Football Jerseys have become a must-have amongst players and devoted fans. Like other clothing, you must take good care of your soccer shirts. They’ll need washing after a sweaty 90+ minutes of playing and spectating. But then, how do you wash your jerseys?
At FastCustomJerseys, we’ve compiled the best football jersey care instructions to keep your favorite strips in perfect shape. Aside from explaining how to wash without peeling the logos, names, and numbers, you’ll also learn how to dry, fold, and store them.
What Are Football Jerseys Made Of?
Before showing you how to wash custom football jerseys, it is essential to know the different types of materials these kits are made of. Here are some of the popular fabric compositions:
Polyester
Polyester is a synthetic fiber formed from recycled plastic bottles. It’s one of the most popular jersey materials because it’s lightweight, moisture-wicking, breathable, and durable. These attributes make polyester the best for sportswear.
Polyester’s lightweight enhances free movement, and the sweat is drawn to the fibric surface to dry through the moisture-wicking component. Furthermore, players have more ventilation due to their breathable nature. All these contribute to the convenience and performance of athletes.
They’re best washed in cold water, with mild detergents. Avoid ironing polyester jerseys.
Synthetic Nylon
Synthetic nylon is another common material that suits the demand for extra durability and support. They might not be as popular as polyester, but they bring stretchiness, form, and strength to sportswear. It’s, however, not breathable but combines well with polyester to make a superb kit. They’re also best washed in cold water, air-dry, and without fabric softeners.
Spandex
Spandex is also called elastane, and it’s simply an elastic synthetic fiber that can stretch up to 6 times its original size. Jerseys made with this material easily return to their initial form with no changes. They allow free and comfortable movements for players and are suitable for intense exercises.
However, they are not breathable, and their moisture-wicking property is poor. They’re best used when combined with polyester or other breathable materials. You can machine-wash spandex jerseys with mild detergents before air drying them. Avoid twisting and wringing.
Polyurethane
Polyurethane is another material used in making soccer kits as well as balls. It is a 100% water-resistant polymer, ideal for imprinting logos, names, and numbers on strips. They’re usually heat-sealed onto the shirt. The best football jersey care here is hand washing gently and air drying the sportswear.
Are Football Jerseys Machine Washable?
Yes, most materials used in making jerseys allow machine washing. But you must ensure you read the care label to confirm this. Washing with cold water is mostly advisable, and you must avoid fabric softeners.
How to Machine Wash Football Jersey
Here is a quick guide to care for your jerseys with the aid of a washing machine. Follow the easy steps:
- Check the Care Label: Before washing, review the care labelon your sportswear. You’ll find crucial details about the fabric, including the washing instructions, here. Since different materials have different cleaning instructions, reading this will show you the best way to care for your jersey.
- Treat Stains Pre-wash: The next step in cleaning your soccer jersey is to remove food stains, blood, or any other tough stains. This must be done before using the machine. You can use stain removal to dampen the spot to make the process easier.
- Color Separation: Proceed by separating colors for washing to avoid bleeding from dark-colored items on light-colored ones. You’ll also need to set socks and shorts aside from the shirts since they are made of different materials and require different care. Furthermore, don’t mix your jersey with clothes with hooks and zippers to avoid pulling the fibers of the polyester.
- Flip the Jersey Inside Out: Make sure to turn your soccer sportswear inside out before placing it in your washing machine. This is important when you have logos, patches, stitches, and any embroidery on the strip. It will protect them from abrasion.
- Use Cold Water Machine Wash: To ensure clean football jerseyswithout the risk of fading, you must select a cold water machine wash. Also, set the washing to a delicate cycle. This will help prevent possible damage that heat may cause or shrinkage.
- Use Color-safe and Bleach-free Detergent: To maintain original colors, you’ll need to use only detergents that are bleach-free and colour-safe. This is more vital if your soccer uniform is made of polyester. Pay attention to the details of your preferred detergent before using it on your jersey.
- Hang and Dry: Once you remove your soccer shirt from the washing machine, spread it to dry. We often discourage using a tumble dryer because the heat can melt the badge, name, logo, or number on it. We also advise shielding the cloth from direct sunlight to prolong its lifespan.
How to Hand-Wash a Football Jersey
It’s safer to hand wash football jerseys, and we often encourage people to opt for this method of cleaning their soccer uniforms. The process is quite simple when you follow our guide. Let’s walk you through the steps below:
- Sort the clothes by color and separate the jerseys from shorts, socks, and other garments.
- Go through the care label.
- Flip the soccer uniforms inside out to protect the logos, names, numbers, etc.
- Soak them in a mixture of slightly warm water and detergent for 15 minutes.
- Wash the football strip gently. Pay more attention to arrears with stains and marks.
- Once you’re done washing, give the cloth a gentle squeeze and swirl to remove water.
- Remove the soap remnants by rinsing in clean water. Get rid of excess water by wringing it.
- Flip back to the right side and spread to air dry. Avoid direct sun.
How to Get Stains Out of a Football Jersey
Stains can be from dirt, grass, food, blood, or mud. To remove stains from football jerseys as easily as possible, start by reading the label on the cloth and detergent to know the best way to clean them. This will help patch tests to avoid ruining the soccer shirt. Proceed to get a stain removal that works well with the materials. You can test a small part of the sportswear first before proceeding with the entire piece.
Get a pre-soak from your local store and soak the cloth for 30 minutes. The stains must have loosened up after minutes of soaking. Hand wash it, paying some attention to the stained area.
Alternatively, you can add white vinegar to your water and add detergent. The white vinegar will remove the stains while the detergent removes the vinegar smell. You now have your brand new shirt back. In all, ensure you buy the best quality soccer uniform, which enhances comfort and supports an easy washing process.
Can You Dry or Iron a Football Jersey?
To dry football jerseys, you must avoid the tumble dryer because the heat may spoil the material or the number, logo, or name on them. The best way is to air-dry it on a hanger. Don’t expose it to direct sunlight to prevent the colors from fading.
Moving on, you must not iron football jerseys because the heat can damage the cloth. For instance, a nylon soccer uniform will easily shrink under intense heat. The heat from the iron can also affect the logos, names, and other embroidery on the shirt. And if you must iron, turn the cloth inside out and iron with low heat.
How to Fold and Store a Football Jersey
For those who are familiar with folding a T-shirt, folding your soccer sportswear will be quite straightforward. Start by spreading the football shirt on a clean, flat surface, preferably a table. Straighten to remove wrinkles and creases.
Fold the sleeves towards the back and ensure they form a straight line right from one shoulder to the other. Bring the bottom hem to the collar, vertically folding the jersey in half. Fold the jersey horizontally again and tuck in any loose fabric.
You don’t need any special equipment for a facility to store football jerseys. You can put them in your cupboard, box, or bag. Just make sure the storage is clean, dry, and cool. Also, ensure the storage is breathable and ensure and minimize creasing and folding at all costs.
Conclusion
Your football jersey care is non-negotiable if you want your favorite soccer team uniform to last. Avoid the washing machine, and if you must use it, set it on a delicate cycle and use color-safe detergents. Always wash in cold water and avoid direct sun drying and ironing. If at all you must iron, ensure it’s on minimum heat.
However, the quality of your football jersey ensures easy washing and all-around care. That’s why buying from FastCustomJerseys is advisable. They sell quality jerseys at an affordable price. Aside from their sportswear being durable and easy to care for, this firm also helps in customizing the jersey. Contact them now to get your high-quality jersey of any team.
