How to Remove Mold From Your T-Shirt

November 30, 2008 · Filed Under Clothing Care and Stain Removal · Comment 

Mold spores are always in the air, and they are always searching for ways to begin growing on any surface. When something is wet for a prolonged period of time, those spores start to infiltrate the item and will soon begin growing mold. Mold can be extremely dangerous for those with mold allergies, and it can plague the sinuses and noses of those who aren’t. It also leaves unsightly stains on t-shirts that can be difficult to remove. But, with a little work, many moldy t-shirts can be made free of mold and ready to wear.

There are a few easy-to-find, inexpensive substances that are extremely useful for getting rid of mold. One of these is vinegar. Specifically, white vinegar is a strong chemical for getting rid of many types of stains, but it will not stain your clothes. It is one of the best and most natural substances for killing mold and restoring a t-shirt.

White vinegar can be used in the washing machine to get rid of small amounts of mold. It can be poured directly into the wash along with the detergent, or it can be added on its own during the rinse cycle. It will also get rid of the smell that mold can leave behind on clothes even after the mold has been removed.

If there is a lot of mold on the t-shirt, getting rid of as much mold as possible before the t-shirt is washed can help the vinegar to be more effective. To do this, use a small scrub brush outdoors to brush away the mold. If this is done inside, it can adversely affect the health of those in the home by putting the mold into the air. Once the mold has been scrubbed away, you can leave the t-shirt lying in the sun. This will allow the heat of the sun to kill the spores that remain on the shirt.

Once this has been done, the t-shirt can be put into the washer and washed with vinegar. It may take more than one washing cycle to completely get rid of the remaining mold stain and the moldy smell. If any of the mold persists, you may have to choose a harsher substance to get rid of the mold.

Ordinary laundry bleach is another effective substance against mold, but only if the t-shirt is white. If the t-shirt is another color, it will likely be ruined by using bleach.. If the mold is heavy, it should be brushed away outdoors before using the bleach. To use it, just let the t-shirt soak in bleach for about 10 minutes. Then, rinse the t-shirt and let it dry outdoors in the sun. Once it has dried, add it to the laundry and wash it as usual. Use a little white vinegar in the wash if the mold smell remains on the shirt.

If the mold spot is small, try soaking just the moldy portion of the t-shirt in bleach before it’s washed. This will cause less damage to the t-shirt but will remove the offending mold from the fabric.

When Putting on a Shirt Should It Be the Neck or an Arm First? How to Put On a T-Shirt

November 29, 2008 · Filed Under Fashion Advice · Comment 

Putting on a t-shirt is something people learn how to do when they’re young, but it is something that a lot of people re-examine as they get older. The problem that many see is that when putting on a shirt, they don’t want to stretch out specific parts of it. After a t-shirt has been worn a number of times, it may get stretched out in any number of places.

One of the most common places for stretching to occur is at the neck. When the neck of a t-shirt gets stretched out, it can cause the t-shirt to wrinkle around the neck. It can also cause the collar from lying flat against the skin. This can make the collar gap around the neck and can keep the t-shirt from looking the way the wearer intended it to look. Instead, a gaping neck can begin to look sloppy as it continues to be stretched out over time.

To keep a t-shirt from getting stretched out at the collar, many people try to put their arms through the t-shirt first. After the arms are partially through, the head can be put through the collar. This keeps the t-shirt wearer from having to pull the neck of the t-shirt down to angle the shirt for the arms.

If the head is put through first every time the t-shirt is worn, the neck may eventually get stretched out, but it is also possible to stretch out the arms of the t-shirt over time. If the neck of a t-shirt doesn’t seem to be stretching and the arms do, it might be time to reverse the way the t-shirt is being put on and start with the head first instead of the arms. This will keep the arms from stretching out when the t-shirt is being put on and it will put the stress instead on the neck hole.

