You’ll concur with me that polo shirts are a necessity for every wardrobe, whether you prefer wearing long or short sleeves. However, do you know how to wash polo shirts?
Polo shirts have become necessary for anyone looking for a casual yet fashionable style, and washing them properly is crucial to maintaining them in good condition.
Here is what you should have in mind how to wash polo shirts.
How to Wash Polo Shirts?
Here is a step-by-step guide on how to wash a polo shirt.
Step 1: Check the Fabric’s Quality
Initially, pique, a knit fabric, was the sole material utilized to create polo shirts. But since then, additional polos in a range of materials—including cotton, Pima cotton, and polyester—have become available.
You must be cautious when handling the fabric of your polo because you do not want to reduce its quality by using a wrong washing method. The label tag on your polo shirt is the best place to look for information about the fabric.
Polo shirts constructed from pique, cotton, and pima cotton fabric are lightweight, durable, and breathable. Pique polo shirts offer a more fashionable appearance and are more sweat-resistant due to their knit fabric pattern.
However, because of their higher thread count and softer feel, Pima cotton polos are more comfortable to wear. Both, however, are prone to shrinkage, so if you’re asking, “When they are cleaned, do polo shirts shrink?” You already know the solution.
Polyester polos, on the other hand, are among the best polos for stain resistance. They are less prone to shrinkage and creases due to their excellent strength and durability. You know which one to choose if you have a long day in the sun ahead of you because they are also the best at staying dry.
Step 2: Get Your Polo Shirt Ready to Wash
Your polo cannot be simply thrown in the washing machine along with the rest of your clothing and expected to come out spotless.
The collar of a polo shirt needs to be flawless in order to look good, right? So, if you discard your polo without taking care of the aforementioned collar, the collars will be curled and wrinkled.
You should be attentive to your polo shirts and follow the below-mentioned guidelines to keep them in top shape and fit:
- Completely button up the polo’s collar.
- Inside out the polo shirt.
- Flip the collar up.
Your polo collars won’t flop around if you do it this way.
Step 3: Separate Your Laundry Pile
This step is important because you don’t want any of your polo shirts to unintentionally turn a different color. Therefore, when creating your weekly laundry pile, you should simply exercise extra caution.
Before you start washing your polo shirts, keep the following things in mind:
- Always put lighter-colored clothing in the washer with your lighter-colored polo shirts.
- Never wash a dark-colored shirt with a light-colored item; doing so will make the polo shirt appear faded.
- Striped polo shirts can be washed with white and colored clothes.
- Red bleeds, so you must avoid washing any red clothing with white or other colored polo shirts as well as any red clothing with red-striped polo shirts.
Step 4: Choose a Mild Or Gentle Liquid Laundry Detergent
The next step in your how to wash polo shirts guide is to select a gentle detergent for your polos.
Finding a gentle detergent is essential because the majority of detergents contain harsh chemicals for removing heavy and difficult stains. Check the detergents’ ingredients to see if they are safe for your polo shirts.
When it comes to selecting the best detergent, keep the following guidelines in mind:
- Bleach detergents should not be used; they are extremely toxic and will quickly ruin your polo shirts.
- In the event that bleach is necessary, only use non-chlorine bleach on white polo shirts.
Step 5: Wash Your Polo With Cold Water
It’s finally time to wash your polo shirts. Set your machine to run only one cycle of cold water. Allow the polos to finish their cycle before removing them right away.
Because warm water loosens the fabric and increases its susceptibility to shrinking, it is strictly forbidden to wash clothing in warm water.
Step 6: Allow Your Polo Shirt to Dry
Most people are worried about the question, “The dryer is safe to use with polo shirts.” Yes, but only if you don’t have enough time to let it air dry.
Keep the collars up on your polo shirts as you tumble-dry them in the dryer on low heat. Because most polo shirts are delicate, any temperature above moderate will ruin them.
The polos should be taken out of the dryer as soon as they are completely dry to prevent wrinkles.
If you have the time, air drying your polo shirts is preferable. Just take your shirts out of the washer and set them on a towel or a drying rack to dry. Place them close to a window or other open space to avoid having the fabric damaged by direct sunlight.
How Often Should You Wash Polo Shirts?
Simply wash the shirt whenever a stain or an overt body odor is detected. There is no risk of destroying the polo shirt as long as you follow the above instructions.
Although it’s perfectly acceptable to hand wash your polo shirt, doing so is not necessary because contemporary washing machines are kind enough to the fabric.
How to Avoid Stains in Your Polo Shirt?
Just like any other wear, polo shirts can have sweat stain, especially in the armpit areas. You can solve the sweat stains issue even though most washing detergents might struggle to do so with your polo shirts. The best solution may be in your deodorant selection.
Your polos and other clothes’s yellow stains are primarily caused by deodorants with aluminum in them.
The yellow stains are brought on by the mixture of aluminum and your organic sweat. You might not feel comfortable wearing your favorite polo shirt if this is not controlled.
Avoid using deodorants with aluminum, and you can wear your best polos without worrying about getting yellow stains on your armpit areas.
How to Store Your Polos?
Most men’s polo shirts are likely to have curling collars. Your polos will stay in the best condition if you neatly iron them after drying them with some starch sprays.
You have the option of hanging or folding your polo shirts.
To keep your polo in the best condition and minimize wrinkling when hanging, use a sturdy hanger. You can also fold them to stop stretching your polo shirts.
Final Words: How to Wash Polo Shirts
Some polo shirts are delicate. Before washing the polo in cold water, pretreat stains to improve your chances of getting them out.
Polo shirts can then be dried by hand to preserve the fabric. Washing delicately will extend the life of your shirts.
Now that you know how to wash polo shirts properly, it’s time to throw them in the washer!
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FAQs
What Temperature to Wash Polo Shirts?
Most polo shirts should be washed in cold water and either air dried or dried in a dryer on low heat.
How to Hang Dry Polo Shirts?
Place your polo shirt well under the sleeves over a drying rack or a clothesline.
How Do You Wash Polo Shirts So They Don’t Shrink?
A cold rinse cycleis guaranteed to keep your shirts the same size as they went in.
