Why Use Only Water For First 3 Wash Cycles?

To preserve the ink on DTG-printed F1 shirts, it's essential to wash them inside out using cold water only (without detergent) for the first three wash cycles. This allows the ink to fully cure and bond to the fabric, which will help prevent fading, cracking, or premature wear. After the third wash, we recommend using delicate laundry detergent to maintain the print's vibrancy and longevity.

What Wash Temperature Should I Use?

Always wash your F1 apparel in cold water. Hot water causes fabric fibers to expand and contract, which can crack or peel your print designs, shrink the garment, and fade the colors. Cold washing keeps the fabric stable, prevents bleeding, and helps your designs maintain their vibrancy over time.

What Is The Best Laundry Detergent To Use?

Use a delicate detergent. Something gentle, clean, and free from harsh additives. Traditional detergents and softeners can break down fabric fibers and leave a residue that will cause your prints to fade over time. Delicate laundry detergent helps your F1 apparel hold its color, softness, and design detail after every wash. There are a few we recommend to use in #3 from the article above.

Will Colors Fade If I Use A Washing Machine?

Not if you do it right — and that starts with how the shirt was made. The truth is, quality varies wildly between manufacturers. If your custom F1 shirt was made with proper pre-treatment, high quality in, proper curing, and premium garments, it can handle machine washing when done correctly:Cold waterDelicate cycleInside outNo harsh detergentsAt Utmost Province, we build every piece to last — always follow the care instructions provided by the producer of your shirts.

How Do I Remove A Stain On My Graphic Tee?

Stain removal takes finesse with printed apparel. Aggressive scrubbing or too much stain remover can weaken the fabric or cause the print to fade, peel, or distort.Here’s how to do it right:Blot the stained area gently with a soft, damp cloth — start with just water. Never rub, as it can wear down the fibers.Apply stain remover to the cleaning cloth, polyester cloths work best for for this situation.Avoid oversaturating the area. A little goes a long way — too much can leave a chemical ring or enlarge the stain.After pretreating, wash the item inside out , using cold water and a delicate cycle to protect the fabric and print.

Can I Use Bleach On My Custom T Shirt?

No — even on white garments, bleach is not recommended for printed F1 apparel. While it may seem like a quick fix for stains or brightening, bleach can break down fabric fibers, weaken the garment, and cause printed designs to fade, crack, or discolor.Why should you avoid bleach?It deteriorates print adhesives and inkIt can yellow the fabric over timeIt shortens the lifespan of your shirtFor white F1 merchandise, stick to cold water and a delicate detergent, and properly pretreatment them before washing.

How Often Should I Wash My Custom Tees?

You can wash your F1 shirt whenever you need to. At Utmost Province, we properly pretreat and cure your custom t-shirt. Then, we print the designs using an Epson SureColor F3070 DTG that uses UltraChrome DG Ink to ensure consistency in every print.

Article: How to Wash Your Custom T-Shirts & F1 Merch

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Nov 24, 2025Care Guide To Washing Custom Shirts

How to Wash Your Custom T-Shirts & F1 Merch

How To Wash Custom T-Shirts: An 8-Step Care Guide For How To Properly Wash Custom Apparel

A Care Guide To Properly Washing Your F1 Merch

An 8-Step Guide to Washing Custom Apparel

We’ve all been there—you pull your favorite custom tee out of the wash and notice it’s not quite the same. The colors look a bit dull. The print doesn’t feel as smooth. Maybe you’re starting to see tiny cracks in the design.

If you’ve ever searched “how to wash custom t-shirts” or “how do I wash my F1 shirt without ruining it,” then this article is written for you.

My name’s Jack, and I’m part of the custom apparel team at Utmost Province®. For the last few years, I’ve been surrounded by custom t-shirts and F1-inspired merch—designing them, printing them, packing them, and learning (sometimes the hard way) what happens when you don’t wash them the right way.

