CARE FOR YOUR
FOOTBALL SHIRTS.
Simple guidance to help protect your football shirts, namesets, patches and sponsors and keep your collection looking its best.
YOUR FOOTBALL SHIRT CARE CHECKLIST.
The essential things to remember when washing, drying, handling and storing your football shirts.
Always check the garment's own care instructions first.
Our preferred method for greater control and gentle handling.
Turn the shirt inside out and place it in a washing bag.
Allow newly applied namesets or patches to settle before washing.
Allow the shirt to dry naturally and completely.
Never iron directly over namesets, patches or sponsors.
Avoid sharp folds and prolonged pressure through printed areas.
Older fabric, printing and adhesives may be more fragile.
WASH GENTLY. AIR DRY. AVOID DIRECT HEAT. STORE CAREFULLY.
A little extra care can help keep your football shirts and their printing looking their best for longer.
THE BASICS OF
FOOTBALL SHIRT CARE.
A little extra care can make a big difference. Follow these basic principles to help protect the shirt itself and any namesets, patches or sponsors applied to it.
CHECK THE CARE LABEL
Always check the garment's care label before washing or treating the shirt. Different fabrics and shirt constructions may require different care.
PROTECT THE PRINTING
Namesets, sponsors and patches can be more vulnerable than the shirt fabric itself. Avoid unnecessary rubbing, stretching, abrasion and direct heat.
KEEP HEAT TO A MINIMUM
Excessive heat can damage football shirt fabric and applied printing. Avoid tumble drying and never iron directly over namesets, patches or sponsors.
DEAL WITH MARKS CAREFULLY
If a shirt becomes marked or stained, avoid aggressive scrubbing. Treat the affected area carefully and make sure any cleaning product is suitable for the garment.
TAKE EXTRA CARE WITH VINTAGE SHIRTS
Older shirts, printing and adhesives may have deteriorated with age even when they appear to be in good condition. Handle and clean vintage shirts more cautiously.
WHEN IN DOUBT, BE GENTLE
Avoid harsh treatment when you're unsure how a shirt or its printing will react. A gentler approach is usually preferable to unnecessary heat, chemicals or aggressive cleaning.
WASH YOUR SHIRT WITH CARE.
Careful washing helps protect both the shirt fabric and applied namesets, patches and sponsors. Always check the garment's care label before washing.
HAND WASH
Where practical, hand washing gives you greater control and avoids some of the agitation and friction created by a washing machine. Handle printed areas gently and avoid unnecessary rubbing, scrubbing, twisting or wringing.
IF YOU USE A WASHING MACHINE
TURN THE SHIRT INSIDE OUT
This helps reduce direct friction against namesets, patches and sponsors during the wash.
USE A WASHING BAG
Place the shirt inside a suitable laundry washing bag for additional protection during the cycle.
SELECT A QUICK 30°C CYCLE
Keep the temperature low and use a short cycle where this is compatible with the garment's own care instructions.
REMOVE PROMPTLY
Take the shirt out once the cycle has finished rather than leaving it wet and compressed in the machine.
WAIT 48 HOURS BEFORE WASHING
After applying a new nameset or patch, leave the shirt for 48 hours before washing. This gives the application time to settle before the shirt goes through its first wash.
KEEP DIRECT HEAT AWAY FROM PRINTING.
Football shirts and their applied printing can be sensitive to heat. Take particular care around namesets, patches and sponsors when ironing or carrying out other garment care.
NEVER IRON DIRECTLY OVER PRINTING
Do not place a hot iron directly onto a nameset, patch or sponsor. Direct heat can damage the surface of the print or affect the adhesive underneath it.
CHECK BEFORE USING AN IRON
Always check the garment's care label first. If ironing is permitted, keep the iron away from applied printing and use only the heat level appropriate for the garment.
IRON OVER A NAMESET, PATCH OR SPONSOR
Never use the iron itself to flatten, smooth or attempt to reattach lifting printing. Applying uncontrolled heat may make the problem worse or permanently damage the transfer.
PRINT SURFACE DAMAGE
Direct heat may mark, distort or otherwise damage applied printing.
ADHESIVE DAMAGE
Excessive or uncontrolled heat can affect the adhesive used to secure namesets, patches and sponsors.
FABRIC DAMAGE
Football shirt fabrics can also react badly to excessive heat, particularly older or more delicate garments.
APPLICATION HEAT IS DIFFERENT FROM ROUTINE GARMENT CARE
A heat press should only be used when intentionally applying or carefully re-pressing a suitable nameset, patch or sponsor using the correct temperature, pressure, time and protective sheet for that particular transfer.
If printing is already fully applied, don't add more heat simply as a precaution. Re-press only when it is actually required and follow the appropriate application instructions.
TAKE EXTRA CARE WITH AGEING MATERIALS
Older fabric, printing and adhesives may react differently to heat than modern materials. A shirt that looks perfectly sound can still contain aged or weakened components.
