1. Wash your football shirt separately
Where possible, wash football shirts on their own rather than with your everyday clothing.
Other garments can create unnecessary friction against the shirt and may contain zips, buttons or other materials that can catch on delicate fabric, sponsors or namesets. There is also a risk of colour transfer, particularly with vintage or darker shirts.
If you have several shirts that need washing, they can be washed together where you are confident that the colours are compatible.
2. Always wash the shirt inside out
Before putting your shirt in the washing machine, turn it inside out.
This helps reduce direct friction against the outside of the shirt, helping to protect the fabric, printed details, badges, sponsors and namesets.
For shirts with particularly delicate details, we also recommend placing the shirt inside a washing bag. This provides another layer of protection and helps reduce friction during the wash cycle.
3. Keep the temperature low
We recommend washing football shirts at 30°C or below.
A cold or low-temperature wash is gentler on the materials used in football shirts and helps reduce the risk of damage to heat-applied details.
30°C maximum.
There is rarely a need to use a hot wash on a football shirt. Keeping the temperature low is a simple way to reduce unnecessary stress on the garment and its applied details.
4. Never use fabric softener
Do not use fabric softener when washing football shirts.
Fabric softeners can contribute to the deterioration of adhesives used on heat-applied namesets, numbers, sponsors and other details. Over time, this can increase the risk of lifting, cracking or other damage.
For valuable, vintage or particularly delicate shirts, keeping the wash as simple as possible is the safest approach.
One final tip: air dry naturally
After washing, allow the shirt to air dry naturally. Avoid tumble drying, radiators and other high-heat sources, particularly with vintage shirts or shirts featuring older namesets and sponsor applications.
A little extra care when washing can make a huge difference to the lifespan of your football shirt.