When you purchase personalized apparel, you want it to last - maybe even earn a home in the the keepsake trunk! 

Personalized tees and apparel go a long way in making celebrations, milestones, first days, and moments extra special. Taking care of them should not make laundry more tedious than it is. 

In this Oh Boy! blog post, we will talk about easy to follow tips to keep your personalized custom tees and apparel living their best life. We have found these tips work great for heat press, screen print, sublimation, and applique or embroidery tees, rompers, bibs, and more. The bulk of our inventory falls into the personalized category and we would hate to see you love us less just because we kept these simple laundry tips under wraps!

Keep reading to find out how to get the most out of your personalized or custom tees and apparel. 

FIrst things first - Wash your custom apparel inside out with cold water....with like colors, of course! I lam notorious for stuffing the washing machine too full... but when it comes to our dressy or sentimental pieces, I definitely try to keep the load small. Throwing a color catcher in the wash is never a bad idea. I have found this to be especially true for designs or fabrics with lots of reds and hot pinks! Those colors tend to need a little extra attention from time to time.  Avoid using fabric softener! Using fabric softener can reduce the life span of most custom apparel and designs. Not to mention most custom apparel is going to be soft and comfy without the added chemicals, so it really isn't a need. 

Set the timer! As SOON as the washing cycle completes - REMOVE your apparel from the washing machine!  Allowing your custom apparel to sit in the washing machine is one of the biggest mistakes you can make. I believe this is true for all clothing - and it just so happens to be the one I struggle with the most. 

Hang it up! Lay it flat! Whatever you do, please avoid sending little one's adorable clothing through anything more than a short, low heat tumble in the dryer. The heat generated from the dryer and hot water washing are the major causes of color fading and clothing shrinkage...especially with cotton fabrics 

What about those pesky stains???

We are dealing with baby and kid's tee shirts and clothes, and know messes are going to happen. Avoiding getting any type of stain remover on the design of your custom apparel is so important to the life span of your custom wear.  My top go to laundry tip for stains on custom tees is a handy dandy Q-TIP!  Use stain remover, (or my favorite...blue dawn) on a cotton swab to target the exact area of the stubborn stain. This method will allow you to get super to close to spots that are near the design without risking damage to the design itself. 

Wrinkles, Wrinkles, Winkles!!!

If you find your custom apparel needing to be ironed, try to avoid touching the design with the Iron. I like to flip my tees over and iron from the back. Another option is using a sheet of teflon over the design to protect it while getting the wrinkles out. This method also works for 'repairing' applique or heat transfers that don't fare so well in an accidental over-sized trip in the wash or find themselves in the dryer. Before you toss it out, wash it by hand, lay it flat to dry, and then iron with caution. You will likely be pleasantly surprised in the outcome! 

Do you have any extra special laundry tips for baby and kid's personalized apparel for us to try and share?  Let us know!