Should I dry clean or launder my shirts to keep them looking new?

[rajesh06]

My shirt maker told me that wearing an undershirt reduces the life of the shirt due to the friction between the undershirt and the shirt. Also, much of the pleasure of wearing a high quality shirt is the feeling of the fabric against your skin.

On the original question - shirts should almost never be dry cleaned.

 

[md2010]

Sorry don't mean to be rude. But if you are worried about shirts getting old due to its normal course then maybe you are spending more than you should on your shirts. Shirts will get dirty and with every wash they will look older. You enjoy them while they last.
If you really want to keep shirts looking new for longer period then you will need a large shirt rotation. Say if you would have 30 shirts in rotation then you will wear each one of them probable less than12 times a year and they will look new for longer time.
I think cloth tape on shirt is just crazy. I only buy shirts that i can afford to replace if spoiled.
**Or if you get really worried about your shirt wrap your self with a condom then wear the shirt and then wrap another condom over the shirt. I think that will protect the shirt from both sweat and also form dirt form out side**

 

[TexasDan]

I fall into the camp of wearing shirts more than once except in the summer because of perspiration. I usually have my OCBDs washed at home since they only need minimal ironing. I have other shirst laundered at the cleaners. I just don't have the time, or ability, to iron them properly so that they look good.

 

[jamesny]

i think it's best to stock up on shirts, but don't spend too much on them. whatever method you prefer, frequent washing will eventually damage the shirts.

 

[bwp]

I only wash my shirts after several wears, this goes for all my clothes that are not undergarments. To answer the OPs question, if you do not have a washer/dryer in unit just use your sink and hand was them/hang dry. You can do a few at a time and it is not all that time consuming. If you ask your cleaners to wash and hang dry they will inevitably screw that up and throw them in the dyer which could shrink them significantly depending on the shirt.

 

[Michigan Planner]

I used to be in the camp of those who only wash their shirts after a few wears but recently started washing them after every wear (unless I just had it on for a couple of hours for church on Sunday or something). My reasoning for the switch was so that my shirts will hopefully wear out quicker giving me an excuse to buy more frequently.

 

[dah328]

Tumble drying and careless ironing are probably the two biggest contributors to shirt wear. Machine washing does not appreciably wear a quality cotton shirt. You should pretty much never have a cotton shirt dry cleaned. Obviously, there will be a tradeoff between maximum shirt life and convenience, but the best thing to do is to soak any shirts that require cleaning overnight in water and perhaps a detergent to soften any dirt or stains. Remove the shirts and use a nail brush to clean the collars, cuffs, and any visibly soiled areas. Put them in the washing machine on a warm cycle. Remove promptly and carefully iron. I have shirts that are going on 10 years old, are worn frequently, and continue to look nearly brand new. Laundry does take more effort than I would prefer, though.

 

[Patek]

Shirts like shoes should be rotated. I have about 40 shirtrs that I use in my work rotation. Just like shoes, I never wear the same shirt more than once in a two week period.

I spray the collars and cuffs with Shout and throw them in the machine. They are usually tumble dried though some of my nicer ones I hang dry. I then hit them with a steam Roweta iron, no starch.

 

[stubloom]

jkozlow3 asks whether he should dry clean or launder shirts to keep them looking new.

The answer depends on a number of issues. Here are some of the issues that ought to be considered in making that decision:

Blog post: Shirts and blouses - Dry clean or launder?

Link: http://www.ravefabricare.com/true-q...hirts-and-blouses-to-dryclean-or-launder.aspx


dah328 believes that cotton shirts should never be dry cleaned.

I would argue that it all depend on the manner in which the shirt is handled within the cleaner and on the dry clean solvent used. As far as the solvent is concerned, if your'e talking about perchloroethylene aka perc (brand name Dowper) or synthetic petroleum (brand names DF2000 and EcoSolv), the dry cleaning solvent used by 97% of cleaners, I would agree. On the other hand, if your'e taking about siloxane (brand name Green Earth), then I strongly disagree.

 

[Aqualung]

Hi guys,

New member here (long time occasional lurker) and I've been buying a bunch of nice button-down sport shirts over the past couple of weeks. Hugo Boss, Ted Baker, etc. I want to keep them looking good and make them last for as long as possible.

What's the preferred method for keeping shirts looking new?

A. Machine wash delicate cycle & hang to dry
B. Take them to the cleaners and have them "laundered" (does this mean they machine dry them too?)
C. Dry clean
D. Other

Note that I live in NYC and don't have a washer/dryer in my building, so while option A might be the cheapest for many, it's probably not cheaper than option B in my case. I care more about convenience (dropping the clothes off on my way to work) and preserving the life of the clothes than the cost of keeping them clean. Besides, I always wear undershirts and try to only clean my button-downs when necessary after multiple wears.

Thanks!

If these are work shirts then consider them disposible. Buy a dozen a year, wear them out and then buy another dozen next year.

 

[jkozlow3]

Thanks everyone. It sounds like for the most part I should machine wash my cotton shirts using the delicate cycle and hang them to dry. Most of my sport shirts are dark, so I will probably wash everything on cold.

There are a couple of laundromats within a 2 minute walk of my apartment with plenty of front-loaders (no agitator) which I assume will be gentler on the clothes.

What about detergent? Woolite for dark colors? Tide for coldwater?

 

[Patek]

I have used Tide for years with no problem.

Also, I know it sounds crazy, but follow what the tag says to do. All of my BB shirts say machine wash warm--so that is what I do.