How Do I Remove A Beer Stain From My T-Shirt?
Everyone has one of those absolute favorite T-shirts. Doesn’t it always happen that it is inevitably that shirt that somehow manages to get the most stains? It’s always happens when you are least expected too. You are out with friends having a good time and all of a sudden you look down and you have a beer spilled on the front of your T-shirt. You know it’s going to leave a stain for you to do battle with. These things never happen when you’re at home near the laundry room. It’s always when you are away from home and the stain has the opportunity to sit and worsen.
Luckily it is relatively easy to remove beer stains. The key with removing such stains is the same as with many others: be sure to treat or wash the stain as soon as possible. Here are some tips to help you get beer stains out of a T-shirt:
- Take it off as soon as it happens and soak it in cold water. If this is not possible right away, do so as soon as you possibly can.
- After rinsing the stain, wash it in cold water as usual.
- Remove the T-shirt from the water and examine it. If you can still see the stain, do not put it in the dryer, as this will set the stain.
- Do a laundry pre-treat on the stain, by rubbing detergent onto the stain and letting it sit for at least 5 minutes or so. You may also try vinegar on the stain. This is very good on white clothes but will also bleach clothing. Therefore if you use vinegar you must rinse it out immediately after using it.
- Rewash as usual to finish removing the stain.
- If the stain is being really difficult, you may want to consider soaking it in bleach for colors overnight and then doing another wash.
It is rare for a beer stain to be this difficult to remove, although dark beer stains can be more challenging than others. If all else fails and your favorite T-shirt is stained, you can always just get another one to replace it. Custom-made T-shirts are great because you can have them made exactly to your specifications, so you can recreate your favorite T-shirt perfectly.
One of the best ways to avoid having to deal with beer stains is to buy dark T-shirts. Black T-shirts are always in fashion and you can customize them to say whatever you want them to. What a great way to cover up the fact that you have a tendency to spill beer. If you really want to though, you can have fun with it and flaunt the fact that you know the best way to deal with beer stains. Have a custom-made T-shirt printed that says something like:
- Official Beer Drinking T-shirt
- Under These Words Lie the Stains of Many a Good Beer
- Beer Stain Disguise
- I’m a Clumsy Beer Drinker
Get your custom-made beer stain T-shirt today and show that you know how to deal with beer stains.
How to Make the Print on a T-Shirt Last Longer
Most print used on t-shirts today is superior to the print used decades ago. That print wore off easily, leading to the crackled appearance that appeared after just a couple of washings. Today’s t-shirt print can still fade after a number of washings. The print can be made to last longer with a little bit of extra care.
The print on a t-shirt usually fades from being washed. The key, then, is to take care during each washing and to make sure that the t-shirt is washed as gently as possible. Rubbing up against other clothing in the wash is one of the causes of fading during washing. The repeated friction of the t-shirt against other items can be avoided with one simple step. Start the special treatment by turning the t-shirt inside out. This will minimize the contact that the printed area has with other items in the same load.
The temperature of the water when the t-shirt is being washed is also a factor. For an especially dirty shirt, most people want to wash it in hot water to get rid of all the dirt. This hot water, however, can contribute to the print fading before it should. Hot water is hard on clothes of any type, and printed clothes can particularly feel the effects of it. Try washing the t-shirt in cold water instead. If this isn’t enough to get the dirt out of the t-shirt, try to soak the shirt first to loosen the dirt. You might also try a pre-treatment that is rubbed into the fabric to help fight the stains. A pre-treatment will not be as hard on the t-shirt as hot water and may actually lead to the dirt coming out of the shirt more easily.
Drying clothes in a clothes dryer is one of the fastest ways to break down the print. The dryer uses heat and movement to dry the clothes. Not only will the heat start to break down the print, the fast tumbling creates a friction that can help wear it out faster. To prevent this, try tumbling the shirt without the heat setting. You might also try lying the t-shirt flat to dry or letting it drip dry instead of putting it in the dryer at all. Hanging it to dry may change the shape of the shirt, however, so many people prefer to let their t-shirt lie flat.
