Washing and Ironing Shirts

Dress shirts and blouses can be such a pain to wash and iron but you need to know how to do it because there are always those occasions when you those certain clothing items. If you carefully launder dress shirts, they can last for years. If you invest in a nice shirt or blouse and maintain its quality, you can keep them for years and years.

You first need to wash your shirts often so you can remove any perspiration stains before they set in. With white shirts especially you need to watch out for perspiration stains and also be aware of the smell underneath the sleeves. If the smell is less than pleasant you should wash the shirt so the smell and stain don't set in. Wash your shirts and blouses on a delicate setting so you can preserve the fabric and integrity of the garment.

When laundering your shirts make sure to pre-treat any spots with a stain remover and wash in the warmest water recommended for the fabric. To avoid shrinking, you should also take shirts out of the dryer while they're still damp. When your shirts and blouses can air dry it prevents shrinking and does less overall wear and tear on the clothes.

Clean ring-around-the-collar with cornstarch. You don't need to buy new shirts. Just get rid of those oily ring-around-the-collar stains on your old shirts. It's easy and inexpensive with cornstarch and water. Make a paste, apply it to the collar, let it dry, and brush it off. Another economical way to get our these stains is to rub in a little white chalk before laundering, or dab it with a moist cloth dipped in borax.

When you iron your shirts take your time and do it section by section. Use starch to give your blouses and shirts an extra crispness and don't hurry. Iron first the collar and the cuffs and then proceed to the back, sides, and front. Take your time on each section of the garment and take care not to make scorch marks with the iron.

Laundering and ironing your shirts doesn't have to be a chore and you can preserve your clothes for much longer if you can follow these simple steps. Good luck in all your laundering and ironing endeavors!