Category Archives: Clothing Care / How To

How to remove dirt stains from a white T-shirt?

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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.

How To Remove Grease From Your T-Shirt

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Stains are so annoying, but they happen to everyone sooner or later and you have to know how to deal with them. One of the most common stains is grease. I’m not just talking about the kind of grease used in mechanic work, although the same stain removal process applies. Grease stains happen to most everyone through the everyday act of eating. If you happen to drop a little food on your T-shirt, chances are it contains grease of some kind. This means you have a greasy stain to deal with. It is not simply enough to put a little commercial stain spray on your T-shirt and throw it in the wash. That will not take care of the grease stain. It requires more care than that.

There are numerous ways to remove grease from your T-shirt. However, you should remember that it is important to get to the stain quickly. By doing so, you will improve your chances of successfully removing the grease stain. Treat it as soon as possible after you notice the stain. You should also use the hottest water that is safe for your T-shirt when washing it

Apply a liquid dish detergent that is known for its grease-fighting properties to the stain and let it sit for at least 15 minutes before washing it. You may also apply bar soap, liquid laundry detergent, shampoo or a paste of powder laundry detergent and water to the grease stain and carefully work it in before letting it sit. For really stubborn stains you may want to try using WD-40 followed by dish detergent. Just be sure to test a small inconspicuous area of the shirt first to be sure it is safe for your tee.

For excess grease stains, apply talcum powder or chalk in order to absorb the excess grease before applying another product like dish detergent to it. Scrape off the any excess grease, apply the powder or chalk and let it soak up the grease. Shake the excess off the clothing before applying other pre-treatments. For heavy duty grease stains, applying a mechanic’s hand cleaner to the stain is another great solution. If you have a large amount of grease-stained clothing, adding ammonia to your wash will go a long way in getting rid of such stains.

If you find that you have tried everything and you are still left with unsightly grease stains, you can throw in the towel and use your T-shirt as your official cooking shirt or for whatever you do that usually leaves you with grease stains. Then you can get a new T-shirt to replace the old one. In fact, by having a custom-made T-shirt made you can completely recreate the old tee that you stained. That is the advantage of custom-made tees: you can choose absolutely everything from the color and style to the exact design.

Get your custom-made T-shirt today and deal with impossible grease stains in the best way possible.

Will A Drawing On My T-Shirt With A Sharpie Last In The Wash?

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Permanent markers are just that – permanent and Sharpie markers are well known for being high-quality permanent markers, used in a variety of situations. Therefore it is realistic to expect that drawings made with a Sharpie will stand up to some abuse and still last. In reality, it is very hard to remove permanent marker stains from clothing even when you try hard to do so therefore, if you try to not remove such markings, you should have lots of good luck.

If you have a drawing on your T-shirt made with a Sharpie brand permanent marker, you can easily make sure it lasts by taking certain precautions in the care of the shirt. First of all, make sure you do not use any type of bleach or stain remover on the drawing. It would probably not entirely remove it, but such solutions will fade it faster and you may loose some of the details of the drawing. In addition, avoid getting hairspray or rubbing alcohol on the drawing, as these substances are both often used to remove ink stains.

When washing T-shirts that have been decorated with a Sharpie, use regular laundry detergent only in cold water and dry them as you usually would. Avoid washing rough textured things with the T-shirt, like towels that may have an abrasive effect on the shirt and the drawing. Avoid hanging the T-shirt outside to dry as the sun often has a bleaching effect on clothes. Expect some minimal fading with time, but you can even slow this down by wearing the T-shirt infrequently so that it doesn’t have to be laundered so often. This is especially good advice if the T-shirt has sentimental value and you would like to preserve the T-shirt for the future.

For anyone who wants to adorn a T-shirt with a drawing, there is a much more effective and permanent way to do so. By scanning a copy of a drawing and submitting it to a company that specializes in custom-made T-shirts you can have the drawing you want on a T-shirt permanently. The T-shirt customizing company can even add little touches like adding a date, artist information or putting other types of information on the other side of the T-shirt. You can also choose the color, style, weight and quality of the T-shirt that bears the drawing you want to display.

Customizing T-shirts with permanent marker drawings is a great idea for good-bye parties, bachelor parties, showers, milestone birthday parties, graduations, school trips, end of the school year and much more. Having T-shirts made up to commemorate the event or activity, but leaving space for drawings, messages and signatures is a great way to have a unique souvenir for everyone who attends. Proud parents and grandparents can also have their little one make them a special piece of “art” of a T-shirt that they can show off in a unique way. Have fun T-shirts made for every child in the family that say something like “My child drew this” or “My grandchild’s work of art”. The possibilities of drawings on a T-shirt are endless.

Get your custom-made T-shirt today and doodle in up with a Sharpie to make it unlike any other tee out there.

What Does Fabric Softener Do To A T-Shirt?

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Fabric softener has been around for about 100 years and is a very popular product in many homes. Many of us use fabric softener on our T-shirts and other clothes to eliminate static cling, to make clothes softer and to give them a great scent. In fact nothing smells as good to some people as the smell of freshly laundered clothes that have treated with fabric softener. Whether or not you are a lover of fabric softener, you’ve probably asked yourself exactly how it is that fabric softener actually makes clothes softer. It is all a matter of chemistry.

