How to Care for Printed Apparel So It Lasts

We test our prints to survive normal washing, and we stand behind them. But how a garment is washed still has more effect on print life than almost anything else. Share these six habits with your team and the kit will look newer for far longer.

1. Turn it inside out

This is the single most effective habit. Inside out, the print rubs against the garment's own fabric instead of against zips, buttons and the drum. Abrasion, not water, is what wears a print down.

2. Wash cold

Cold water — up to about 30°C — is gentler on both the print and the fabric colour. Hot water softens the bond on heat-applied prints and accelerates fading. It is also better for the fabric's shape.

3. Skip the fabric softener

Softener works by leaving a coating on fibres. On a printed area that coating can sit between the fabric and the print, and over time it dulls the surface. A mild detergent alone is better.

4. No bleach, and no harsh stain removers

Bleach attacks pigment. If you need to treat a stain, treat the fabric around it and keep the product off the printed area.

5. Dry gently

Air drying in shade is best. Direct sunlight fades colour, and a hot tumble dryer is the fastest way to shorten a print's life. If you must tumble dry, use the lowest heat setting.

6. Never iron directly on the print

Iron the garment inside out, or place a cloth between the iron and the print. Direct heat on the surface can soften or shine a heat-applied design in seconds.

One extra tip for sports kits

Wash after every match rather than letting sweat sit in the fabric. Salt and body oils break down fibres and dull colours over a season — the damage comes from waiting, not from washing.

What good care looks like

Inside out, cold wash, mild detergent, no softener, shade dry. That is the whole routine — and it is the difference between a kit that lasts one season and one that lasts several.