Mere being sportswear uniforms, baseball jerseys represent our team’s personal style, identity, and die-hard fans' passion. From fan shirts to stylish street wear jerseys or team uniforms, it's necessary to keep your baseball jersey shirts custom designs vibrant and functional all the time.
However, poor washing skills and drying can fade your shirt colours. Damage fabric or even distort custom designs! To maintain and extend the life of your custom jersey shirts, it’s better to follow proper care.
Below are the best tools and doors for washing custom baseball jerseys. No matter what customization options they have, featuring names, numbers or embroidery. Or if they have heat-press vinyl or sublimation prints, follow this complete guide to enjoy your jerseys for an everlasting time!
Why Proper Care Matters for Baseball Jersey Shirts Custom Designs
On custom jerseys, there are usually heat-pressed graphics. The jerseys feature stitched patches; sublimation prints with moisture-absorbing fabrics. These materials, being sensitive, need extra attention compared to the regular cotton T-shirts. Improper washing methods can lead to:
- Cracking or peeling shirt graphics
- Faded colors
- Shrink or shirt stretch
- Loose stitching
- Mesh/polyester fabric damage
Take care of your custom baseball jerseys to save money and maintain their aesthetic appearance. This way, the custom designs stay there on your shirts for years. This is especially relevant now given the recent controversy and player complaints over the new MLB uniform fabrics which were criticized for being too sheer and having fit issues.
Do’s for Washing Baseball Jersey Shirts Custom Designs
1. Read the Care Label Carefully
Before putting up your shirts for washing and drying, make sure to check your manufacturer’s tag inside the jersey. Different fabrics have different requirements and procedures for the right washing techniques. For example, polyester fabric has specific washing instructions. Follow those guidelines to maintain the proper colour and right fit for your next wear.
2. Turn the Jersey Inside Out
Turn your baseball jerseys inside out! This simple tip helps you protect the custom brands, numbers, and stitched names from unnecessary friction during washing. Ultimately, the outer surface faces minimal abrasion, leading to fewer chances for colour fading or design cracking.
3. Pre-treat Stains the Right Way
Baseball jerseys have so much dirt, grass, food and sweat stains. Make sure to gently wash it the right way with:
- Wash the jerseys with some mild stain remover
- Lightly rub the material with your fingertips
- Do not use harsh scrub tools, as they can damage the fibre
Before washing away the jerseys, let the stain remover liquid sit for 10–15 minutes.
4. Use Cold Water for Every Wash
When cleaning baseball jersey shirts with custom designs, clean and cold water helps you fix:
- Prevents colour fading
- Helps you protect your designs with heat-pressed vinyl
- Maintains the strength of the fibre polyester
- Keep your shirt size and shape in place
In contrast, if you lose water, the shirt material shrinks, and it can lose adhesives.
5. Use Mild or Sports-Safe Detergent
Do not use harsh detergents. For washing, always use:
- Free & clear detergent
- Sports fabric detergent
- Mild liquid detergent
Prefer washing baseball jerseys in these washing solutions to avoid any prints/fabric damage.
6. Select Gentle or Delicate Wash Cycle
Shirts' washing cycles protect threads, graphics and mesh panels. Maintain your jersey’s structural integrity.
7. Wash Jerseys Separately or With Similar Fabrics
Want to prevent colour bleeding??? Always wash your jerseys separately from other fabrics:
- Always wash your jerseys with athletic wear
- Do not wash custom jerseys with denim, towels, or jackets
- Put your zippers and sharp buttons away so there is no friction damage to the sports wear.
8. Air Dry the Jersey Properly
Air drying is the best possible solution to dry baseball jersey shirts custom designs.
- Hang your sportswear on padded hangers
- Place your jerseys on a clean towel
- Do not put it in direct sunlight for washing
Air drying helps you avoid any heat damage, melting, or fabric shrinking problems. If you switch to other drying options, there is excessive heat damage with fabric shrinking problems.
9. Store the Jersey Correctly
Is your jersey fully dry? Now:
- Hang it in your ventilated closet
- Use wide/padded shoulder hangers to store jerseys
- Do not store sportswear in heat-pressed areas
With proper storage choices, maintain your shirts wrinkle-free for a long time.
Don’ts for Washing Baseball Jersey Shirts Custom Designs
1. Don’t Use Bleach or Harsh Chemicals
Do not use chlorine or oxygen-based bleaches, as they can:
- Fade colors
- Damage stitching
- Weaken polyester
Sometimes, when the jersey shades are white, people unknowingly use bleaching agents. Do not try this!
2. Don’t Use Fabric Softener
Fabric softeners help you coat the fibres for better:
- Prevent moisture drying performance
- It makes the material hard and stiff over time
- Fabric softeners damage the vinyl prints and adhesives
So, it’s better to skip the softener for all kinds of sports fabrics.
3. Don’t Wash in Hot Water
Hot water causes:
- Shrinkage
- Peeling prints
- Loose embroidery
Are the stains hard to remove? Stills, professionals do not recommend using hot water. Make sure to wash all your sports fabric in cold or lukewarm water.
4. Don’t Throw Jerseys Into the Dryer
Never dry out your jerseys in a dryer machine. As it will damage your custom shirt designs.
- Cracked heat press graphics
- Due to machine drying, the wrinkles are never-ending
- Melted vinyl/messy sublimation prints
If necessary, use no-heat or air-only drying settings. But always make sure to air-dry your first choice!
5. Don’t Iron Directly on Designs
High heat can melt vinyl and burn your sublimated prints. If there is no way out of ironing, make sure to:
- Turn the jersey inside out
- Use low heat
- Place a light cloth between the iron and the fabric.
Use a steamer to remove any wrinkles, if present, safely.
6. Don’t Scrub Aggressively
Rough or harsh scrubbing can cause:
- Mesh fabric tearing
- Distorted logos
- Cause pilling
Treat light or dark, all stains gently.
7. Don’t Leave the Jersey in the Washer
Did you leave your jersey in the wet washing machine for a long time? Be vigilant, as it will cause:
- Wrinkles
- Color bleeding
- Bad odor
- Weakening of the fabric
Take the jerseys out immediately after washing.
8. Don’t Wear Until Fully Dry
Do you habitually wear damp jerseys? It causes excessive wrinkles that are very hard to remove! So, before wearing the sportswear, make sure to dry it completely.
Conclusion
Baseball jerseys with custom graphics are far ahead of just being a sportswear uniform. They are all about team pride, athletic identity, with personal creativity skills. Keep your baseball jersey shirts custom designs in the best possible shape with proper washing techniques. Be sure to follow the dos to avoid colour fading problems.
Do not aggressively scrub or bleach your custom shirts. The rising trend of streetwear and retro-inspired jersey designs means fans are wearing these items more often, making proper care even more crucial for longevity. Wear these jerseys for sports, fan events or street style fashion. But follow proper care and maintenance steps to make them look as good as the day you bought them! Keep your baseball jerseys in the best possible shape and ready for season after season.
Visit Affordable Uniforms Online today to get premium-quality custom baseball jerseys for the next tournament!