It is possible to put on a t-shirt by putting both the arms and the head through the t-shirt at the same time. This will minimize any stretching on any one part of the t-shirt. To do this, put the t-shirt above your head and stretch your arms out into the inside. Then, put your hands through the arm holes. Let the t-shirt fall down over your head and move your arms to allow the t-shirt to slip downward.

For some people, getting the neck stretched out on the shirt is a necessary way to make the shirt more comfortable. If that’s the case, always put in the t-shirt head first. You will have to tug on the t-shirt to allow your head to get through first, and this will enlarge the neck over time. If you’re more comfortable putting on the t-shirt with your arms first, try stretching out the collar before you put on the shirt. If you get into this habit, you will be able to put on the shirt any way you like and still stretch the neck every time you put it on.

Top Gift of 2008 is a Custom T-Shirt for Christmas

November 28, 2008 · Filed Under Custom T-Shirt Ideas · Comment 

Decorated trees, frosted cookies, warm cider, joyful music, and the stress associated with finding the perfect gift are all a part of the holidays. This year, eliminate the stress and bring on the fun by creating customized t-shirts for the special people on your Christmas list.

Adult and child alike will be pleasantly surprised to discover a t-shirt created just for them under the tree. Forget the uneaten fruitcakes and toys that end up buried in the toy box. Instead, delight your friends and family with something unique they can wear and enjoy. A bonus is that they will always remember you were thoughtful enough to create it for them.

Begin a tradition by creating a family Christmas t-shirt each year. You could even design the t-shirt, including a picture of the family. What fun it would be years down the road to have a collection of holiday t-shirts displaying the change in your family through time!

Finding old family pictures of Christmas past could be a great way to interject some humor and nostalgia into the t-shirt project. Put “Smith Christmas 2007” and “Just a Kid at Heart” along with pictures of your parents or grandparents as children. Or, choose a family “secret” holiday recipe to include on the back of a t-shirt. Just don’t be surprised if you have people stopping you on the street to write down a copy of Grandma Helen’s Peanut Brittle recipe!

Commemorate your baby’s first Christmas with her very own holiday onesie. Personalize the t-shirt by including her name and date of birth or even her own precious face emblazoned on the front. People will ooh and aah over such an adorable and unique t-shirt!

Perhaps you are weary of purchasing yet another ornament or apple paperweight for your children’s teachers. How much more would they love a holiday t-shirt with the names of their students on it? Include a class picture in the design and your t-shirt will be a special keepsake the teacher will cherish for years to come.

Holiday t-shirts for others are excellent gift ideas, but you can also ring in the holidays by designing something fun for yourself. Say goodbye to the unflattering holiday sweaters that can sometimes make you the butt of jokes. Instead, create a cool, one-of-a-kind holiday design for your t-shirt that will make you the talk of the Christmas party—in a good way!

There are many options when creating your t-shirts. You can choose to develop your own art, include a personal photo or use online photo-art. Go chic and basic or elaborate and flashy. The choices are endless!

By ordering your t-shirts online, you have a plethora of ideas and designs available at the click of a mouse. The styles, colors and sizes are numerous. Plus, you will be able to view the proof of your t-shirt online, helping you to get the look just right!

Start planning your holiday t-shirt design now. Christmas season is on its way, and you want to be sure to allow plenty of time for delivery. Whether you are making someone else’s Christmas special or adding a little cheer to your own, creating a holiday t-shirt is a great way to celebrate the most wonderful time of the year.

How to Salvage Smoke Damaged T-Shirts and Clothing

November 27, 2008 · Filed Under Clothing Care and Stain Removal · Comment 

There are many items that simply can’t be saved from smoke damage. Luckily, t-shirts clothing doesn’t have to be one of them. Depending on the degree of smoke damage to an item of clothing, it may be able to be salvaged by giving it some special care.

The first thing to do is to figure out which items of clothing can be salvaged and which ones can’t. There may be a few pieces that are so heavily damaged that no amount of care can save them. If the entire garment is covered in soot and it’s difficult to tell what the item originally looked like, it may be too late to save that particular garment.

