Tips on How to Wash Your Sports Jersey Without Damaging It

Most sports jerseys are made of either polyester or another synthetic fabric, which can be easily cleaned and dried. However, it is the heat-pressed decals (numbers, display logos, or athlete’s name) on these shirts that need extra care while washing.

Here we'll show how to wash them properly, so they retain as much of their original color as possible while keeping away harmful stains! A good way to keep these garments looking fresh (without having an expensive dry cleaner bill at the end of every month) would be by washing them yourself, using this easy tutorial on how to wash your sports jersey without damaging it.

Tips to Properly Wash Your Sports Team Jerseys

1. Remove the stains by hand

Before putting the jersey into the washer, remove any hard stains on fabric and emblems/numbers. Sweat can be stubborn, but sweat-stain removal instructions are easy for most people. If your shirt has mustard or ketchup spots, it might require extra care when cleaning, because those ingredients could leave behind residue after washing (although they usually don’t). Here’s how you can get rid of them before putting your jersey into the washer:

• Dampen the stained area in cold water.
• Apply the prewash stain removing agent (you can use vinegar or soap or shampoo) on the stain.
• Rub it gently with a stain-removing sponge or a soft-bristled toothbrush, and squeeze out the excess moisture.
• Remove the stains as soon as you can before they become harder to get out.

2. Prepare them for washing

You’ll need to consider the color of your jerseys (in case you're washing all of them together), and other clothes that are getting washed with them.

• When washing your white jersey, be sure that you don't put it in with any other clothes, because colors from the other items may bleed. It is also important to wash black jerseys separately from all colored or white ones.
• Avoid washing your jerseys together with blue jeans as that may cause blue streaks to appear on your jerseys.
• To prevent damage to your jerseys, turn them inside out before washing.
• To make sure you don't break any buttons, unbutton the baseball jerseys and remove the laces from the hockey jerseys to avoid entanglement.

3. Clean your jersey in a washer

Cleaning your jersey requires a ‘delicate’ touch. Even with your washer, you have to be careful not to wash too hard and possibly ruin it.

• Use cold water for washing your jersey. Hot water may cause fading, shrinking, and damage to the emblems/numbers!
• When washing your jersey, use good quality bleach-less detergent powder. Liquid detergents will not dissolve as well and can ruin the fabric of a great jersey.
• Run your jersey on the delicate (or slower cycle) of your washing machine
• If your jersey is stinky, add vinegar to the washer to neutralize the odor. However, be sure to add the vinegar through the bleach dispenser, otherwise, your jersey will absorb the vinegar odor.

Tips to Properly Dry Your Jersey

Avoid improper methods to dry your jersey. They may cause damage and ruin the fabric, as well as warp or crack any emblems/numbers on it! Take the following steps to properly dry your jersey:

• After taking the jersey out of your washer, turn it right side out and shake. This will prevent emblems/numbers from sticking together when you put the jersey on!
• Tumble dry on low heat only; avoid using the dryer on medium or high heat, as those settings may cause letters and numbers to crack or melt together.
• Avoid ironing for the same reason.
• You can also simply avoid the dryer and lay flat to dry. You can cover it with thin fabric, to protect it from overheating and sun damage.

We hope that these tips on how to wash your sports jersey without damaging it will ensure that it continues to look the best possible, for as long as possible. The goal here is to make sure that you’re washing the jersey properly so that you avoid ruining the jersey by fading the color, permanently setting stains, or causing permanent rips or tears.