Stains are the bane of all T-shirt wearers’ existence. In fact, removing dirt from a white T-shirt can become a weekly chore that easily becomes old. However, if you really want your white T-shirts to look their very best, stain-fighting will be one of those things you probably do often.

The key to removing any stains is speed. The faster you get to the stain and treat it, the more success you will have with getting rid of it completely. Therefore, as soon as you notice dirt on your T-shirt, remove it and start the appropriate stain treatment. If this is not possible, your stain-removing efforts may not be as successful as you’d like or you may have to dedicate more time to it than previously thought. The only exception to this is if your T-shirt has wet mud on it, you need to wait for it to dry before attempting stain removal, because otherwise you will make the stain worse.

To get started with removing dirt stains from a white T-shirt, brush all the excess dirt off. If it is caked on, take a plastic knife and gently scrape off as much as possible. Then, mix dish detergent or liquid laundry detergent with a little water and gently work it into the stain. Use a brush and circular movements for the best results. Continue this process until the stain is gone. Apply a commercially made pre-treatment and launder the T-shirt as usual. When the wash cycle is completed, double check to make sure the stain is completely gone. If it is not, you will need to repeat the stain removal process and rewash the shirt. If you put it in the dryer before the stain is out, it will be set in by the heat of the dryer.

Another great way to attack stubborn stains on white T-shirts is with bleach. Check the laundry instructions on the garment’s tag to make sure you can use bleach. If so, add bleach to the wash water, let the stained clothes sit in the bleach mixture for 15 minutes or more and then wash as usual. If you have a T-shirt that says no chlorine bleach, use bleach for unbleachables instead. The major difference in use is the soaking time. For maximum results, let your items soak overnight in color-safe bleach.

If you have tried and tried and simply can’t get rid of certain dirt stains, you can designate that shirt an official working around the house tee. Luckily you can easily replace any T-shirt you have irreparably stained by getting one custom made. Shirts that come from companies that specialize in custom-made tees are ideal because you get to choose not only the size and color, but the weight, style and design. You can design a T-shirt to exactly replicate one that is stained. You can also have a tee customized for your activities that cause dirt stains. Such a shirt could say something like Official Soccer Shirt or Dirt Biking Tee.

Get your custom-made T-shirt today for the best way to deal with dirt stains.