Clothing that has light smoke damage may benefit from a spray with a fabric odor spray. These are often made with cornstarch and lift odors out of the fabric and allow them to evaporate along with the liquid in the spray. Try spraying lightly-damaged items and then washing them with a color-safe bleach to remove the odor of smoke.

Some clothing may have a little more smoke damage but may just need a vigorous washing in hot water to make it look the way it did before. A garment that has a strong smoky smell but that doesn’t have a lot of soot on it may be salvaged by washing the item on the fastest washing cycle in hot water. Use a heavy-duty detergent and use a pre-treatment soak before putting it into the laundry.

For items that are in worse condition, try pre-treating the item for a longer period of time and then rinsing the items several times before washing them. It may be necessary to wash these items three or four times to remove the soot and the smell of smoke from them. To help the smell come out of the clothing more easily, add a half a cup of baking soda in with the washing detergent. This will help to absorb some of the smell and to wash it away. Don’t dry the clothing until you’ve gotten out all of the soot that you can.

Chlorine bleach is helpful for whites that have smoke damage. This is an effective way to get both the smell of smoke and the residue of it out of white clothing. Soak the items in bleach in the bathtub or in a sink. After a few minutes, rinse the bleach from the garments and make sure that most of the soot has been rinsed away. After this step, the items can be put into a washing machine with a little more bleach added to the load if needed.

If the clothing has severe damage to it but you want to try to salvage it, try a fire restoration service. These services specialize in restoring smoke and fire damaged items to their best possible condition. There are also some dry cleaners that can provide smoke-damage care to clothing. There is an ozone treatment process that can get small particles of smoke out of clothing without damaging the fibers. Call local dry cleaners and find one that can provide this treatment.

How to Care for Vintage T-Shirts and Clothing

November 26, 2008 · Filed Under Clothing Care and Stain Removal · Comment 

Vintage clothing requires special care for many reasons. Because vintage items are older, they may have fabrics that have been weakened over time. This means that the standard way that you care for your other clothing may be too harsh for your vintage items. It’s also hard to replace vintage items, making it even more important to take care of the ones you have.

To keep your vintage items in their best condition, practice preventative care. This means being careful when you wear them and wearing them to the right occasions. An outdoor occasion or one where there will be a lot of children may not be the best place to wear your vintage items. You should also take care not to wipe your hands on your vintage clothing. You may have unconsciously done this with newer clothing, but vintage clothing requires more deliberate care.

The seams of vintage clothing are their most vulnerable areas, so you should be prepared to sew up the occasional seam or hem on these items. Carry some thread with you if you are wearing vintage items, and always make sure you have plenty of thread colors if you love to wear vintage pieces.

After you have worn your vintage t-shirt or other item, take it off and turn it inside out. This will allow you sweat to dry from the garment before it has a chance to set into the fabric. This will minimize the staining that can be done by sweat and will allow you to treat the garment more delicately when it’s time to wash it.

Once your sweat has dried from the garment, wash it. Don’t leave the item of clothing lying around for any longer than is necessary. This will mean that if any stains have been left behind, they will be easier to remove than if they had days to settle in.

Always use the gentlest detergent you can and use the gentlest washing cycle possible. A slow washing machine cycle is best to use for vintage clothing, but hand washing the clothing is an even better idea. If you do use a washing machine, make sure you wash it with clothing that is colored as much like the vintage item as possible. This keeps the colors of different items from migrating on to the vintage item and discoloring it. If you can wash the item by itself in the machine, this will keep any competing inks from getting onto the vintage piece.

If an item has been worn once for a short time or even a couple of times for short periods of time, it might not need to be washed at all. If any sweat has evaporated and the item isn’t stained and doesn’t smell bad, it may not need washing. If possible, go without washing it and evaluate the need to wash it each time it has been worn. While a newer garment might be thrown into the laundry each time that it’s been worn, a vintage item will get a little weaker each time it is washed.

