Scents & Care - Your ultimate guide to caring for printed t-shirts

Man, mid-30s, wearing a green T-shirt stands in front of a washing machine and smiles.

A touch of chemistry: Don't worry, this is normal!

Fresh out of the packaging, printed T-shirts can give off a chemical scent. But don't worry, there's no need to panic! This smell is a distinctive sign of custom printed garments. The scent is fleeting and will disappear quickly. Whether it's T-shirts, hoodies or other printed clothing - they all share this little secret.

The art of care: This is how your printed T-shirts stay beautiful for a long time

Caring for printed T-shirts is an art in itself. But don't worry, we have put together the golden rules for you:

  1. Cool laundry: Wash your T-shirt at a maximum of 30° C.
  2. Powder Power: Use powder detergent instead of liquid detergent.
  3. Inside Out: Turn your t-shirt inside out before washing.
  4. Dryer ban: Allow your T-shirt to air dry instead of in the tumble dryer.
  5. Chemical waiver: No chemical cleaning.

Sometimes you can make exceptions and wash your t-shirt at 40°C or even put it in the dryer. But be careful, this depends on the material and type of printing.

A short excursion into the world of printing techniques

  • Digital printing : Caution is advised here, as the print motif can lose color every time it is washed. So be sure to follow our golden rules! Another tip: hand washing is the gentlest method for digitally printed T-shirts.
  • Flex printing : This printing technology is a real endurance runner. The printed motifs are robust and tolerate frequent washing well.
  • Flock printing : Even more resistant than flex printing - a real marathon runner among printing techniques.
  • Sublimation printing : T-shirts printed using this technique can be washed at 40°C.
  • Screen printing : This type of printing is considered to be of particularly high quality. Washing up to 40°C is permitted here.

Remember to always read the care instructions on your t-shirt. When in doubt, safety comes first, so take good care of your T-shirt.

Stain alert: How to get rid of sweat and deodorant stains

Have you washed your T-shirt at 30°C but the deodorant stains are still visible and it smells? Don't worry, we have the solution for you:

White t-shirts

What you need:

  • 2 tbsp citric acid (in powder form)
  • 1 liter of water

This is how you do it:

  1. Get citric acid powder from the drugstore. Mix two tablespoons of it in a liter of water until the powder is completely dissolved.
  2. Allow your white t-shirt to soak in this solution overnight.
  3. The next day, wash it in the washing machine as usual.

Black or colorful T-shirts

What you need:

  • Vinegar essence
  • Water

How to proceed:

  1. Vinegar essence is a true all-rounder and is available in every drugstore. It is more gentle on colors than citric acid and is therefore better suited for colorful clothing. Dilute the vinegar essence with water according to the manufacturer's instructions.
  2. Allow the t-shirt to soak for an hour or more.
  3. Then wash the T-shirt as usual.

Ironing without burn marks: this is how it works!

Ironing printed T-shirts can be a tricky business. If the print comes into contact with the hot iron, it may burn or stick to the iron. Here are our tips:

  1. Always iron the T-shirt inside out.
  2. Make sure that different print motifs do not touch each other when ironing.
  3. Do not iron the T-shirt too hot: a maximum of 110°C is permitted.
  4. For T-shirts that are printed using the flex printing process, you should iron on the lowest setting.
  5. When printing digitally: do not use steam.
  6. Our insider tip: Place a piece of baking paper on the print. This conducts the ironing heat, but prevents the print from burning or sticking.

Rescue in an emergency: How to bleach your T-shirts

One small mistake during washing and it happened: your white T-shirt turned pink! Before you throw it away, try bleaching it. But be careful: do not use harsh chemical agents such as chlorine bleach. Here are our tips:

Home remedy 1: vinegar or citric acid

These home remedies are not only effective against sweat stains. You can also conjure up gray haze and slight discoloration from your laundry. Simply soak overnight and then wash as usual.

Home remedy 2: Baking powder, soda or baking soda

For more severe discoloration, you can try soda, baking powder or baking soda. Dissolve a spoonful or two of the powder in a liter of warm water and soak the discolored shirts in it overnight. You should then wash them in the washing machine.

Conclusion

Caring for printed T-shirts is not rocket science. With our tips and tricks, the print motif will remain fresh and lively even after years. For further care tips for your clothing, take a look at our page with detailed textile care tips.