A printed t-shirt that is often exposed to direct sunlight will also fade faster than one that isn’t. To some extent, this can’t be helped. There will certainly be times when a t-shirt is exposed to sunlight. And normal sunlight in the course of an outing won’t fade the lettering. However, a t-shirt that is often worn to outdoor sporting events will look faded before it ordinarily would. The key for thee occasions, then, is to rotate the t-shirts that are worn to these events. Having two t-shirts for weekend baseball games, then, is a much better way to preserve the print than wearing the same one each week.
How to Make Your T-Shirt Soft
T-shirts are so popular because they are comfortable, easy to wear and are likely one of the softest items of clothing you own. The soft, combed cotton that is used for t-shirt has a feel that is unlike any other. There are some types of clothing care, however, that can take away some of that softness. If your t-shirts are starting to feel a little stiff or if you just want to make sure that they never end up feeling that way, there are several ways to take care of it and ensure a softer t-shirt.
Fabric Softener
Using a fabric softener may seem like a simple thing, but there are an enormous number of ways to use it. There are the well-known dryer sheets that can be added to the dryer along with the wet clothes, but there are a number of other types. There are fabric softener balls that are added to the washer. These balls add a liquid fabric softener into the wash at the right time. Another way to use fabric softener is to pour in a liquid type that is poured in during the rinse cycle.
Drying
The key to the softness of any item of clothing is usually the way it has been dried. Line drying a t-shirt will leave it far stiffer than putting it through a dryer cycle. Many people choose to use line drying anyway because of the energy savings or the cost of a dryer. Some simply prefer the way clothing smells after it has been line dried. If you like line-drying your t-shirts, try using a quick 5-minute drying cycle after the t-shirts are mostly dry. This will result in a t-shirt that has still saved energy and still has the smell of line-dried clothing, but it will have the soft feel of t-shirts that have been dried in a dryer.
Softening the Water
If your clothes aren’t getting softener, it may the water itself that needs softened. If you have hard water, it can take a serious toll on your clothing every time it’s washed. To soften the water, add a little bit of vinegar into the washer during the rinse cycle. Some people also use two rinse cycles when washing their clothes to ensure that all of the soap has been removed and to make sure that the vinegar is having an impact on the t-shirts.
To make sure that any t-shirt doesn’t get hard again, also make an effort to keep it clean. Some t-shirts may harden when they are left dirty for long periods of time. Sweat, body oils, dirt, deodorant and other substances can harden the fabric if they are left on it for too long. Wash t-shirts as they become dirty and then make sure to take a step or two to ensure that the wash will lead to softer t-shirts. This will ensure that the comfort of a brand-new t-shirt goes on and on, even when the t-shirt has been worn and washed many times.
How to Keep Your T-Shirt Color Bright
The colors of a new t-shirt are always brightest when the t-shirt is newest. Over a long period of time and many washes, the colors will begin to fade. However, there are a number of ways to keep the colors bright and to keep fading to a minimum.
One of the fading factors is UV light. Direct sunlight will eventually fade the colors of t-shirts. For this reason, dry a t-shirt indoors to preserve the bright colors. It’s also a good idea not to stay in bright sunlight while you are wearing the t-shirt. This can fade the shirt just as quickly as hanging it in the sun can do. Also consider where you store your t-shirts. If there is direct sunlight shining into your closet, that can fade your t-shirts as well as anything else being stored there.
A t-shirt with a bright color should only be washed with other clothes that have the same or a similar color. Washing the shirt with very different colors can mute the colors of all of the items as the dyes are mixed together. If the t-shirt has color like nothing else in your wardrobe, wash it by itself.
When washing the t-shirt, use a color-safe detergent. These may be color-safe bleaches or just detergent that is made for keeping colors from fading. The washing itself should be done in cold water to prevent too much of the dye from being lifted out of the material. Hot water will take it out far too quickly and will cause a faded look after a few washings. Use short washing cycles if the t-shirt isn’t terribly dirty as well to reduce the time that the t-shirt will be wet.