Fabric softeners are a combination of water, oily conditioning agents, fragrances, dyes, emulsifiers to hold it all together and preservatives to maintain it. This combination coats the fibers of the T-shirt material with a type of lubrication, which causes it to feel softer, smell better and reduces static cling. Without this lubrication, the fibers of a T-shirt are rougher and feel more uncomfortable to the touch and for the person wearing it. The most important part of the fabric softener is the conditioning agent. This substance is positively charged and therefore adheres well to fabric that is negatively charged and subsequently makes all the difference to the feel of the item of clothing.

Newer versions of fabric softener even offer extra bonuses for your wardrobe. They can provide stain protection. They can reduce wrinkling that occurs in the washer and dryer. They can even facilitate ironing. Fabric softener can solve problems we didn’t even know we had.

Fabric softeners do a great job of making a T-shirt extra soft, however there are some downsides to their use. Their environmental impact is questionable. Some of the chemicals in them are even known to be dangerous. Therefore, it makes many people wonder about the wisdom of putting such chemicals next to their skin all day, every day.

Luckily there is more than one way to ensure that you have a nice soft T-shirt next to your skin. By buying higher quality T-shirts you will have softer more luxurious cotton in what you wear. Cotton grown in certain parts of the world, like Egypt and Arizona, is known for its softness and high quality. In addition, combed cotton, another high quality product, is cotton that is combed through more than usual before being made into fabric. This ensures that the harder parts of the cotton fiber are removed, leaving touchably soft cotton only.

If you want to minimize the use of fabric softener and still have irresistibly soft T-shirts, invest in custom-made T-shirts of high quality. By choosing to go with custom-made T-shirts you can choose the design, color and style you want in the quality cotton you want too. In fact, you can even get a T-shirt made that educates others on the use of fabric softener.

Get your super soft custom-made T-shirt today and be free to choose whether or not you want to use fabric softener.

How To Remove Tomato Stains From Your T-Shirt

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Stains are one of the most annoying things to deal with when it comes to T-shirt care. Often we find that a perfectly nice white or light colored T-shirt can be ruined by things like tomato stains. So many different dishes are tomato based and therefore it is a very common stain. Luckily T-shirts can usually withstand heavy duty stain fighting, so you can get rid of almost any stain, even the pesky tomato stain.

First and foremost, try to treat the stain as soon as it happens or as soon as possible after you notice it. Remove any excess tomato on your tee by scooping it off with a spoon or gently scraping it with a knife.  Flush the area with cold water from the back of the stain to force as much of it out of the fabric as possible. Timeliness in getting started on removing the stain is the biggest factor in how successful you will be with stain removal.

When as much of the stain is out as possible, it is time to get serious. You should apply liquid laundry detergent to the stain and gently work it in from the outside inward. If you have a T-shirt that can be safely bleached you can add a touch of bleach to the stain also. If you want to avoid using something this harsh, applying lemon juice, white vinegar or hydrogen peroxide to the stain can also have a bleaching effect. Continue rubbing the stain alternating the use of laundry detergent with the bleach until the stain is gone. Rinse the T-shirt well and check it in good light to make sure all traces of the tomato stain are truly gone. Apply a commercially produced stain treatment and let sit for 5 minutes, before laundering as usual.

After your T-shirt is washed double check it to be sure that the stain is out. Once it dries in the dryer, it is most likely set for life. Therefore it is important to check clothing as it comes out of the washer to minimize the possibility of permanent stains. If you catch it before it hits the dryer and the stain is still visible treat it by rubbing more laundry detergent into the stain and soaking it in warm water for no less than a half-hour.  Rinse, then apply stain remover and wash your T-shirt in the washing machine again.

If after all these steps, you find that you are left with a stained T-shirt, you do have options. Have a new T-shirt custom-made to replace the one you have stained. You can recreate your old T-shirt exactly by having one customized to your own design. You can opt for a more tomato-friendly color like black. You can also make fun of tomato stains, by having a tee made that says “Official Tomato Eating T-shirt” or Official Spaghetti Shirt”. By doing so you can get away with any tomato stains that may come your way.

Get your custom-made tomato stain T-shirt today and show that you can creatively deal with any stains.

If I Cut My T-Shirt Will The Ends Fray?

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Cutting up T-shirts on purpose to make them look different has been done for years. Many people cut T-shirts and then add parts and patches from other items of clothing to make something completely different and unique. Some even use collars and sleeves from other shirts. Some people just like the look of the unfinished ends and cut the finished hems. Other people simply make holes in their T-shirt or cut it strategically for the sake of style, without adding any new pieces to it. This deconstruction and reconstruction of clothes is very popular, especially with teenagers and certain other groups.

For anyone who is into any type of reconstruction or deconstruction of T-shirts, it is important to know about fraying and how it will impact the changes you have made to your tee. T-shirts are made of cotton that typically will fray just a little. It does not unravel, but does need extra care because not only will fraying occur if you cut your T-shirt, but the ends may curl also. By sewing or gluing another replacement piece of material to the cut end, it will solve this problem.

In addition there are a variety of different products, usually referred to as liquid seam sealants, on the market which are made to stop fraying, like Fray Check. By applying this type of liquid to the cut end of the T-shirt or any other type of material, you will be able to make sure that ends do not fray once the cuts have been made. Another way to prevent fraying is to sew a row of stitches just above the area you cut. This will halt fraying at that point. Remember that during the washing and drying process, T-shirts get the roughest handling. Therefore you need to remember to wash a deconstructed or reconstructed T-shirt on the gentle cycle of your washer and hang it to dry.

