Cotton shirts: dry clean or machine wash and iron?
Discussion
Sweat/bacteria management is key. Even if you're not a particularly sweaty person, it's still possible to ruin a shirt over time by not getting it properly clean each wash.
Keep a spray bottle of borax solution in the laundry basket. Skoosh the sweaty armpit areas as soon as you take the shirt off. Then you can get away with a lower wash temp (30 degrees will not kill bacteria from sweat, but as mentioned above a 70 degree wash won't help longevity or the planet). Next most beneficial thing is not leaving them in the laundry basket for long. If you only do a load of shirts once a week, the oldest shirt has been festering for a week. Washing as soon as you can will keep them fresher for longer. 3 loads at 30 degrees is probably better for the planet than 1 load at 70 degrees anyway.
Dry cleaning will be fine, providing the above rules are adhered to as well. Don't leave them festering and do one drop off per week. For that reason alone, I'd stick to frequent home machine washes instead.
Keep a spray bottle of borax solution in the laundry basket. Skoosh the sweaty armpit areas as soon as you take the shirt off. Then you can get away with a lower wash temp (30 degrees will not kill bacteria from sweat, but as mentioned above a 70 degree wash won't help longevity or the planet). Next most beneficial thing is not leaving them in the laundry basket for long. If you only do a load of shirts once a week, the oldest shirt has been festering for a week. Washing as soon as you can will keep them fresher for longer. 3 loads at 30 degrees is probably better for the planet than 1 load at 70 degrees anyway.
Dry cleaning will be fine, providing the above rules are adhered to as well. Don't leave them festering and do one drop off per week. For that reason alone, I'd stick to frequent home machine washes instead.
Not especially sweaty. I'm not jogging to work in them or anything. 
I'm just exaggerating my point that the key to cotton shirt longevity is minimising the time they spend unwashed. Spray immediately, then get them clean quickly, and they'll last longer. That time spend unlaundered is far more detrimental than the choice of machine vs dry-clean.
I'm just exaggerating my point that the key to cotton shirt longevity is minimising the time they spend unwashed. Spray immediately, then get them clean quickly, and they'll last longer. That time spend unlaundered is far more detrimental than the choice of machine vs dry-clean. I've had work shirts from Next last well over a year and more and still look as new.
Just washed on 40 degree mixed wash at the end of the week with all the other shirts with some Daz.
If they are more expensive and heavyweight shirts I don't see how they wouldn't last in a normal wash or maybe your washing machine needs an upgrade.
Just washed on 40 degree mixed wash at the end of the week with all the other shirts with some Daz.
If they are more expensive and heavyweight shirts I don't see how they wouldn't last in a normal wash or maybe your washing machine needs an upgrade.
Radec said:
I've had work shirts from Next last well over a year and more and still look as new.
Just washed on 40 degree mixed wash at the end of the week with all the other shirts with some Daz.
If they are more expensive and heavyweight shirts I don't see how they wouldn't last in a normal wash or maybe your washing machine needs an upgrade.
I think any shirt will last a year with no care whatsoever. I'd want a good shirt to last 2-3 years minimum, worn once every week or two. That way you can justify made-to-measure at £90 or even bespoke at £150 for similar outlay as high-street shirts replaced yearly (with a bit of man-maths thrown in).Just washed on 40 degree mixed wash at the end of the week with all the other shirts with some Daz.
If they are more expensive and heavyweight shirts I don't see how they wouldn't last in a normal wash or maybe your washing machine needs an upgrade.
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