The gentleman’s guide to washing a shirt

Getting fed up of those hefty dry-cleaning bills? Surprisingly, perhaps, many men today still send their shirts off to other people for cleaning and care, but now’s the time to take a stand and regain control of a key wardrobe item.

Washing a shirt doesn’t have to be difficult or expensive – so, read on to discover how you can save on your dry-cleaning bills.

Let’s face it – there are far better things to be spending your hard-earned cash on than dry cleaning bills. That’s why we’ve created this handy guide on everything you need to know about washing your shirts the right way.

First thing and crucial if you don’t want to end up with a pink or grey shirt is to separate colours from your whites. Always wash whites on their own – it’s not worth taking the risk, even if the colours look safe enough.

Make sure you undo all the buttons and turn the shirt inside out – this prevents the buttons from getting chipped against the washing machine.

Stubborn stain removal doesn’t have to be hard with a little help from France.

Unfortunately, washing machines can’t take care of stubborn stains without a little help. For those stubborn stains like wine, or chocolate, Marseille Soap does a great job. As the name suggests, it’s a soap originating from Marseille made up of vegetable oils – making it a cost-effective and easy to use stain removing solution.

Pour some cold water on the stain and rub the soap against it. Leave for around ten minutes allowing the soap to lather on the shirt. Rinse with cold water and your shirt is ready for the washing machine.

Before you hit the start button on your washing machine take some time out to read the labels on your shirts.

A 30-40°C wash is usually a safe bet for your shirts but do check the label first!

Traditionally, bleach is used when washing shirts but this is neither environmentally friendly, or good for your health. There is a wide range of friendlier detergents out there so it’s worth checking your supermarket’s offerings, and old-fashioned bicarbonate of soda is making something of a trendy comeback. 

When the washing cycle is complete you want to be air drying your shirts. Whilst this isn’t always convenient even air-drying within your home over a wardrobe door is a better alternative than a tumble dryer.

If you must use a tumble dryer for your shirts, ensure it’s on the lowest setting.

Mastering the iron is an essential skill for crisp looking shirts without those annoying creases

Yes, we know, it’s hardly an exciting chore, but learning how to iron a shirt correctly is important for great looking shirts. It’s a detailed process that we think is best described by this blog over at GQ.

So, there you have it, a little bit of effort when washing your shirts can keep you looking great and save you money. What’s not to like about that?