If you cut your T-shirt and it starts to fray or look bad, the best way to solve your problem is to invest in some more T-shirts. By getting tees from a company that specializes in custom-made T-shirts, you will be able to choose the color, style, weight, design and quality that you want. You can even have a shirt made to replace the frayed ones that are no longer wearable. Custom-made tees can recreate any T-shirt design that you want.

For those who love the frayed look, you can even get a custom-made T-shirt made just for that. You can have a T-shirt printed with lines like these:
–    I love the frayed look
–    For the frayed look, cut here (arrows pointing in different directions)
–    Frayed T-shirts are hot
–    I heart deconstructed tees
–    Reconstructed T-shirts rock
–    Happiness is a frayed T-shirt
–    Frayed on purpose
–    This is a deconstructed T-shirt
–    Yes, I like this look

Get your custom-made T-shirt today, grab your scissors and some liquid seam sealant and customize your very own look.

How to Remove Blood Out of a White T-Shirt?

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Blood is one of the hardest stains to get out of clothing. Because of its deep red color and its relative thickness, a blood stain is harder to get out than most simple food stains. Blood will ruin a white t-shirt, even if the blood stain is small. For that reason, saving the t-shirt means getting rid of the stain.

To get rid of a stain quickly and without damaging the t-shirt, the blood stain has to be treated immediately. Once blood has touched the t-shirt, every second counts if you want the blood to come out completely. If it’s at all possible, take the t-shirt off immediately. If you can’t take the t-shirt off, you can hold the stained portion away from the rest of the t-shirt so that the stain will not spread.

Run cold water through the shirt at the point of the blood stain. This is far easier if the t-shirt has been removed. If it hasn’t, hold the stained area under the tap as best you can. Continue running the water through the fabric for a minute or two. If the blood has been on the fabric for a few minutes, you will have to run the cold water through the fabric for several minutes. Rub the fabric together under the running water to help the blood dissipate if it seems to be lingering on the shirt.

If the stain is fresh, this should get most if not all of the blood out of a white t-shirt. If there is still a light residue left over, fill a sink or a tub full of cold water and let the t-shirt soak in the water for at least an hour. Then, drain the water and run the t-shirt through fresh, cold water for another minute. This should loosen the remaining blood from the shirt.

If the stain is older, it can still be removed from the t-shirt, though it may take more time. If the blood is dried or the t-shirt has already been washed, the stain will not respond well to cold water. The blood stain will probably need to be bleached out of the fabric. This must be done very carefully, however, because bleach will drain the color out of any clothes it comes into contact with- including what you’re wearing. It can also damage clothing and cause holes in the fabric if too much of it is used.

Pour a small amount of bleach into the cap from the bleach bottle. Then, dip a cotton swab into the bleach and apply it to the blood stain. If the stain is very large, place the t-shirt flat on a hard surface and pour the bleach from the cap onto the stain. Let the bleach sit for at least 10 minutes to break up the color. When this is finished, put the t-shirt directly into the washer by itself or with other white items and wash the bleach from the fabric. This will result in the least damage to the shirt.

T-shirt highlighter

How To Get Highlighter Out Of A T-Shirt

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T-shirt highlighter

Removing stains from any item of clothing is typically a tough task, with certain stains more difficult than others to remove. One of the first things to remember when dealing with any stain is that speed is of the utmost importance. The quicker you can treat a stain, the more success you will have in removing it. In addition, you must make sure that the stain is completely removed before you put the T-shirt or the item of clothing in the dryer. The heat from the dryer will set the stain permanently, making it practically impossible to remove.

If you happen to get a highlighter stain on your T-shirt, the first thing to do is touch it lightly with paper towels to soak up any extra highlighter ink that has not soaked into the tee, if the stain is really fresh. Then you will have a variety of options to choose from in terms of how to treat the stain. The most common solution is to apply a commercially made pre-treatment to the stain and let it sit for 15 minutes before laundering.

For many highlighter stains you may even be able to remove them by simply washing them in cold water with laundry detergent as you normally would. This water-based ink is typically very easy to remove. However, every once in a while you come across a tough highlighter stain that needs a little extra something. In such cases, you can use rubbing alcohol. You need to do so with caution though, so remember to test an inconspicuous area first. Then use minimal amounts as it is rather strong. Another great stain remover for any type of ink is hair spray. Place a cloth or paper towel under the stain, spray hair spray on it and blot with another towel until the stain is completely gone.

If by some chance you can’t get highlighter stains out of your T-shirt, you can simply designate it as your official study T-shirt. Then you will need to replace the T-shirt you have ruined. However, it seems like the shirts we get permanently stained are always favorites that are practically impossible to find again. Luckily, by having a T-shirt custom-made you can recreate your favorite tee, only better. You not only get to choose the design, but you can choose the color, style, weight and quality of the T-shirt. You can even get one that is made from organic cotton if you are concerned with the environment.

Another fun type of T-shirt to have made is one that is okay to get highlighter stains on. To create such a shirt, have a custom T-shirt printed with a line like one of these:
–    Official Highlighting Team
–    Official studying shirt
–    I highlight, therefore I study
–    Highlighting stains are the sign of a genius at work
–    Student at work, watch out for highlighter stains
–    Highlighters are a student’s best tool

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

Hangers

Do Hangers Stretch Your T-Shirt?

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Hangers

Knowing whether or not hangers stretch your T-shirt is an important piece of information to know. It can change the way you store your clothing. It can also help you to get more use from clothes you already have. Knowing why certain clothing storage methods are advisable or not is useful to practically everyone.