I put together a simple 8-step checklist that’ll show you how to wash your custom shirts and F1 apparel to avoid the mistakes I’ve made. If reading isn’t for you, there’s a short clip that’ll walk you through the process.

Utmost Province Custom F1 Shirts on hangers

Utmost Province Custom F1 T-Shirts

Why Custom Tees & F1 Merch Need Different Care

Custom t-shirts and F1 apparel aren’t just another basic tee you find every. You’re usually dealing with things like:

Direct-to-garment (DTG) prints
Screen prints or heat transfers
Different types of fabrics, depending on where you bought the shirt
The different types of materials the makers used

All the reasons why you need a bit more care than ordinary apparel. If not, they’ll most likely wear out faster—faded prints, cracked lines, warped collars. A little intention with how you wash and dry them makes a big difference in how long they last. So from that being said, shall we begin?

1. An 8-Step Guide to Washing Custom Apparel
2. Why Custom Tees & F1 Merch Need Different Care
3. The Best Way To Wash Custom Shirts
4. The 8-Step Guide
5. The Checklist

The Best Way To Wash Custom Shirts

The 8-Step Guide

Step #1: Turn Garment Inside Out

Turn Your Custom T-Shirt | F1 Apparel Inside Out.

Turning your custom t-shirts inside out will help protect the design. While your clothes are in the washing machine, they rub against each other, generating friction. This friction can cause damage to your custom shirts, including fading and cracking. This helps protect the print from rubbing directly against the washer and other clothes. A simple way to put it is:

Less friction = less cracking & fading over time

A simple rule to always follow to ensure the longevity of your custom shirts.

Step #2 Use Delicate Wash Cycle

Use the “Delicate” or “Gentle” wash setting. A delicate or gentle cycle to minimize agitation and friction inside the washer. This reduces stress on both the fabric and the printed design, helping prevent cracking, fading, and distortion over time. For best results, turn your shirt inside out and wash it with only similar lightweight garments.

Step #3: Only Use Cold Water

For Your First 2-3 Wash Cycles, Use Only Water:
Hot water can be brutal on custom prints—it opens up the fibers, causes colors to fade faster, and can make DTG or screen-printed designs crack, peel, or look tired before their time. Think of it like heat aging your shirt in fast-forward.

The Science Behind It:
To allow the ink to soak into the fibers of the garment, also known as the process of absorption & binding.

Why Use Only Water Your First Three Cycles:
Detergents contain chemicals and enzymes that "break down" compounds and polymer bonds. Which pretty much does the opposite of what a custom t-shirt needs. That is why we recommend you use only water for your first 2-3 wash cycles.

Now, to get back to where we were before, I went Bill Nye the Science Guy on you all.

Always set your wash temperature to cold wash. Hot water is one of the quickest ways to shrink cotton and dull a print. Cold water, on the other hand, helps prevent shrinking, color bleeding, and premature fading—especially with DTG and screen-printed designs.

Step #4: Choose Mild Detergent

The wrong detergent can be just as harsh as hot water.

Use Mild Detergent
The wrong detergent can be just as harsh as hot water. Pick a mild, color-safe detergent that doesn’t contain bleach or strong optical brighteners, since those can strip color and wear down the print over repeated washes. Good options include Tide Free & Gentle, All Free & Clear, Molly’s Suds, or Ecos (all can be bought on Amazon).

Avoid Using Fabric Softeners
Fabric softeners and dryer sheets can leave a waxy film on the fabric. Over time, that buildup can make your designs look dull, less vibrant, and almost “foggy” on the surface. If you want softer tees, use a gentle detergent, cold water, and a low-heat dry instead.

Step #5: Avoid Overloading Wash Machine

Avoid Stuffing The Washer:
When the washing machine is overloaded, your shirts can’t move freely, which means:

1. The fabric and prints rub against one another with more tension and friction, increasing cracking, pilling, and fading.