Because there is usually a little bit of dye that is lifted from clothing when it is washed, there are specific products that can capture that dye and prevent clothes from being dulled by the dye from other garments. One of these is dye grabber sheets. These are placed into the washing machine when the clothes are loaded. The sheet will absorb the dyes and leave the clothing looking far less faded.
Another way to ensure brighter colors is to use a common household ingredient to the wash. Many people regularly use vinegar in the wash to keep dyes from being lifted out of fabric and colors looking bright. To use vinegar in the wash, get a supply of white vinegar. This is an inexpensive type of vinegar available at any grocery store. Measure one cup of the vinegar and pour it into the washer along with the detergent. You don’t have to use less detergent than usual when you do this. The result will be t-shirts that keep their bright colors longer. The detergent generally takes care of any vinegar odor, and using a dryer sheet can also be helpful.
When drying, use a tumble dry mode instead of a heat dry mode. This will keep some fading from occurring and keep the colors looking brighter.
How to Stretch Your T-Shirt
We’ve all got that one t-shirt that would fit perfectly if we could just stretch it out a bit. Chances are, your t-shirt fell victim to one of the most common culprits, the washer and dryer. Or, maybe you bought it a little too small because the t-shirt was unique or too good a deal to pass up but the store did not have quite your size. Whatever the reason for your ill fitting t-shirt, it’s time to stop looking in your closet, pulling out the t-shirt, and putting it back. Stretch that baby and give it some wear time!
There are a couple methods for stretching a t-shirt that can be used when either the garment is wet or dry. The first one involves simply trying to stretch the t-shirt by pulling on it. While most people may try just tugging on the shirt in its poorly fitted places when it’s dry and on their body, this method isn’t usually successful. In fact, if your t-shirt has graphics on it, it may distort them and give away your attempt to stretch your t-shirt. Stretching a t-shirt while it is wet is most successful.
The first step after wetting the shirt is to lay it on a flat surface and start pulling gently on the fabric in the areas that you need to stretch out. You should pull lengthwise and crosswise during your stretching process. After you’ve stretched out the wet shirt, hang it to dry. A second tactic to use while the t-shirt is wet is to stretch it with an iron. The heat setting of the iron should be on a low to medium. Gently run the iron over the problem area pushing out the fabric lengthwise and crosswise. As with hand stretching, hang the t-shirt to air dry. A final method that can be attempted is to use your iron on a dry shirt using the same technique as above. This method however is likely to only be successful in situations where limited stretching is needed.
Having a larger sized family member or friend put on your shirt and wear it may sound like another option for stretching out your t-shirt. However, you’d better think carefully before you choose someone to help you out with this! If the size differential between you and your friend or family member is too great, you’ll ruin your shirt. However, if the differential is not great enough, you may get little or no stretching. Therefore, depending on how much the shirt needs to be stretched and if you have the right individual to utilize for the process, this idea may work. However, you may undo all your stretching work when you wash the t-shirt prior to wearing it yourself.
Are you ready to take on stretching that t-shirt and make it fit properly? Then drag it out of the closet and figure out just how much stretching you’ll need to do to achieve the fit you’re after. Just remember – the stretching techniques used for wet shirts work best for t-shirts that need a whole lot of stretching. Finally, remember each time you wash your t-shirt you might need to repeat the whole process to get that perfect fit again. Happy stretching!
How to Prevent My Cotton T-Shirts from Shrinking
The best known characteristics of cotton are that it is natural, breathable, comfortable, and that it shrinks. A new t-shirt made from 100 percent cotton or close to 100 percent, can be expected to shrink a little after the first wash. However, there are ways to get the t-shirt to remain at its original size and to keep shrinkage at bay. It takes a little special care, but a cotton t-shirt can be kept from shrinking for as long as you own it.