How to properly store T-shirts so that they remain in the best possible shape with the fewest wrinkles is something many people want to know. Most people tend to belong to one camp or the other, in regards to storage. They either swear by folding T-shirts and laying them flat or they swear that hanging T-shirt is the only way to have them looking great when you want to wear them. One thing often heard, especially from those who fold their tees is that hangers will stretch your T-shirts. This is partially true and partially false.

T-shirt cotton is slightly stretchy, but not too much so. Therefore the length of time you hang the T-shirts will make a huge impact on whether or not the tee stretches. For T-shirts that you wear often, hangers will definitely not stretch them. They will be hung for relatively short periods of time, therefore they will not have time to stretch. For T-shirts you wear infrequently or ones which are seasonal, you may want to store them flat during their off-season. Hanging for long periods of time will cause slight stretching, shoulder dents from hangers and even a tell-tale collection of dust on the shoulders following the outline of the hanger.

Another thing to keep in mind when hanging T-shirts is to refrain from hanging wet T-shirts. The additional weight of the water in the material will encourage stretching. T-shirts should be dried in the dryer and then hung if that is your chosen method of storing your tees. If you happen to choose to hang your T-shirts to dry, be sure the water is spun out well, so there is no excess weight in the material to cause stretching. You can also hang your clothes to dry, until they are just a little damp. Then put them in the dryer to finish drying them and so that they keeps their shape.

You may also want to consider changing the type of hanger that you use. A padded hanger will work best to keep from stretching your shirt. A wire hanger will do the most damage. Plastic and wooden hangers are somewhere in between, but look for wide ones.

If you have left some of your favorite T-shirts hanging around for too long and they have stretched to a point where washing and drying won’t fix them, it is time for a new shirt. You can have a favorite T-shirt perfectly recreated by having it custom-made. You get to choose the color, style, weight, quality and design, so your favorite tee is back and looking better than ever. When your new T-shirts arrive, make sure you use these common sense T-shirt storage tips to make sure you don’t suffer the same result again.

Get your custom-made T-shirt today for the most efficient way to deal with T-shirts that have been stretched out by hangers.

Why Are Some T-Shirt Made From Scratchy Cotton? Can I Make It Less Scratchy?

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T-shirts are meant to be comfy. In fact, T-shirts should be like a second skin, you should not even notice that you are wearing something. T-shirts should be soft and comfortable enough to sleep in, relax in and much more. There are enough uncomfortable clothes and other unpleasant things in the world as it is. Every once and a while, we unfortunately come across a T-shirt made from scratchy cotton. This shirt is always the one with our favorite design or saying on it. We often want to wear this particular shirt more than any other, if only it were just more comfortable!

T-shirts that are made from scratchy cotton tend to be the cheaper, lower quality ones. They are not the combed cotton which has all the scratchy components of the cotton fiber combed out to ensure a soft, pleasant, final cotton product. Thread count also is responsible for some scratchy T-shirts out there on the market. If the thread count is low, it typically means that the yarns used in making it are not the fine ones required for soft material. Thread count is actually the number of threads per square inch of fabric. Soft fabrics should have at least a 180-thread count.

There is not a lot you can really do to make a scratchy T-shirt less scratchy, as this sensation comes as a result of the manufacturing process used in making the material for the shirt. However, there are a few things you can do to make it more tolerable. Using a liquid fabric softener while washing your T-shirts is a great idea. It will make the fabric softer and more touchable. Another solution may be to put another softer T-shirt below the scratchy one you want to wear to avoid having it touch your body. Another solution is time. Often with use and repeated washing and drying, you will find that your formerly scratchy T-shirt has become soft and cozy. The washer and dryer have an unbeatable way of breaking down fibers and making them soft and fuzzy with time. The only problem with waiting out the break down of your shirt, is that often the shirt is also looking scruffy by the time it becomes soft enough to enjoy.

The most comprehensive solution to your problem of uncomfortable, scratchy T-shirts is to buy new ones of a better quality. You can opt for a custom-made tee in your choice of color, style, size and quality. You can spoil yourself with the luxury of a high-quality T-shirt and even replace the scratchy one you have by completely replicating the old shirt with the fun and ease of customization. You can put a picture of someone you love on a tee, you can brag of someone or something you are proud of. You can list accomplishments, tell about your passions or speak about your beliefs. You can even recreate a favorite shirt that you no longer wear for whatever reason. A custom-made T-shirt is the solution to your scratchy T-shirt problem.

Get your super soft, high quality custom-made T-shirt just for you and make sure you have the perfect tee for you everyday!

Why Does My T-Shirt Have Discoloration?

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Don’t you just hate it when you go out and get the absolutely perfect T-shirt and after the first time you wash it, you pull it out to wear it again and you are struck by the discoloration of your new T-shirt! It just isn’t right. T-shirts are not meant to be something that you wear just one time. They should endure numerous wearings and still look good. So what is behind those mysterious discolorations? Surprisingly, it could be any of a number of things.

T-shirt discoloration can easily result from spills and stains that occurred while you were wearing the T-shirt. Unfortunately stains can set in and become hard to remove if you do not treat them promptly. Sometimes we don’t even see the stain until it has gone through the wash and dry cycle. That dry cycle is hard on stains as the heat tends to set them and make them very hard to get rid of. The trick to avoiding discoloration of your favorite T-shirt is to check it carefully for stains before laundering, so they can be treated properly. If you notice a stain on your T- shirt, treat it immediately in order to avoid it becoming permanent. Before putting it in the dryer, make sure the stain is completely gone. If not, treat it again and re-wash it.

