With proper care, your unique shirts should last – maybe not for all eternity – but certainly for many seasons to come! As with all apparel, over time the fabric and print will start to show wear, fading, or even cracks and tears. This is viewed by many as a cool vintage retro look! The Ancient Egyptian tombs, temples, and monuments have aged and deteriorated, so aging your shirt may be a great way to achieve the “well-worn” antique look and vintage vibe!
But if you want to prolong the life of your garment and delay the “worn” look as long as possible, please follow these instructions as closely as you can.
WASHING INSTRUCTIONS:
Please Turn Inside Out before washing. This protects the outside of the garment from excessive abrasion from other garments in the washer and dryer. Abrasion roughs up the fabric, breaking the fibers and causing them to microscopically stick out. This makes the garment feel less soft and smooth, and can eventually lead to pilling.
Wash in Cold Water & Delicate, Gentle or Hand Wash cycle. Warm water if you must – but the cooler the better, as hot water can accelerate the fading of the fabric dye and print colors. The Gentle/Delicate/Hand Wash cycles have gentler, slower agitation, less intense wringing & spin cycles which, again, reduces abrasion, damage & trauma to the garment.
Hang Dry or Tumble Dry on Low or No Heat. Heat can cause the fibers to overheat and become brittle, which creates more breakage and the tiny fiber ends start to stick out. This leads to faster fading and a rougher feel to the garment. It can also make it shrink more than expected.
Do Not Bleach. We’ve all seen what bleach can do! Keep the bleach far away! It’s best to avoid the oxy and “color-safe” bleaches, too, as you never know how they will react.
Do Not Dry Clean. The chemicals in Dry Cleaning can really do a number on the print!
Never Iron the Print. Direct heat from an iron may ruin the printed areas. If you need to get some wrinkles out, you can hold the iron 4 or 5 inches above the print, hit it with a shot of steam, and smooth it out with a cloth.