STORE YOUR SHIRTS CAREFULLY.
Good storage helps protect football shirts from unnecessary creasing, pressure and damage to namesets, patches and sponsors — particularly when they're being stored for long periods.
MAKE SURE THE SHIRT IS COMPLETELY DRY
Never put a damp shirt into long-term storage. Allow it to dry completely before folding, hanging or placing it with the rest of your collection.
AVOID PRINT-TO-PRINT CONTACT
Where possible, avoid storing a shirt with namesets, sponsors or other printed surfaces pressed firmly against each other. This is especially important with older, ageing or potentially tacky printing.
Store shirts clean and completely dry rather than putting away garments containing dirt or moisture.
Don't pack shirts so tightly that printing is permanently compressed, folded or distorted.
Prolonged exposure to strong sunlight can contribute to fading and deterioration over time.
Periodically inspect stored shirts, particularly vintage pieces and shirts with older printing.
OLDER PRINTING MAY CHANGE WHILE IN STORAGE
Ageing namesets, sponsors and patches can become brittle, tacky or fragile over time. Handle older shirts carefully and avoid assuming that printing which was previously stable will remain unchanged indefinitely.
OLDER SHIRTS NEED EXTRA CARE.
Age can change the way fabrics, printing and adhesives behave. A vintage shirt may look perfectly sound while still containing materials that have become more fragile over time.
DON'T RESTORE SOMETHING JUST BECAUSE YOU CAN
Before cleaning, removing printing or applying heat to an older shirt, consider whether intervention is actually necessary. Sometimes leaving an ageing original feature untouched is safer than risking irreversible damage to the shirt.
SIGNS OF AGEING
CRACKING PRINTING
Older namesets and sponsors may become brittle or develop cracks. Stretching, rubbing or excessive handling can make existing deterioration worse.
TACKY OR STICKY PRINTING
Some ageing transfers can become tacky over time. Avoid allowing affected printed surfaces to remain pressed against other areas of the shirt.
AGEING ADHESIVE
Adhesives underneath namesets, patches and sponsors can deteriorate with age even when the visible surface still appears intact.
DELICATE FABRIC
Older shirt fabrics may be more vulnerable to heat, chemicals, stretching and aggressive cleaning than they were when new.
FADING & SHADOWING
Removing old printing can reveal a visible outline where the surrounding fabric has faded differently over time. This may remain even after the transfer and adhesive have been removed.
PREVIOUS REPAIRS
Vintage shirts may have been repaired, reprinted or treated previously. Unless you know the shirt's history, don't assume every material or printed area is original.
CHECK BEFORE YOU COMMIT
Look at the fabric, stitching, nameset, sponsors and patches before deciding what treatment is appropriate.
When using an unfamiliar cleaning or removal product, test cautiously on an inconspicuous area where appropriate.
Avoid unnecessary heat, solvent, scrubbing or force when a gentler approach may achieve the required result.
If colour begins to transfer, fabric reacts unexpectedly or printing starts deteriorating, stop rather than continuing.
SOME IMPERFECTIONS ARE PART OF THE SHIRT'S AGE
Fading, minor cracking, marks and print shadows aren't always problems that need to be removed. Trying to make an older shirt look completely new can sometimes cause more damage than the original imperfection.
INSPECT → TEST → WORK GENTLY → STOP IF UNSURE
Restoration should protect the shirt — not simply make it look newer.
WHAT TO AVOID.
Many problems with football shirts and their printing come from unnecessary heat, friction or aggressive treatment. Avoid these common mistakes when caring for your collection.
TUMBLE DRYING
Heat and movement inside a tumble dryer can be harsh on football shirt fabric, namesets, patches and sponsors.
IRONING OVER PRINTING
Never place a hot iron directly onto a nameset, sponsor or patch. Direct heat can damage both the transfer and its adhesive.
WASHING TOO SOON
Newly applied printing needs time before its first wash. Leave the shirt for 48 hours after applying a nameset or patch.
AGGRESSIVE SCRUBBING
Heavy scrubbing can place unnecessary stress on shirt fabric and applied printing, particularly older or already weakened areas.
POOR STORAGE
Storing shirts damp, tightly compressed or with printed surfaces pressed together can create avoidable problems over time.
OVER-TREATING VINTAGE SHIRTS
Trying to remove every mark, crease or sign of age can sometimes create more damage than the original imperfection.
DON'T TAKE AN UNNECESSARY RISK WITH THE SHIRT.
Check the garment's care instructions, test unfamiliar treatments where appropriate and use the gentlest suitable approach — particularly with vintage or valuable shirts.
EXPLORE OUR OTHER
APPLICATION GUIDES.
From applying namesets, patches and sponsors to removing old printing, our step-by-step guides are here to help you get the finish right.
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