T-shirt discoloration may also be a result of bad dyes used in the dying process of the yarn or a sub-standard technique used while coloring the textile. Major fading often occurs on very cheap products. If they have not been dyed properly using quality products, you run the risk of the color bleeding, running or fading fast. It will only get worse with every wash. Adding table salt to your very first wash of a new item of clothing will help to set the dye in it. This will reduce color fading and help you keep your clothes looking newer and more vivid longer.

If you have a T-shirt that suffers from discoloration, it may be time to invest in a new one. If you want to make sure that you never have to contend with such issues again, the key is to make sure you purchase quality T-shirts. By buying only custom-made T-shirts, you will ensure top quality products that do as you expect them to. You can also choose the absolute perfect color and style to coordinate with the other clothes in your closet. You can even personalize the T-shirt in any way you’d like. Some of the great things people do with customized T-shirts include:
•    state their beliefs
•    show their support of a particular cause
•    brag about someone or something they are proud of
•    flaunt their hobbies
•    show they belong to a group
•    make a joke about their profession or spouse
•    tell about accomplishments
•    commemorate special events and much more.

Get your high-quality custom-made T-shirt today and never worry about discoloration from poor dye jobs again.

How to Avoid Stretching Your T-Shirt

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How do you find that perfect fit? You know a t-shirt that flatters your body in all the right places and just makes you more confident when you’re wearing it. Finding the perfect fit can be difficult and may take many hours of trying on one t-shirt after another until, by what you may believe is a miracle, you find it! Now that you’ve found your perfect fitting shirt, you have a new problem, how to keep it fitting just like the day you bought it. We’ve all had the experience of buying a clothing item that fits perfectly the first time you wear it. But after you wash it once, it’s never the same again. So what are you to do? How do you avoid stretching your perfect fitting t-shirt?

Proper clothing care is the first step in preventing stretching and hopefully preserving your perfect fit. As much as you may want to avoid it, you do eventually have to wash your perfect fitting t-shirt. When you take the plunge, wash it in cool water in your washing machine. Then either hang it to dry or tumble dry it on low in your dryer. So you can avoid hauling out the iron and ironing board, you may want use the dryer. However, make sure that you frequently check your shirt during the drying process. If you’re not careful, the evil twin of stretching, which is shrinking, may occur. Using these steps is the best offense for keeping your t-shirt from stretching by maintaining, as closely as possible, the clothing fibers in the same position as when you bought the t-shirt.

A perfect fitting t-shirt is one that hugs your body. For women, this style helps show off the curves of her silhouette. For men, it clings ever so slightly in the chest and arms to show off all the work he’s done at the gym on his pecs and biceps. Your t-shirt does just that and is perfect for you. When friends and family see how good your t-shirt looks on you, they may ask to borrow it or even just try it on. Beware! If you want to avoid stretching, you need to refrain from being your usual kind self. This shirt is a one of a kind work of art just for your body. All those hours spent shopping could be undone by a few extra pounds or the slightly different body shape of your friend or family member. If they suggest your t-shirt it can be shrunk if it is stretched out, don’t become weak and give into their request. Going down that road can open you up to a repeating cycle of shrinking and stretching as you try to get those clothing fibers back to that perfect position.

Finally, it is also important to carefully consider any layering you do with your t-shirt. Depending upon how closely the shirt hugs your body, even another thin t-shirt underneath could stretch it.

Although with a little care and extra work, you can keep your t-shirt from stretching, it is smart to always be on the lookout for another perfect fitting t-shirt. Owning a few of them can keep you from freaking out should stretching accidently happen just before an important date.

Top 3 Methods for Getting Stains Out Of Your T-Shirt

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Isn’t it the most frustrating thing ever when you are wearing a perfectly clean, nice T-shirt and all of a sudden you look down and there is a stain? What’s worse is if you missed a stain and it’s gone through the washer and dryer and emerged with a stain that simply can’t be missed and is now set-in. Knowing how to fight a variety of T-shirt stains with success will save you money and frustration. Below are the top 3 methods for getting stains out of your T-shirt.

The Dish Detergent Method

This is the best way to get out those pesky greasy stains that show up especially well on colors. They are often the result of cooking splatters or getting a drop of something on your tee. After the wash, it looks like it’s gone, but once the shirt is dry the grease has remained, as large as life. The solution is in using regular liquid dishwashing detergent that you would use for washing dishes by hand. Choose a brand that brags about its grease-fighting formula. Squirt it directly on the stain and let it soak it. You can even give it a little scrub with a soft toothbrush for more stubborn stains. Then wash the T-shirt again in the hottest water that is safe for it, and presto the grease stain will be gone.

The Bleach for Unbleachables Method

So often we can’t use regular bleach on annoying stains, because of the color of the T-shirt, the washing instructions or for fear of damaging a print or design. The trick to getting rid of stubborn stains is to soak the item overnight in bleach for unbleachables. This product is designed to deal with stains without damaging colors and fabric, and given the right amount of time, it will do so.

The Laundry Booster Method

There are a variety of things you can add to your laundry detergent to aid in getting stains out. Some things are commercially sold as such, like the oxygen-based cleansers, while others may be intended for different use. Products that remove iron from water are great laundry boosters for yellow stains. Another great tip is to add borax to your laundry to help remove pesky stains from T-shirts. This natural product is great at helping laundry detergents do their job better. Remember that it is very toxic to people and animals and should be treated as such.

