How to Wash Dress Shirts

No matter how well you take care of your shirts, they’re going to get dirty. That’s just a fact of life. They absorb sweat, get spilled on, and rubbed on. Cuffs collect dirt, and babies might puke on the shoulders. 

The point is you need to wash your Dress Shirts. This can pose a challenge for some people because dress shirts require special care.

However, no worries; we’re going to clear things up. Here’s everything you need to know about washing dress shirts.

Pre-Treat Your Stains

First things first, let’s talk about stain management. The number one rule of dealing with stains is not to let them set in. The quicker you pre-treat them, the easier they’ll be to wash out.

The moment your shirt is stained, wet it down with plain water. This will prevent the stain from setting in, so it’s not as deeply embedded in the fabric. That said, it makes a difference what temperature water you use.

Animal-based stains – including dairy and blood – can actually get baked in by hot water, so you need to wet them down with cool water. Other stains respond better to warmer water.

The goal here is to saturate the fabric, so the staining material has nowhere to penetrate. To achieve this, dab the water onto the backside of the cloth.

Wash Your Shirt

Many dress shirts can be safely washed in your home’s washing machine.

In that case, it’s best to use the coolest water possible to avoid wearing out the fabric.

The one exception to this rule is oil-based stains. With these stains, a warm water wash will do a better job of getting the stain out.

Hand Wash Only?

If your dress shirt is hand wash only, you don’t need to panic. Hand washing isn’t as hard as you might think.

Fill your laundry tub or sink with lukewarm water, and mix in a mild laundry detergent. Then, swish the shirt around for five minutes without scrubbing it. There should be plenty of water flowing through the material. In most cases, this will completely clean the shirt, but if it doesn’t, you can repeat the process with fresh water.

When your shirt is clean, don’t forget to rinse! The last thing you want is a crinkly, soapy shirt.

Hang Dry and Iron

The best way to dry a dress shirt is to hang dry it. This will leave it as smooth as possible, so the ironing process will be easier.

However, if you are in a hurry and want to speed things up, you can put most dress shirts in the dryer on permanent press mode. Just make sure not to leave it in for longer than eight minutes, or it could get damaged.

The optimal ironing speed will depend on the material.

Cotton and cotton blends need to be ironed at higher temperatures. Synthetics like polyester, on the other hand, can burn if they’re ironed on high heat and should be ironed in a cooler setting. When in doubt, check your shirt’s label for instructions.

If you want to make your shirt a little stiffer, use some spray starch before ironing.

Final Thoughts

Now that you know how to wash a dress shirt, you can use this guide for repeated reference. Knowing how to wash and dry your shirt the right way will ensure that they last a long time and maintain its wearability.

We hope this guide has been very helpful. No dress shirt should ever be washed improperly. Especially if you wear them on a regular basis for work or those dressy occasions. 

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