The way that the t-shirt is washed will largely determine whether it shrinks and how much it shrinks. One of the main causes of shrinking in t-shirts is heat. It’s important to try to avoid applying heat to your t-shirts if you want to keep them at their original size. There are a few ways to avoid heat and keep the cotton from shrinking.
The first thing to consider when avoiding heat is how the t-shirt will be washed. Most people wash t-shirts in warm or hot water to rid it of odors and to get rid of the tougher stains. The problem with this is that the entire t-shirt will suffer for the small portion that really needs the attention. If there is a tough stain on a part of the shirt, use a little soap and cold water in the sink. Simply rub the soap across the area and rub the t-shirt repeatedly under the running water. This will get most things out of the fabric as long as they have not had a long period to set.
When you wash the entire shirt, use only cold water. Once you’ve used warm water on it even once, it will be too late to save it from shrinkage. The cold water will wash the t-shirt and will not cause it to shrink. Use a slow agitation as well when washing the shirt. If there is a slow or delicate cycle on the washer, it will provide the slow agitation that the t-shirt needs.
Drying the t-shirt is where many people accidently shrink their shirts. A hot dryer will shrink cotton that has not already been pre-shrunk. The dryer must be avoided in order to prevent shrinking. The t-shirt can be dried in a number of other ways. If it is hung out in the sun, there is a chance that the heat will shrink the t-shirt. Drying it inside is a much safer way.
The t-shirt can be laid flat on a clean surface and allowed to dry on its own. You may have to flip it over to dry the other side after a few hours. For a t-shirt that dries faster, hang it up on a hanger and allow it to drip dry. Be sure to place something under the t-shirt in order to catch the water. For an even faster drying time, place a fan next to a hanging t-shirt and let the cool air of the fan blow it dry. A t-shirt that doesn’t shrink will maintain its size and shape through many, many cold washes.
How Many Washes Will My T-Shirt Last?
A favorite t-shirt is one of the cornerstones of any wardrobe. And, as such an important garment, it is important that it lasts a long time. The more often a t-shirt is worn and washed, the more wear it will have. A shirt that is worn rarely will always last longer than a t-shirt that is worn more often.
The guideline given for many t-shirts is that they will remain in good condition through about 50 washes as long as they are taken care of. However, a t-shirt can go through many more than 50 washes if the t-shirt is washed gently and not put into a dryer. The heat of the dryer is often what causes much of the wear to t-shirts and other garments.
The problem that usually occurs as clothing ages is that the fabric gets thinner and eventually holes develop. The dryer can make this happen sooner by making some of the threads come loose. If you’ve ever looked at your drier lint, you’ve seen how much of your clothes the dryer really pulls out of the garments. All of that lint was once a part of the garments, and each one dried will be slightly thinner because of it. No matter how a t-shirt is washed, it will last for more of those washings if it is not dried in a drier.
Another option to get more washes out of a t-shirt is to tumble dry your clothes instead of using the heat setting. This will let some air circulation dry out the clothes but will not blast them with the hot air that can cause them to age sooner than they need to.
To get still more life out of a t-shirt, it is possible to go without washing it after every wear. If the shirt has been worn for a short event, it might be able to be put away without washing it. Another trick it to not wash the t-shirt for a complete cycle, but rather to rinse it out in the sink. Rubbing the shirt with a little soap and then rinsing it off will cause less wear to it than washing it through a full wash cycle. After hand rinsing the shirt, lay it flat to dry.
There is no reason that a t-shirt that is well taken care of can’t last 100 washes or even more. A shirt will last through more washes if it is not washed on a fast washing cycle and the harshest detergents are avoided. Using bleach is certain to shorten the life of a t-shirt. A shirt that is consistently washed in bleach may last less than 10 washings. Using a gentler detergent, however, will dramatically increase that number.
To put it simply, there is no expiration date on a t-shirt. The number of washes it lasts is partly dependent on how the t-shirt is cared for and how it is washed. Caring for a t-shirt and spending a little extra time in the washing and drying process can make it last a lot longer.