If you have tried these top 3 methods for removing stains from T-shirts and nothing has worked, I highly recommend the I give up method. You simply decide to use your stained T-shirt for messy jobs around the house or some other purpose and get a new one. You can recreate any favorite T-shirt by ordering a custom-made one to replace the one that you have given up on.

Order your custom-made T-shirt today for the perfect solution to stubborn stains that just won’t come out.

How Can I Remove Grass Stains From My T-Shirt

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Removing stains from T-shirts or any item of clothing can be challenging. Pesky stains can easily ruin your favorite clothing and unfortunately they happen so easily. Often times you are enjoying yourself or even just doing day to day things and look down to see a stain on your shirt. Luckily with a little work and some knowledge on your side, you can get just about any stain out of your T-shirts, even grass stains.

The particular challenge involved with getting grass stains out of any clothing is that typically these types of stains are ground in. It’s actually pretty hard to find grass stains that are not ground in. So no matter which pre-treatment you choose to use on your grass stain, be sure to work it in gently by rubbing it a little with a cloth or a soft toothbrush, so you get the entire stain.

Since grass is a protein-based stain, you will need to treat it with an enzyme-based pre-treatment and laundry detergent. Rub the pre-treatment into the stain and let it sit, so it can start to work. Once you put the tee in the washer with the detergent, let it agitate for a minute or so and then turn off the washer and let the T-shirt soak in the soapy water for a little while. When the shirt is finished washing, check carefully to make sure the stain is gone before putting it in the dryer, because the heat from it will set the stain.

If after this initial treatment you still have a grass stain on your T-shirt, there are other things you can do. By applying rubbing alcohol to the grass stain with a sponge, you should be able to lift much of the remaining stain out and then re-launder as usual. You can also use chlorine bleach or color-safe bleach on the stain to get it out, depending on the care instructions for your T-shirt. Remember the key to successfully removing grass stains or any stain is to get to them as soon as possible.

If you still have a grass stain after all this hard work, you might just want to throw in the towel and use your stained T-shirt for puttering around in the garden. If it’s one of those shirts you just love, you can have it recreated by ordered a custom-made T-shirt. By doing so, you can choose the color, style, design and text that you want for the absolute perfect tee. If you have frequent grass stain problems, you might even want to have a grass stain T-shirt made so you don’t have to worry about getting such stains out.  You can have a fun line of text like one of the ones below added to a T-shirt to create such a useful shirt.

•    Official grass stain shirt
•    I got these stains playing soccer
•    Don’t ask about the grass stains on my shirt
•    I don’t do stain treatments
•    Grass stains are cool

Get your custom-made grass stain T-shirt or replacement T-shirt now.

How Do You Remove Sunblock From A T-Shirt

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Sunblock stains on T-shirts are common summertime laundry problems and they can be difficult to deal with. Often sunblock stains do not even show up right away, but may turn up as yellow or orange stains with time. If you are on top of sunblock stains, watch for them and know what to do about them, you can keep your favorite T-shirts looking great.

The best way to prevent stains is to carefully wash T-shirts in an enzyme-based detergent if they have been in contact with sunblock. Be sure to check the tee before putting it in the dryer, as heat will aid in setting the stain, making it even harder to get rid of. If you find that a T-shirt has made it through the washer and has a sunblock stain on it, you need to pre-treat it, let is soak and then rewash it.

Since sunblock is an oil-based product and is often waterproof, care must be taken in removing such stains from a T-shirt or your shirt may be permanently stained. Treat your T-shirt as you would for any item of clothing that came into contact with a greasy mess. You can use dish detergent that has grease-fighting properties as a pre-treatment. You can also apply a protein-based stain treatment that is good at dealing with oily stains. If the laundry detergent you use is protein-based, you can also pre-treat with it. After applying the pre-treatment, let it sit for at least a half hour, although overnight is best. Rub it in gently to make sure it gets into the fibers of the clothes. Then wash the T-shirt in the hottest water that is safe for it.

If you do get to the point of seeing those unsightly yellowish stains appear on your T-shirt, there is still hope. Bleach and vinegar are often helpful with small or light colored stains. For bigger or darker ones, there are bathroom cleaners on the market that advertise that they remove rust and hard water stains. You may use those in your laundry to remove those impossible sunblock stains that nothing else will work for. Just be sure to not mix those cleaners with other detergents or bleach. Wash once with the bathroom cleaners and then a second time with laundry detergent for the clean scent and soft feel.

A great solution to sunblock stains is to opt for T-shirts that are darker in color and will not show the discoloration from such stains. You can also try to prevent the stains by putting on your T-shirt only after your sunblock has dried. You can also try having a little fun with the idea of sunblock stains and having a T-shirt custom-printed with something like:
•    Official Sunblock Stain T-shirt
•    Yes, I wear sunblock. See the stains!
•    My sunblock did this (arrows pointing to collar and sleeves)

If your favorite T-shirt gets ruined by sunblock, don’t despair. Thanks to custom-made T-shirts, you can now recreate your favorite T-shirt exactly. In fact, you can even get a couple of them in case it happens again.

Get your custom-made sunblock T-shirt today and enjoy the sun safely.

The Fastest Way to Dry a Shirt Without Using a Dryer

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People use dryers because they are so fast and convenient. While drying clothes used to take up a lot of time for people before dryers were commonly available, today it takes one to two hours for a load to become dry in a clothes dryer. However, there are a number of times when people don’t wish to use a dryer. For some fabrics, it isn’t an option because of the risk of damaging the item of clothing. For t-shirts, there are many times when you need one dried as quickly as possible and you don’t have a drier available. That’s when you have to try and recreate some of what makes the drier work- heat and the movement of air.

