Keep Your Custom Garments looking new!
Wash in cold water
The number one way to keep your clothes looking new longer is to wash them in COLD water! Not only is washing in COLD water easier on your clothes, it costs way less than washing with warm and/or HOT water! The US department of Energy tells us that washing your clothes in COLD water lowers your laundry costs by a whopping 90%!!
Cold Water Detergents
Can you get your clothes clean by washing in COLD water alone? The answer is YES! There are a number of eco-friendly and affordable COLD water laundry detergent options. Check out this article in Discover Magazine to see their top choices.
Get rid of detergents altogether!
What would you say if I told you that you can not only get your clothes clean in COLD water but that you can do it without laundry detergent at all? You can. How do I know? We've been doing it for years with our ECO-Wash system we purchased at Daniel's Discount Hardware and Appliances when we purchased our last washing machine! The Eco-Wash system eliminates the need for detergents through an advanced oxidation process and is infused with powerful activated oxygen and negative ions. The infused water then travels through a static mixer and generates hydroxyl radicals to destroy germs and bacteria. Pure and powerful oxidized water exits the EcoWasher to disinfect and deep clean your clothing, towels, surfaces and more!
You might think that I'm telling you about the ECO-Wash system because we get a commission or an affiliate fee from the company...but we do not. I'm telling you this because I know it works from personal experience. Our clothes come out clean...they don't shrink from HOT water, and they smell fresh. Graphics don't wear out faster either, because COLD water is gentle on them!
Inside Out
Inside Out...a kickin' song you might remember by the Mighty Lemon Drops in the 80's...or the Inside Out by Eve 6 in the late 90's , but we are talking about the inside out that makes you nuts...clothes in the laundry inside out! While your instinct is to put them right-side out, DON'T!! Any customized apparel should go in the wash inside out to keep the graphics and transfers from rubbing against other items in the laundry. They will come out clean. The graphics will last longer. And you can turn them right side out when they come off the line or out of the dryer (that was on low heat!).
Let's examine the pro's and con's of the leading T-shirt and
100% Cotton is great if you want shirts that can take high heat transfer applications! 100% Cotton is also the most breathable, they're easy on the skin, and feel great on! Cotton is usually the most affordable option if you are watching your budget.
That being said, there are downsides to cotton. Cotton garments can shrink, wrinkle, stain and absorb and hold onto moisture.
100% Polyester Shirts have been extremely popular especially in the athletic areas due to their moisture management properties. They can be lightweight, durable and resistant to wrinkling. On the negative side, Polyester is less breathable, clingy, irritates the skin, and is restricted as far as printing methods. The price can be higher than other garments, depending on the brand.
A Cotton/Poly blend can be the best of both worlds. Garments made from a cotton/poly or a tri blend are usually super soft, look great on and are extremely popular. Due to the blend, there may be printing restrictions due to the possibility of scorching the fabric.
100% Cotton
By far the most common and popular fabric for T-shirts, cotton is a fluffy, natural vegetable fiber obtained from the seedpod of the cotton plant. The fiber is most often spun into yarn or thread and used to make the soft, breathable fabric everyone knows and loves.
Most of your T-shirts are probably cotton or partially cotton. After all, it’s the fabric of our lives if you believe commercials. It also happens to be hypoallergenic, which is a huge plus for the itchy/rashy types. Cotton as a fabric dates back to prehistoric times.
These are some of our favorites
Premium: Bella+Canavs Fine Jersey (3001C) – Fitted, soft, well-constructed, smooth print surface. One of the most popular tees for retail and merch.
Standard: Hanes Beefy-T (4980) – A classic tee with solid construction by the famous Hanes brand. Most are tagless or tear-away tags.
Budget: Gildan Heavy Cotton (G500) – The best value for the price and one of our most popular T-shirts, especially for large bulk orders.
100% Polyester
Polyester is a durable, synthetic fabric with excellent resiliency. Low moisture absorbency allows the fabric to dry quickly, also known as “moisture-wicking”. It’s so scared of water they call it hydrophobic. This material always keeps its shape, so there’s almost zero shrinking or stretching, regardless of what kind of extreme wash and dry cycle you put it through.
