Kool Gear Clothing

How do I keep my black t-shirts looking new?

I wear almost nothing but black t-shirts with graphics on them and they can be expensive sometimes. What can I do to make my t shirts last longer? How do i keep them from fading, shrinking and losing their shape? For fading I recently purchased woolite for dark colors but I havent used it yet. I also have been recently washing the t shirts one by one in the sink with just a tiny bit of soap. I think that would help since they wont be stretching and twisting in the washing machine right? Any thoughts/advice?

Public Comments

1. Hand washing in the sink is a good idea, but soap like hand soap will tend to remove color faster than detergent. They sell laundry detergent especially formulated to preserve color.
2. buy a detergent made for dark clothes. Always wash your dark clothes in cold water and on the gentle cycle if you are concerned about the shape. Lay flat to dry or hang if you must, but keep them out of the dryer which will always make clothes lose their shape and fade.
3. Hand wash, dry flat, inside out and in the shade. It will fade eventually but this should delay it a while.
4. I wash my black clothes in cold water on the gentle cycle. Always put dark colored clothes inside out when you wash them. It helps the color stay and it's the best for graphics. That plus not putting them in the dryer have always worked for me.
5. Washing in the sink is a good alternative to the roughness of the washer dryer, but if you don't have a clothes line, your shirts will loose their softness. A good way is to wash them on a gentle cycle with cold water, and Tide now makes a special coldwater detergent made specifically for protecting whites & colors. http://www.cleaningproductsworld.com/tide-coldwater-liquid-laundry-detergent-50-oz-bottle.html
6. hi.. i would wash them in cold water on the gentle or short cycle in a washing machine using a mild soap (i only use amway laundry products), then put them in the dryer for only a few minutes to get the wrinkles out. then i either place them on plastic (not metal) hangers or over the indoor clothesline i have in my basement. i dont know if this helps your question or not but worth a shot!
7. Wash in cold water and hang to dry
8. We agree with Mar. Use a detergent formulated for gentle cleansing, turn your black t-shirt inside out before placing it in the washing machine. The washer should be set on gentle wash, gentle spin and warm wash, cold rinse. If the shirt is not very soiled cold may be o.k., but warm is better for cleaning. Place the washed shirt and a dryer sheet in the dryer. Dry Briefly only to warm it and release the wrinkles created from the spin cycle. Remove your shirt from the dryer (it should be steaming from the heat of the dryer) and hang it on a plastic hanger to finish drying. ............and your looking good!