How to Remove Lint From Your T-shirt
Removing lint from a t-shirt can be a never-ending task. Trying to keep your t-shirts free of lint and in perfect condition may seem like a fulltime job. Keeping lint from your t-shirts is also one of the ways to keep your clothing, especially t-shirts, from fading and wearing over time. Proper lint removal techniques will make your clothing last long enough to give you plenty of enjoyment.
Using packaging tape, you can quickly and efficiently remove the lint without damaging you t-shirt. Place the t-shirt on a table or bed. Wrap the tape around your hand with the sticky side out. Using light pressure, slowly run the tape down the t-shirt. You can also pat at the t-shirt with the tape if you prefer, but rolling the tape seems to keep the shirt from moving too much during the process.
Another great way to remove lint is by using a hairbrush and Velcro. This tip is especially great while traveling. Buy some stick-on Velcro tabs. Put the hooked side of the tab on the back of your brush while leaving the fuzzy side on. When you need to de-lint a garment you will be ready. Pull the fuzzy side of the Velcro off and brush the hooks over the garment. The Velcro will remove the lint and hair quickly and easily. To remove the debris from the Velcro, rub it against the grain. You can then reattach the fuzzy side to the hooked side to keep the Velcro clean while not in use and prevent the Velcro from attaching itself to other items in your bags.
There are also plenty of products available on the market to help with lint removal. There are lint rollers that have a sticky substance on them that the lint attaches to. Another product is a lint removal brush. This product is very similar to the Velcro suggestion above. The brush is swept over the clothing and traps the lint. However, unlike the homemade version, this brush is said to be self-cleaning. You simply slide a lever and the lint is removed and trapped inside the storage unit until you are ready to empty it into the trash.
Lint removal mitts are also easy to use. They are essentially mittens that attract the lint all over, rather than onto a small area like a brush. The idea behind the mitt is to be able to simply brush your clothing like you normally would with your hands, but adding a mitt to make removing the lint easy.
While a product like those above may work, one way to keep lint down is through proper dryer lint filter cleaning. By making sure that the lint filter in your dryer is cleaned after (or before) each load, your dryer will work properly and keep the lint to a minimum. Your lint filter is designed to trap as much of the lint as possible, before it ends up all over your clothing. So keep your dryer lint filter clean so you will have less lint to remove later.
Is My T-Shirt Too Wrinkled to Wear?
Laundry. The inevitable task, unless you want to walk around with dirty clothes on or have enough money to buy a new outfit every time the clothes hamper needs emptied… Neither of these options tend to appeal to the majority of the population, so we muster up the energy and wash clothes only to realize that there’s yet another task at hand before we can wear some of our fresh out-of-the-dryer clothing… You got it! It’s ironing. And it’s often the case that our favorite t-shirts that need ironing the most… which begs the question (for those of us who absolutely despise ironing), ‘When is that t-shirt too wrinkled to wear?’.
I think it might be best to tackle this question by breaking it down into 5 degrees of wrinkled; 0) pressed, 1) creased, 2) slightly ruffled, 3) crinkled and 4) unidentifiable.
Starting with the obvious, pressed means that you’ve taken the time to iron your t-shirt, or have a ‘no-wrinkle’ material that dries nicely, and your t-shirt has zero wrinkles.
Next, you have a creased t-shirt, which means the shirt was ironed if needed, folded and put away, and the only ‘wrinkles’ to be found are along the fold lines or creases. Unless they’re ultra picky or obsessive compulsive, no one’s goanna turn their nose up at you for wearing this level of wrinkled, regardless of where you wear it (work, play, school, etc). Some may even argue that creased doesn’t constitute a wrinkled t-shirt, though, by definition, a crease is a wrinkle and a wrinkle is a crease.
Now we’re going to move on to the more questionable degrees of wrinkled. Typically, if you watch the dryer and pull your t-shirts out immediately after it shuts off, some of your t-shirts will still be slightly ruffled (no major wrinkles, but obviously not ironed or wrinkle-free). You may be ok to wear this level of wrinkled at home, to the gym or on a casual walk in the park. You may even be able to get away with wearing it under a button up jacket for dinner, but it might be pushing it to wear it to work. You may receive disapproval from some, like your ‘mother who taught you better’ or your ‘neat freak’ significant other, but generally, most won’t give you a second look.