As a performance fabric, it’s a favorite of athletes and adventurous outdoor types who subject themselves to extreme conditions. And although a trip to your local gym might tell you otherwise, polyester is also somewhat odor-resistant, because the stink departs with evaporating sweat. Plus it doesn’t stain as easily as other fabrics. There’s a lot to love with poly.
100% Polyester always keeps its shape, so there’s almost zero shrinking or stretching, regardless of what kind of extreme wash and dry cycle you put it through.Check out some of our popular 100% polyester T-shirts:
Premium: Nike Legend Tee (727982) – High-quality construction, moisture-wicking, temperature regulating, ultra-tight knit for great printing.
Standard: Augusta Sportswear NexGen Wicking T-shirt (790) – Excellent moisture-wicking knit fabric, may run a bit small, so talk to a sales rep before ordering.
Budget: Team 365 Performance T-shirt (TT11) – Polyester interlock knit. Moisture-wicking and UV protection. The best value for the price and our most popular poly.
Blends
A blend– as you might guess– is a yarn or fabric that is made up of more than one type of fiber. Blends are huge right now, making up a massive percentage of the T-shirt market, and for good reason. Blended fabrics are the best of both worlds– or in the case of tri-blends, the best of three worlds.
In the category of blends, there are three types:
- 50/50: Also known as cotton/poly, this material is half cotton, half polyester.
- CVC: (Chief Value Cotton) is typically 60% cotton, 40% polyester.
- Tri-Blend: Made from cotton, polyester, and rayon. The ratio is 50/25/25.
Cotton-poly blends
Cotton-poly blends, including 50/50s and CVCs, combine the softness and natural feel of cotton with polyester’s temperature-regulating and moisture-wicking properties. They also tend to shrink less, wrinkle less, and are more durable and stain-resistant than their cotton counterparts. It’s a win/win for blends.
Here are our favorite cotton/poly blends:
Premium: Bella+Canvas Heather CVC T-shirt (3001CVC) – Lightweight, fitted, 52/48 mix, airloom combed ringspun cotton, quality construction, side-seamed.
Standard: Next Level CVC Crew T-shirt (N6210) – Fitted, 60/40 mix, ringspun cotton for smooth printing, and side-seamed for a perfect fit.
Budget: Gildan DryBlend 50/50 T-shirt (G800) – 50/50 mix, moisture-wicking, best value for the price, and our most popular cotton-poly blend.
Tri-Blend: The best of all three worlds
Tri-blends are head and shoulders above other T-shirts when it comes to softness. The combination of polyester, cotton, and rayon form a powerful alliance that will make you want to wear it every day. The combination of breathability, durability, flexibility, and drape makes it a winner in all categories.
Believe it or not, this fabric type has only been on the market for around 20 years. In that short time, it’s become one of the most popular fabrics in the T-shirt business
When people rave about their favorite T-shirt, it tends to be a tri-blend. There are very few downsides. But there are a few things to keep in mind:
- They tend to be more fitted than their counterparts, also known as fashion fit, slim fit, or retail fit. This should not affect which size to order– because of the rayon and polyester they have more give (or stretch).
- They are mostly all “heathered” with few exceptions, meaning they have a speckled pattern to the fabric. This is due to the mix of fabrics. Just something to be aware of.
- They may be irritant to some people’s skin. Only a small percentage of people are allergic to synthetic fabrics, but for others, it may be just the way the material feels on their skin that they don’t like.
- They are typically at a higher price point than their counterparts.
Here are some top picks among the tri-blends:
Premium: Next level Tri-Blend Short-Sleeve T-Shirt 6010 – Ultra-lightweight, fitted, high-quality construction that uses 50% cotton, 25% ring-spun cotton and 25% rayon for a super-soft feel
Standard: District Perfect TriBlend Crew T-shirt DM130 – Ultra-lightweight, fitted, excellent fit, combed ring-spun cotton, side-seamed, and retail-ready.