Sun. Feb 9th, 2025

If you’ve lived in the last two decades, you’ve probably owned at least one piece of screen-printed apparel. Either a shirt featuring company logos, hoodies with all-time favorite film quotes or clothes with iconic characters, you have some hanging in your closet.

We’re confident that a few of the printed hoodies aren’t worth your time to care. However, there are surely a handful of printed clothes that you’d like to preserve in top shape for as long as possible.

It could be complicated to wash hoodies properly because they frequently have prints that fade over a period of time. Some hoodies can also lose their shape in the wash. Thus, we’ve put together a list of 6 valuable tips to help keep your hoodie prints fresh.

1. Turn Your Hoodies Inside Out Before You Wash Them

Turning the hoodie inside out will reduce the amount of direct contact between its prints with other clothes. This approach is straightforward and effective, and it will help printed graphics last longer. You may use this trick on other items as well to keep their hue from deteriorating.

Additionally, you can use this trick to retain the design on your hoodie while also making it neat and fresh. You will know what we are talking about if you have ever laundered a hoodie with poor-quality print.

Furthermore, zip your hoodies up so that they will not hook on other clothes in the washer. If you are washing hoodies with drawstrings, tie the string to keep it from slipping out during washing.

2. Wash Your Hoodies with Cold Water

Cold water is a better choice for washing clothes in general. And, in most circumstances, cold water will suffice, so there’s no need to use hot water.

Importantly, you should wash most of your clothing in cold water in most cases. Warmer water tends to affect the plastic-like qualities of silk motifs in cotton clothing. As a result, they are likely to bubble, split, and peel in extreme conditions.

Meanwhile, there’s a more sustainable way you can try. You can hand wash your hoodie if you have extra time. Soak your coat for 20 minutes with an adequate amount of detergent and cold water, then rinse in a small tub.

3. Try Not to Use Bleach or Fabric Softeners

Any detergent type will suffice. It’s all you need to keep your hoodie looking clean and fresh. Bleach or powerful detergents such as softeners may harm prints on clothing, such as vinyl prints.

Besides, avoid using bleach while washing your hoodie because it will tarnish the softness of the material. Choose a gentler detergent that will protect your printed hoodies better.

4. Avoid Directly Ironing Your Hoodie’s Prints

Never iron hoodie prints directly. If ironing is necessary, lower the iron’s temperature settings, and flip the hoodie inside out before ironing.

Hoodie prints are prone to heat damage. The lifespan of printing may be reduced and the print quality affected. Thus, continuous ironing can cause them to peel.

5. If Possible, Do Not Use Dryers at All

Dryers are useful because they save time, but they are terrible for hoodie prints. Heat is harmful to hoodie prints. Clothing prints are easily damaged by high temperatures, which shrink clothes and cause them to crack or peel.

The best approach to drying your clothing is to hang them dry the old-fashioned way. Air drying helps the hoodie stay nice and soft without using chemicals like the ones on dryer sheets.

6. Wash Your Hoodies With Similar Fabrics

It’s generally advisable to group similar items of apparel together. It’s also the same when washing them together! Washing white-colored hoodies together rather than mixing them with other colored clothes i an example of this. 

As for printed hoodies, avoid washing them with jeans or other rough fabrics. When softer fabrics with prints brush up against harsher textiles during cleaning, it can cause the prints to peel. Sorting your garments well helps prevent your hooded prints from damage and fading.

Conclusion

The last thing you would want is letting your hoodie’s stylish logo or unique graphics discolor or break after just a few washes. The visuals will degrade faster than expected if you don’t take proper care of them.

Simple preventative measures such as washing your hoodies in cold water or turning them inside out will help maintain your hoodie design. You can also take other precautions, including not putting harsh chemicals on your hoodies and keeping them away from direct sunlight.

These tips are straightforward, and easy to apply with almost no cost. They will help increase the longevity of your hoodie designs even after many washes in the long term.

For quality hoodie prints and designs, visit Printailor to help you get started with customizing your own hoodies. Fast and easy to order online, Printailor operates with quality and ease!