There are a number of ways to dry clothes without using a dryer, though none will be as fast as using one. Perhaps the fastest way to dry a shirt without a dryer is to hang up the t-shirt and to allow it to be blown by a fan. Something that is blowing air across the shirt will dry it far faster than simply hanging the t-shirt up to dry and letting it drip dry on its own. Some people lay their shirt on a radiator, but the heat alone won’t dry it quickly. If you can point a fan at the radiator, the t-shirt will get both the air and the heat it needs to dry quickly.

The movement of air can be utilized in other ways as well if a fan is not available. An air register can be used in place of a fan, or the shirt may even be hung on a ceiling fan. Many people use outdoor wind power to dry their clothes. If you have a clothes line or a place to hang an item of clothing outdoors, this will be the fastest way to dry the clothing if it is a sunny day with a breeze. If the day is overcast or it is late in the evening, it will take considerably longer to dry the shirt with this method.

Even without a windy day, direct sunlight will be a quick way to dry the clothing. The sun will dry a shirt almost as quickly as a fan or an air register. If you are still wearing the shirt and it would be difficult to take it off to dry it, try keeping it on and staying out in the sunlight. If you remain in direct sunlight, you will be able to dry the shirt much more quickly than if you laid the shirt flat to dry or hung it up to drip dry. Many people find sun-drying to be the easiest quick method, even if it isn’t quite as fast as using a fan.

If you have a fan outdoors, you can keep the shirt in the sunlight while allowing it to be blown by the fan. This gives the t-shirt the best of all the fast-drying methods- sunlight, heat and moving air.

What Causes T-Shirts to Shrink?

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T-shirts are generally made from cotton because of its many positive qualities. Cotton is inexpensive, it is a natural fiber that breathes well and allows moisture to escape instead of stay on the skin. It is also incredibly soft to the touch. Many consider it to be the most comfortable fabric in the world. The use of cotton in t-shirts, however, means that they will shrink slightly if there is a high percentage of cotton in the shirt.

Cotton shrinks when it is exposed to heat for any length of time. The way that many people wash their clothes will usually expose the clothing to a great deal of heat. The clothes are often washed in warm or hot water, exposing t-shirts and other items to hot water for a prolonged period of time. When washing t-shirts, they can be kept from shrinking during the washing stage by washing them in cold water instead.

The second part of the laundry cycle, drying the clothes, is another source of heat exposure. The heat from dryer cycles is what causes a great deal of cotton shrinkage. This happens because the heat of a dryer is intense and prolonged. A complete dryer cycle may take an hour or longer, exposing the t-shirt and other items to a very long period of heat. This can be avoided if needed by using a different dryer cycle. Most dryers have a tumble dry cycle that dries clothes without heat. The tumble dry setting does just what the name implies- it tumbles the clothes over and over again, keeping them moving through the air in the dryer. This dries the clothes without the use of heat, though it may take longer for the clothing to become thoroughly dry.

There are other occasions when a t-shirt can become hot while not being washed or dried. There are many people who wear a t-shirt swimming or doing other outdoor activities that cause the shirt to become wet. This can include washing the car, watering plants, etc. Staying outdoors to warm yourself in the sun is a quick way to dry off, but it can also cause the t-shirt to heat up, causing it to shrink. To avoid this type of shrinkage, go indoors when you want to dry the shirt. It can be taken off and placed on a flat surface to dry. This will keep it cool and avoid any heat that will shrink it.

Line drying clothes is a good way to cut down on electricity and to give clothes a fresh, natural smell. However, line drying clothes on a hot day can also cause cotton clothing to shrink. The heat from the sun will act on the water in the shirt, heating it up and causing the natural shrinking of cotton. To avoid this reaction, laundry can be dried indoors in a bathroom. Simply hang the clothing over a shower curtain rod or lay the items flat in a bathtub. Or, wait for cool, overcast days to line-dry the shirt.

Why is My T-Shirt Neck Yellow?

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For some people and on some occasions, white t-shirts do have a tendency to turn white around the collar. Generally, colored t-shirts may experience some discoloration at the collar, but it may not be a noticeable yellowing as with white t-shirts. Because white t-shirts are white, they will much more noticeably the same effects of wear that are occurring on darker colored clothing.

The combination of sweat and body oil often leads to a discoloration of t-shirts that is hard to get rid of. These stains can appear under arms as well as on the collar. The collar, however, sometimes gets oil from both the skin and from the hair. It is also an area that is prone to sweat from the neck as well as the head, leaving it more likely to be stained than any other part of the shirt. This yellowing may start out slowly, but after many wears, the yellowing will get worse.

The yellowing most often occurs with t-shirts that are worn in hot weather or during physical exercise. The extra sweat during these times laves the t-shirt far more yellowed at the collar than one that is worn in cool weather or when a person is not sweating. In someone without oily skin, a t-shirt that is worn when the wearer is not sweating may not yellow at all.

If the collar yellowing becomes a problem, there are a few ways to tackle it. The t-shirt can be washed with a number of things that should help to break up the oils and take away some of the damage that has been done. The shirt can be washed with some dishwashing soap to get rid of some of the oil. This should be done in a sink, however, and never in a washing machine. The dishwashing liquid can be rubbed around the collar and then washed out with cold water by hand.