How To Tuck In Your T-Shirt

November 25, 2008 · Filed Under Fashion Advice · Comment 

Tucking in your shirt is as easy as one, two, three! First, pull down your shirt and straighten it out. Second, loosen your waistband and put the shirt tail inside all around.  Three, pull a little back out to allow freedom of movement. One of the best ways to do this is to stretch from side to side and front to back with your arms over your head so that the perfect amount of the shirt comes out. The alternative is to pull straight up on the T-shirt itself, just above the waistband in a few places around your waist. Do not pull up too much or you may have to start over. Check your work in a mirror to ensure that your tee is not lopsided.

Tucking in your T-shirt does not work for everyone and in every circumstance. Therefore it is important to know when to tuck in a T-shirt and when not to. If you are wearing a T-shirt that is too long or too big for you, tucking it in will accentuate the issue and create unnecessary bulk. Therefore you should keep these types of T-shirts over your pants. If the T-shirt and your pants or skirt are a similar color you can do well by tucking in the shirt, even if you have a few extra pounds. However, if you are battling your weight and your T-shirt is a contrasting color to your bottoms, do not tuck it in. By doing so, you will cut the visual line of your torso and this will make you appear shorter and heavier.

If you have some extra weight on, tucking in a T-shirt tends to also draw more attention to your waistline than otherwise. You might want to consider letting the T-shirt remain over your pants to camouflage your belly and provide a straight uninterrupted line that looks much better than a tucked in shirt. If you are tall and thin, tucking in a T-shirt can make you look shorter and give the appearance of extra curves.

Tucking in T-shirts is always a neat look. It tends to give a more pulled together appearance than a T-shirt that hangs over your pants. In fact, you can dress up a simple outfit, simply by tucking in your tee. This is especially true for loose fitting T-shirts. Fitted tees can pull off a neat look without being tucked in.

You can wear practically any T-shirt tucked in. Just be sure that a part of the design is not cut off by tucking it in. This is the one thing that can really make it look wrong that you have tucked in a T-shirt. In fact if you love the tucked-in tee look, you can get a variety of custom-made T-shirts printed that would be perfect for tucking in. When you order custom-made T-shirts you can choose the color, style, weight, design and placement of the design. This means you can have your text, picture, drawing, logo or other design placed high enough to not be disturbed when the tee is tucked in.

Get your perfect custom-made T-shirt to tuck in today and look smart, stylish and pulled together in your tees.

Can T-Shirts Be Sexy?

November 24, 2008 · Filed Under About T-Shirts · Comment 

If you have ever seen someone you thought was sexy, might not have even noticed what they were wearing or what type of shirt they had on. But, chances are that you’ve seen many people in t-shirts and found them sexy. There’s no reason that a person has to wear a dress or a suit to be sexy. Most of the time, a t-shirt is just as sexy or even more so, than wearing something more formal.

Why are t-shirts so sexy? Because being comfortable and casual gives people self confidence. Why many people aren’t comfortable in formal clothing, most people do feel comfortable wearing a t-shirt. This gives them the self-confidence they need to project their own personality. And for most people, confidence is extremely sexy. Confidence is what allows people to go out and meet other people and to take chances where they otherwise might be too timid to do so.

There are several other reasons that t-shirts can be sexy. Most of these have to do with the way that a t-shirt fits. On anyone, man or woman, a t-shirt is generally made to fit well and to reflect the way their body is shaped. On a man, the shape of a t-shirt is meant to emphasize the square shape of a man’s chest. It is flat across the waist and tends to be larger in the shoulders. This is sexy on both men who have dimensions like that and on men who have problem areas that can be disguised by the shape of a man’s t-shirt.

On a woman, a woman’s t-shirt emphasizes her figure. Women’s t-shirts are generally tailored to nip in slightly at the waist. They also have a larger area at the bust. This helps women to emphasize their figures in a sexy way. Many women wear t-shirts that are short in order to make their figures more obvious. This can emphasize the hip area and makes the t-shirt, and the figure, noticeable. Another way to make a t-shirt sexy on a woman is to wear a size that will be form fitting. This generally emphasizes the entire physique and creates a silhouette that gets attention.

