How to Keep Your T-Shirts in Shape – Washing and Drying

Short answer: T-shirts lose their shape from heat, not from washing. Wash at 30 degrees, skip the fabric softener and keep the garments out of the tumble dryer, and the neckline, shoulders and length hold their shape many times longer than they otherwise would.

Heat is the real culprit

Hot water and hot air make the fibres shrink and the elastane turn brittle. A T-shirt washed at 60 degrees and tumbled has usually lost its shape after twenty times. The same garment lasts for years at 30 degrees with air drying.

Fabric softener does more harm than good

Softener feels soft, but it lays a film in the fibres that slows moisture transport and locks in odour. On a material such as bamboo viscose, whose whole advantage is moisture transport, softener works directly against the fabric. Use a liquid detergent without bleach instead.

Turn the garment inside out

In the wash the outer surface rubs against the drum and the rest of the laundry. Turn the T-shirt and it is the inside that takes the wear, while the surface stays smooth. It is the cheapest way to delay pilling, and it costs two seconds per garment when sorting.

Sort by weight, not only colour

Zips, hooks and velcro are what start pills and pull threads. So wash T-shirts with other light garments and not with jeans and jackets. That matters more to the surface than the wash temperature does, and it is easier to change.

Drying decides the shape

The tumble dryer is the single thing that costs the most shape. Hang the T-shirt to dry instead, but not on a narrow hanger, which pulls the shoulders into two points. Lay it flat on a rack or use a broad shouldered hanger until it is almost dry.

The neckline should not hang

The neckline is the first place to look worn. Never leave a T-shirt on a hanger in the wardrobe for weeks, because the weight pulls at exactly that edge. Fold the garments on a shelf instead, and the edge keeps its recovery many more months.

Storage between the seasons

Fold T-shirts away clean before they are put aside. Perspiration and skin oils left behind turn into yellow marks over a few months in a closed wardrobe. Store them dry and dark, so the colour does not fade through a window over the summer.

What cannot be fixed

Once the elastane has gone brittle from heat, the spring does not return, however carefully you wash afterwards. The same goes for a shrunk length. Care is therefore about avoiding the damage. See bamboo T-shirts for men and bamboo T-shirts for women. See also washing guide for bamboo clothing and bamboo and economy.