Tips On Laundering Football Kits
Let's face it
Let's face it. Not all football players have game assistants who can easily come up with clean kits every time these are needed - think of the likes of David Beckham. It then becomes necessary to launder your own kit.
But you just don't launder your kit like you would other items of clothing. There are many risks associated with incorrect laundering, from snares on the fabric to colours bleeding into each other. Fortunately, there are also many tips in properly laundering a football kit.
Read the Care Instructions:
Your first obvious resource in how to wash the items is to refer to its care instructions on the label. Said label will have symbols for laundering and ironing the clothes so you have to ask what these symbols mean.
Now, if the kit was purchased from an online retailer that specialises in customised kits, you should ask about proper care as well. Usually, the online retailer will provide for the care instructions via email or you will be directed to a blog that addresses the issue. Take note that the best online retailer should have a good customer service in place.
Pre-soak the Clothes:
After every game, you should rinse off the loose dirt, mud and grass from the jersey and shorts. There are two ways to go about this pre-soak step: First, rinse the clothes in a utility sink and, second, hang the clothes over a line and then spray with a hose.
You can then proceed to pre-soaking. Fill a large bucket with lukewarm water; never use hot water as the colours may bleed. Add one cup of baking soda and a cap of heavy-duty liquid laundry detergent into the lukewarm water; powdered detergent is not advisable as it can leave small spots on the fabric. If the tap water in your area is considered as hard water, add water conditioner so that the liquid detergent works better.
Soak the uniform for an hour. If it is too dirty or too smelly, you may want to soak it overnight although a few hours will suffice.
Lay Off on the Chlorine Bleach:
Chlorine bleach for both white and coloured clothes is not recommended because it can irreversibly damage the fabric. Again, your kits will have small and large spots that ruin the effect.
The best bleach to use on the jersey and shorts is either all-fabric bleach or oxygen bleach. Both will whiten and brighten the fabrics without leaving unsightly spots. Soak the kit for an hour before washing.
Wash Alone:
Never ever wash football kits along with other clothes especially those made from cotton and other cotton blends. The lint from cotton-based clothes will rub off and then cling on the prints of the jersey. You will then have to deal with getting the lint one by one, which is time-consuming and even useless.
Instead, launder the jersey and shorts separately. Fill the washer with cool - not hot - water, add the liquid detergent and set on the delicate setting.
Skip the Dryer:
Even when you have to wear the football kit tomorrow, don't ever subject the clothes to heat from either the dryer or the iron. The high heat will cause the fabric to shrink, discolour and fade. Instead, just air-dry the clothes and in a few hours, these should be ready for another go at the playing fields.
With these tips on laundering football kits, you should have uniforms that will last for many months to come. You can even set it aside as part of your memorabilia of your glory days as a football player.
by: Lawrence White
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