For many people, the aspect that calls attention to a t-shirt as being sexy is what is written or pictured on it. The current trend is toward t-shirts that have suggestive sayings printed on the front. These can be eye-catching ways to get some attention for a well-fitting t-shirt. These sayings are usually printed on women’s t-shirts, but there are some men who choose to do this on their own t-shirts as well.

There are also colors that are more flattering on a person than other colors. Using the right colors is another way to make a t-shirt sexy. The color black is generally a slimming color and one that is often worn when a person wants to look and feel sexy. Wearing a bright red t-shirt or a pink t-shirt can also make a t-shirt sexy on a woman.

How to Remove Hair Color From a T-Shirt?

November 23, 2008 · Filed Under Clothing Care and Stain Removal · Comment 

Hair color can be extremely difficult to remove from any kind of surface. And unfortunately for t-shirt lovers, cotton is a particularly absorbent fabric and will soak up hair color very quickly. To be able to remove any of the hair color from a t-shirt, it will be necessary to move quickly and to keep attacking the stain until it’s gone. For some stains and with some t-shirt colors, it may not be possible to remove all of the hair color from the fabric.

The stain should first be blotted to remove as much of the hair color as possible. Once the hair color soaks into the fabric and dries, there will be little that can be done about the stain. Use a little rubbing alcohol to blot the hair color to remove it more easily. The hair color should be blotted until no more of it is coming away from the fabric.

If the t-shirt is white, some bleach can then be applied to it. If the shirt is a different color, bleach will only create a worse area of discoloration. A colored t-shirt can be treated by soaking the shirt in cold water and using a pre-treating liquid to try to lift the stain. If this doesn’t work, a little turpentine may help the hair color to come out. Before using turpentine on the t-shirt, test it on a small, out of the way spot of the fabric to make sure it will not strip the color out of the shirt.

A colored t-shirt may also respond well to nail polish remover to remove the stain. If the remover is applied with a cotton swab directly to the stain, it could lighten it enough to make it blend in with the rest of the shirt. This will not work well, of course, with a dark-colored t-shirt. This method should also be color-tested before being used.

If the t-shirt is black and the hair color was blonde or a color much lighter than the black of the shirt, there is no way to remove the stain and restore the black dye of the t-shirt. What needs to be done is to color over the stain to make it black again. This can be done easily with a permanent marker.

Color-safe bleach should be used to wash a colored t-shirt with. This will keep the color of the shirt while applying the maximum cleaning power to the stain. A white shirt will probably have to be washed in chlorine bleach to fully remove the stain.

Hydrogen peroxide or dye removers may work in some cases. Peroxide can be poured through the stain after a color-safe test has been done. It can also be dabbed in small amounts directly onto the hair color. Color removers are available in many drug stores and in grocery store laundry aisles, but they may leave a worse color behind. If a dark t-shirt has been stained with hair color, a color remover may cause more discoloration. These removers may work well with white or very light colored shirts. To use these, follow the directions on the box.

How to Get Rid of Static Cling on your T-Shirt

November 23, 2008 · Filed Under Clothing Care and Stain Removal · Comment 

Static cling is an unattractive and uncomfortable side effect of dry air. When an item is washed and dried in a drier, this can create the type of dry air that is perfect for static cling buildup. Sometimes, the dry air outdoors or in the house is what causes the static cling, and sometimes it’s a combination of environmental effects. But, there’s no reason to keep static cling in your clothing when there are many ways to be rid of it.

One of the easiest ways to eliminate, or to at least reduce, static cling on your t-shirt is to use dryer sheets. These are used for two purposes- to make clothing feel softer and to reduce the static cling that often results from using the dryer. These sheets are simply added to the laundry when the clothes are put into the dryer and then removed after the load of clothing is dry.

