you wash cotton bed linnen i cold water too? A pure cotton shirt handles 60 degrees Celcius just fine.
I have several T&A and H&K shirts (and other brands) and have never had any problems.

Yes, I agree. Cotton is a quality product BECAUSE it wears well AND it is not difficult to care for.