Laundering my dress shirts.

[bobbyd]

I am going to start laundering my dress shirts. Is there anything wrong with using the standard grocery store detergents (Tide, Surf, Cheer, etc.) or should I seek some "special" detergent?

 

[william]

I believe Alexander Kabbaz recommends Tide Unscented.

 

[matadorpoeta]

i believe woolite or something similar is a good option.

 

[itsstillmatt]

I use persil.

 

[sho'nuff]

any of those detergents are decent, i use tide liquid. the thing is if you do one load for dress shirts only, since dress shirts generally do not get soiled like jeans or socks, it is good to use minimal detergent as possible. just let the cold water do most of the cleaning. as it is only a slight accumulation of dead skin cells, lint, some dust you are getting rid of.

another thing a wash is always more enhanced if you use clean soft water.

some households or apt complexes due to their old plumbing or what have you have a hard water problem. it accelerates develpoment of deposits on your shower walls, cooking is problematic, and washing is not as efficient.
sometimes you can hook up one of those cleaning systems like culligan has to your water supply and it will make it soft.
you can notice hard water when you wash your clothes and then you hang dry you will feel the clothing is very stiff (or you used too much detergent).

 

[lockey2k]

What is the best way to wash dress shirts? Is it better to self wash or just give it to the dry cleaners to launder?

 

[sho'nuff]

you will fare well doing launder yourself than to dry clean both in long run and in money.

dress shirts are easily washed in the washing machine.
you can hand wash themselves if you like if there are some delicate stitchings or loose buttons maybe.


i find more qualitative dress shirts can be laundered with no problems

cheaper and less qualitiative dress shirts you need to take special care as they come out after the first wash or two, looking warped, shrunken too much, the texture of the cotton permanently changed, etc.

 

[odoreater]

Originally Posted by lockey2k

What is the best way to wash dress shirts? Is it better to self wash or just give it to the dry cleaners to launder?

Washing them yourself is probably better for the shirt, but ironing shirts is a ***** and I can't be bothered to put up with it, so I send mine out to be dry cleaned and pressed. If it means the shirts won't last as long, so be it - better to have my shirts die quicker than to spend half a day on Sunday, which is often one of my only free days, washing and ironing shirts.

 

[sho'nuff]

Originally Posted by odoreater

Washing them yourself is probably better for the shirt, but ironing shirts is a ***** and I can't be bothered to put up with it, so I send mine out to be dry cleaned and pressed. If it means the shirts won't last as long, so be it - better to have my shirts die quicker than to spend half a day on Sunday, which is often one of my only free days, washing and ironing shirts.

usually i have to iron 6-7 dress shirts when i iron and it takes me a good 1.5-2 hours on a weekend,
have you tried doing it while watching the game on tv or a dvd movie?

 

[edmorel]

diorshoe, I just sent you a PM.

 

[hopkins_student]

Originally Posted by diorshoe

usually i have to iron 6-7 dress shirts when i iron and it takes me a good 1.5-2 hours on a weekend,
have you tried doing it while watching the game on tv or a dvd movie?
This is what I do and I don't really mind ironing anymore.

 

[Panerai118]

Bobbyd: I use regular liquid detergent, and I haven't had any problems. If the collar and cuffs are soiled, I prewash with a very soft toothbrush, and small cup of detergent and water mix. Wash shirts on Gentle Cycle, and hang dry.

Lockey2k: My friend's parents own several dry cleaners in my area. They have new equipment, costing $200,000+. After a brief demonstration, he let me work on a couple of shirts. I pulled shirts damp from the wash cycle, and I was able to dry/press a shirt in less than 2 minutes, in two different steps. The cost of the equipment doesn't make their services better, just more efficient. I doubt that such extremes can be really good for anything in the long run.

 

[johnapril]

pretreat stains with liquid detergent
half-fill a 5-gallon paint bucket with cool water
add liquid detergent
mix
press shirts into the mix
leave for 2-3 hours
move shirts from bucket to washing machine
run on handwash cycle, cold

 

[lawyerdad]

Originally Posted by Panerai118

Bobbyd:

I use regular liquid detergent, and I haven't had any problems. If the collar and cuffs are soiled, I prewash with a very soft toothbrush, and small cup of detergent and water mix. Wash shirts on Gentle Cycle, and hang dry.

Lockey2k:

My friend's parents own several dry cleaners in my area. They have new equipment, costing $200,000+. After a brief demonstration, he let me work on a couple of shirts. I pulled shirts damp from the wash cycle, and I was able to dry/press a shirt in less than 2 minutes, in two different steps. The cost of the equipment doesn't make their services better, just more efficient. I doubt that such extremes can be really good for anything in the long run.
A tip I received that seems to work for me:
When the collar is soiled, use a tiny bit of shampoo instead of detergent. The idea is that what's accumulating on the collar is mostly oils, etc. from your hair, for which shampoo is specifically formulated. On its face it makes sense to me and seems to work, although it could of course be totally bs.

 

[lockey2k]

Not that I hate ironing, but I always find that I'm more likely to damage the shirt in the wash than letting someone else take care of it. One thing I do know is that I cannot take care of clothes.