Another remedy for a yellow collar is to use baby shampoo on the collar. Baby shampoo is gentle enough not to cause any damage to the fabric, but it is made to break down oils. A stronger shampoo can be used if the baby shampoo is not effective.

Bleach can do some good against yellow stains as well. Bleach, however, can damage fabrics if too much of it is used. It can be used in small quantities around the collar or use a bleach pen to add drops of bleach exactly where you want them. Then, wash the t-shirt in hot water.

Using a stain spray before washing the t-shirt may help to lighten the stain. The sprays are often color-safe bleach that is stronger than standard washing detergent and can be used for spot treatments. There are also pre-treating pens that work much like the sprays. After using one of these treatments, let the t-shirt sit for at least 10 minutes to absorb the pre-treatment, then wash the t-shirt in hot water. This should lift some of the stain, particularly if the yellowing is new.

How To Get Toothpaste Off My T-Shirt

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There are many horrible stains that can be very pesky to deal with on your favorite T-shirt. Luckily, toothpaste is not one of them. It is in fact one of the easier stains to remove. Generally, you can just throw the shirt into the washing machine and it will come out clean. The key is, as with all stains, to not let it set in, especially if it is a colored gel or whitening toothpaste.

In fact regular white toothpaste, not the gel kind, is recommended to use as a stain remover for certain kinds of oily makeup stains, fresh marker stains, crayon stains and more. In fact plain, cheap toothpaste is a multi-purpose stain remover for white T-shirts with stains of all kinds. If you are wearing a white T-shirt and happen to get a colored stain on it, many tipsters recommend covering up the stain with plain white toothpaste to help you get through the day if you can’t deal with the stain right away. In addition to T-shirts, toothpaste is also suggested for cleaning carpet, shoes and more.

However, if you happen to get a glob of toothpaste on your T-shirt, it is in your best interest to scrape off the excess immediately and soak the T-shirt. This is especially true for dark T-shirts which have received a whitening toothpaste glob. Whitening toothpaste contains bleach and therefore can leave bleach marks on dark shirts, ruining the shirt irreparably. For this reason, getting to the stain as soon as possible is very important.

If you are getting ready for work and happen to get toothpaste splatters on your dark-colored T-shirt as you are brushing your teeth, you can attempt to get them out with a wet cloth. This sometimes works if the splatter is still wet. However, toothpaste really does need to be washed out with lots of soap and water typically. Therefore, your best bet, especially if you are crunched for time is to throw the T-shirt in soak and get another one.

If you are unlucky enough to not catch those whitening toothpaste stains in time and you end up with a spotty shirt, you can always choose to dye it or put it in the stock of clothes you use around the house when cleaning. Bleach of any kind is the worst thing that can meet your clothes.

Custom-made T-shirts are great for those sloppy tooth brushers. You can get a T-shirt made that pokes fun at your clumsiness or that talks about the benefits of toothpaste stain removal. Some fun options to print on a T-shirt include:
•    Official Tooth Brushing Shirt
•    Step 1: Clean Teeth, Step 2: Remove T-shirt with toothpaste splatters
•    I hate toothpaste splatters
•    Toothpaste stains suck
•    New markers for 2 year old – $3, White toothpaste to remove marker stains from sofa and carpet – $2, Saving 2 year old’s derriere – Priceless

Get a fun custom-made T-shirt and show off your feelings about toothpaste and stains today.

How to Prevent the Neck of Your T-Shirt from Stretching

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There are many t-shirts that end up looking a little loose around the collar. When the neck of a t-shirt gets stretched out too far, it can make it a little less comfortable. It also makes it look wrinkled and a little worn out. There are several things that people do to stretch out the collar of their t-shirts. By avoiding those pitfalls, you can avoid the over-stretched collar look.

One of the ways that t-shirt necks get stretched is by changing the shape of the shirt. This can happen when the shirt is wet. One of the most important ways to avoid stretching out the neck is to never put on a t-shirt while it is wet. Even if the shirt is only damp, putting it on will stretch the neck a little. Dry a t-shirt until there is no moisture left in it before putting it on.

Unfortunately, there is the possibility of a t-shirt getting wet while it is being worn. If something is spilled around the neck area, or if sweat or rain causes the shirt to become wet, allow the shirt to dry out before taking it off. You can stand in front of a fan to make this go quicker, or you might sit in the sun.

When a t-shirt is wet, also avoid hanging it on a hanger. This can make the neck of the shirt stretch in both directions as the weight of the water in the shirt stretches it downward on the hanger. If you want to hang it up to dry, fold the t-shirt over the bottom of the hanger. Or, simply lay the shirt flat to dry instead of hanging it up. This will actually keep the shirt’s shape all over- not just at the neck.

To further protect a t-shirt from being stretched at the neck, avoid using hangers. Stretching the neck of a dry t-shirt over a hanger may not change the shape of it right away, but after it has been hung up many times, the neck will be stretched to some degree. T-shirts can be folded and put into a drawer for the best results. This will keep the neck area flat and keep it from being tugged down by gravity. Some people worry about their folded shirts developing wrinkles. But, cotton is a very soft fabric. This makes t-shirts are unlikely to wrinkle, even if they are folded. If a t-shirt does develop a wrinkle or two, simply put it into the dryer for a minute or two to smooth them out.

Another way to keep the shape of the neck is to be careful when putting it on. Some people get into the habit of stretching a shirt with their hands before they put it on. Others let the shirt linger too long on the head while it is being put on. Both of these habits may be unconscious, so being aware of the way the shirt is being put on is the key.