If you don’t want to use a fabric softening sheet, there are also liquid fabric softeners that can be added to the wash, and they sometimes have a similar effect of reducing the static cling. These are added at a specific time during the wash cycle as is directed by the label.

Apart from fabric softeners, there are other substances that can help to keep the cling away. One such item is talcum powder. A small amount of powder applied to the body or to the inside of clothes can keep the clothing from clinging to you or to other items of clothing. It also adds a fresh smell and can help keep clothing from being discolored by sweat.

Moisturizer is something that can be used in small amounts to stop static cling. A tiny dab of skin moisturizer can be rubbed on the inside of clothing to keep it from clinging. Or, it can be rubbed along the outside of an article of clothing to keep it from clinging to itself. To keep it from clinging to you, moisturize your skin with lotion just before putting on clothing.

There are a few products on the market that are made specifically for getting rid of static cling off your t-shirt or other clothes.. These work very quickly and are easy to use. A static cling spray can be sprayed directly onto the clothing while you are wearing it and the cling should cease immediately.

Hairspray is another inexpensive method of removing static from clothing. Spray clothing lightly with hairspray to get rid of static cling. For the best results from hairspray, use an aerosol spray and hold the can about two feet away from the garment when spraying it. Otherwise, too much hairspray will make your clothing too stiff for comfort.

Another spray to use to get rid of static on your t-shirt or clothes is spray starch. This is made to make clothing stiffer, and one of the side effects of this stiffness is less cling. It washes out of clothing easily and it will not stain the item. Follow the directions on the starch can for the best results.

How to Remove Rust Stains From Your T-Shirt

November 22, 2008 · Filed Under Clothing Care and Stain Removal · Comment 

Rust stains are the perfect way to ruin clothes- they are unsightly, difficult to get out and they are extremely noticeable on most t-shirt colors. It may be tempting to throw out a t-shirt that has rust stains on it, but there are ways to remove those stains and keep the t-shirt.

If the t-shirt is white, the stain is especially noticeable. But, it is also easier to get rid of. There are quite a few substances that will get rust stains out of a white t-shirt without staining the fabric. One of these is lemon juice. This ingredient is highly acidic and should be used in the smallest doses that will get the stain out. If a t-shirt is allowed to sit in large amounts of lemon juice for long periods of time, the fabric will be weakened and it may become stained.

To use lemon juice correctly, put the t-shirt into extremely hot water and then sprinkle the stained area with lemon juice. Rinse the t-shirt and then sprinkle it again if needed. This should remove any rust marks from a white t-shirt. It may also work for rust on a colored t-shirt, but it should be tested against the color to make sure it won’t change the color first. To do this, apply a few drops of lemon juice to the inside part of the hem and watch for any color change.

Lemon juice can also be used along with salt for rust stains that are more stubborn. The salt is sprinkled over the rust stain and the lemon juice is them rubbed into the area. This gives the lemon juice some friction and will remove larger, deeper stains that water and lemon juice alone. Once this has been done, rinse the stained area in hot water and use the salt and lemon juice again if any sign of the rust remains.

Another common household item that can be used against rust stains is called cream of tartar. This is a powdered substance found in the spice aisle of grocery stores. Usually used in dessert recipes, it can also be used to raise rust out of fabric. To use it, mix about a cup of water and three teaspoons of the powder together. Boil this mixture to create your stain fighter.

Place the stained area of t-shirt into the boiled mixture. You can also pour boiling water over the stained area and then sprinkle cream of tartar over it. Then, rinse it away with more boiling water. Try the colorfast test on a colored t-shirt to make sure it will not stain the shirt before using this method.

Another method is to use hydrogen peroxide on the stain. This can be done by dipping a cotton swab into the solution and then dabbing it onto the stain. You can let it sit for a few minutes or you might try brushing it into the fabric with an old toothbrush. Once the rust starts to fade, rinse the peroxide away and wash the t-shirt as you normally would.

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