Washing

· Machine wash shirts by themselves. Very important. Do not mix with colored garments or clothing made from other fabrics. (Maintains whiteness, and reduces pilling.) · Pre-treat stained or heavily soiled areas, such as the collar band or pocket area, with liquid laundry detergent. (Allows the concentrated detergent to start to work immediately where it is needed most.) Other pre-treatment products such as stain-sticks or sprays are not recommended. · Wash in warm but not hot water. Rinse in cooler water. Use the permanent press cycle if available. (Warm water releases dirt and oils and relaxes wrinkles, but hot water promotes shrinkage. Rinsing in cool water before the spin-cycle reduces wrinkling.) · Use the full load water setting. (Water is what carries away the dirt - use plenty of it.) · Use regular, not heavy-duty agitation setting. (Avoids unnecessary stretching of fabric and seams.) · Use liquid laundry detergent with alternative (non-chlorine) bleach. (Chlorine is a very harsh chemical and can damage fabric fibers. Too much chlorine bleach will actually yellow the fabric. Chlorine bleach used in hard water will often turn the water and the shirts yellow or brown. Also note that bleach is a whitener/brightener, not a cleaning agent... the detergent is what will remove dirt and body oils.) · Avoid using too much detergent, especially if you have pretreated the collars with detergent. (Avoids soap buildup in the fabric that won't rinse out.) · You may use a liquid fabric softener sparingly. (Helps reduce static and pilling in the dryer.) · Use two rinse cycles to thoroughly remove dirt and soap residue. (This is very important to maintain whiteness and avoid discoloration of multiple-layer areas like collar tips and placket.) · Remove shirts from washer immediately after last rinse cycle. Lightly shake out, and give a slight tug along front placket, sleeve and side seams to stretch out the seams. (Reduces shrinkage and puckering.)

Drying

Note: Air-drying your shirts on a plastic hanger until still damp, followed by ironing, can extend shirt life significantly. This is because tumble drying can induce the most wear and shrinkage of any aspect of the laundering process. But if you prefer to use a clothes dryer, then: · Do not dry any shirt that is still soiled or stained. (Dryer heat will ”set” stains and make them impossible to remove.) · Turn the shirts inside out and flip up collars before placing in the dryer. (Reduces pilling and excess wear.) · You may use a fabric softener sheet instead of liquid softener in the washer. (Reduces static and pilling.) · Tumble dry at medium heat. Use the Permanent Press or heat-reduction Auto-Dry cycle if available (to reduce shrinkage and damage from over-drying.) · For best results, remove shirts while slightly damp. Press immediately or hang up promptly (to minimize wrinkling.) · Do not over-dry! (Over-drying promotes shrinkage, collar damage and premature wear.)

Ironing

· Use a warm (not hot) iron with steam. (Prevents scorching.) · Do not iron any item that is soiled or stained. (Heat will “set” the stain.) · Go lightly on the use of starch. (Starch makes fibers brittle and more prone to break.)