However, if you’re the guilty one who has pulled the laundry out of the dryer and then simply threw it in the clothes basket for a day or two (or longer!), you likely now have a crinkled shirt; the next to worst kind of wrinkled you could attempt to wear, especially in public (even at the gym is pushing it a bit). You may be brave and throw it on to lounge around at home, but not only do crinkled shirts look bad, they can be fairly uncomfortable. Because they’ve been allowed to crinkle up, they also tend to also stiffen up, which can make for a rough feeling against your skin, especially when t-shirts should be one of the most comfortable pieces of clothing you own! One word- REWASH!
And finally, you know that corner that piles up in your closet? The one that you sometimes forget is there until you either throw something else on it or try to find your missing clothing in it? Well, this pile tends to produce the worst wrinkled t-shirts of all, the unidentifiable kind. To define unidentifiable more clearly, it’s the t-shirt that you think was a t-shirt but you’re not so sure anymore because it’s so wrinkled that it seems to be taking on the shape of an accordion. Another level of wrinkled that should never be worn prior to rewashing!
Bottom line- If your t-shirt’s pressed or creased, where that t-shirt with pride! If it’s slightly ruffled, use caution. And if it’s crinkled or unidentifiable, please pass on pulling it over your head!
T-shirt Care and How to Make Your T-Shirt Last Longer
The great thing about T-shirts is that they are reasonably affordable and can be customized to suit and personality. They also come in an amazing array of colors, styles, sleeve lengths, fabrics. Not to mention the multitude of different pictures and fonts that can be applied to the front and back of the shirt.
The one downside of T-shirts is that they have a tendency to wear out faster than, say, a jacket or skirt. Steady T-shirt wearers can expect about two years of wearability before the T-shirt starts to fade, rip, pill or otherwise look less than its best but it really depends on how often you wear the t-shirt.
You can halt this deterioration a variety of ways. First, when you put on the shirt, avoid yanking it over your head, stretching around your shoulders and shoving down to your waist. That continuous action is ruinous for the seams.
Also, make sure you buy the right size T-shirt to fit your frame. A person who feels their shirt is too tight will be constantly pulling it away from “trouble spots,” stretching it where it shouldn’t be stretched in order to make it “feel” better. Well, it might feel better, but an honest look in the mirror will tell you that it looks terrible.
A great-fitting shirt should feel just that – great.
You should wash the shirt in cool water with a color-protecting detergent. Make sure you wash it inside-out to protect the design (it’s a good idea to wash all of your clothes inside out as well). Stay alert! Pay attention to the washing machine cycle so you can pull it out as soon as it’s completed its final spin. Dry it in the dryer using the “normal settings.”
White T-shirts that have been worn often will eventually start forming yellowish stains around the collar and armpits. These stains are caused by sweat and deodorant, so a good way to combat this is to wait until your underams are completely dry before putting it on. Then, launder the shirt as soon as you’re done wearing it. It helps to use anti-stain products, but for stubborn discolorations, try making a paste from a super-detergent such as OxyClean. Let it sit for a while and then launder as usual.
Sometimes, though, a shirt cannot be saved and, beloved as it may be, wearing a stained T-shirt is mighty unsightly.
Finally, and this happens to the best of us, we don’t remember to remove the T-shirt from the dryer in time and it wrinkles. Or, it ends up stuffed in a drawer and it wrinkles. Or – well you get the picture. T-shirts have tendency to wrinkle, but that’s an easy enough fix.
Just set your iron to “low” or “cotton” and carefully iron them out. Be careful, though. Many a decal, iron-on transfer or custom designed logo has been ruined by an overheated, overzealous ironer. Remember to keep the shirt turned inside out, or place a towel over the trouble spot and try to unkink the wrinkle using patience and pressure.