How to Wash Printed T-Shirts So the Print Lasts

A well-printed shirt should outlast your interest in wearing it. Our prints are wash-tested past 50 cycles — but only if the washing machine plays fair. Five rules:

The five rules

Turn it inside out. The single biggest lifespan extender — the drum and other garments abrade the outside surface.
Wash at 30°C. Hot water is the enemy of print adhesives and fabric dyes alike. Modern detergents work fine at 30.
Skip the tumble dryer — or use its coolest setting. High heat is the most common cause of early cracking. Air drying costs nothing and doubles print life.
Never iron the print. If the shirt needs ironing, do it inside out or lay a cloth over the design. Direct iron contact melts prints in seconds.
No bleach, no fabric softener on print areas. Softener coats the print and dulls it; bleach does what bleach does.

First wash

Wait 24 hours after receiving your shirts before the first wash — adhesives reach full cure over the first day. After that, the rules above are all you need.

"My print cracked anyway"

If a print fails under normal washing, that's on us — photograph it and email hello@teeworld.uk with your order number. Reprints are free under the Print Quality Promise.

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