2. Detergent and water can’t circulate properly, so residue gets trapped in the fibers and on the design.

3. Heavy items (like jeans or towels) grind against your custom tees, wearing down the print faster.

Aim to fill the machine about half to two-thirds full, leaving enough space for everything to move around easily. If you’re washing custom tees, try to keep them in a lighter load with similar fabrics instead of mixing them with heavy or abrasive items. Giving your shirts that extra breathing room in the wash can easily add months (or years) to the life of the print.

Step #6: Air Dry Or Tumble Dry Low

Whenever you can, air-dry your custom tees:

Hang or lay them flat to dry, ideally inside out to protect the design.
Avoid direct, sunlight for long periods, as UV can slowly fade the fabric and the print.

If you use a dryer, tumble dry on low:

Choose Low Heat only. High heat shrinks cotton, weakens fibers, and can cause DTG/screen prints to crack, peel, or feel rough.
Don’t over-dry. Take shirts out as soon as they’re dry.

Step #7: Removing Wrinkles

Wrinkles are fine. Melting your print isn’t. If you need to clean things up, do it gently:

Turn the shirt inside out before you iron or steam. This protects the printed design from direct heat and friction.

Using An Iron:

Set it to Low Heat or a “Delicate” setting. Avoid high heat.
Never iron directly on the design. Place a thin cotton cloth, pressing cloth, or pillowcase between the iron and the fabric.
Use light pressure, no dragging over the print area—press, lift, and move instead of sliding.

Using A Steamer:

Keep the steamer a few inches away from the fabric and glide it over the shirt, still turned inside out if possible.
Don’t hold the steam nozzle directly on the print—too much focused heat and moisture can soften and distort the ink.

Step #8: Handling Stains

Treat stains as soon as you spot them and always start with cold water, since hot water can set stains and stress the print. Gently blot, don’t scrub, especially over the design—aggressive rubbing can rough up the fibers and fade the ink. Use a mild, color-safe detergent (like Tide Free & Gentle, All Free & Clear, Molly’s Suds, or Ecos), work it in gently, then wash on a gentle, cold cycle. Avoid bleach and harsh stain removers, and if the stain’s still there after washing, don’t machine dry—repeat the process so heat doesn’t lock it in.

The Checklist

Steps	Instructions	What It Does	Benefits
1. Turn Garment Inside Out	Turn your custom clothing inside out before washing.	Minimizes direct contact with the washing machine and other clothes	Reduces wear on designs and protects it from friction & fading.
2. Use Delicate Wash Cycle	Set washing machine to delicate cycle.	More gentle and less harsh on custom shirt designs.	Preserves the unique designs of your custom shirts and F1 merch.
3. Cold Wash	Set your washing machine on cold water temperature settings.	Preserves the quality of your custom shirts and the designs.	Prevents shrinking and fading of shirt designs.
4. Use Mild Detergent	Choose a mild, color-safe detergent that’s free from bleach or harsh chemicals Avoid fabric softeners, which can leave residue and dull your apparel’s design.	More gentle on your clothing and the designs.	Increase the longevity of your shirt's fabric and design.
5. Avoid Overloading Wash Machine	Wash your laundry in smaller batches. Overloading can lead to excessive friction, causing wear and tear.	Prevents color bleeding, fades, and cracks.	Longer lasting t-shirt, and less damage.
6. Air Dry or Tumble Dry Low	Hang-dry is your custom t-shirts and avoid direct sunlight, which can fade colors. Using Dryer: Set dryer to low temperature heat setting.	Prevents colors and designs from fading.	Brighter colors and preserves the quality of your design.
7. Ironing or Steaming	Turn the garment inside out. Use a low-heat setting or place a cloth between the iron and the design. Using a Steamer: Steamers are a great alternative for removing wrinkles without damaging the design.	Remove wrinkles	Crisp and fresh look
8. Removing Stains	Treat stains promptly with a mild stain remover or a paste of baking soda and water Avoid scrubbing the design directly. Rinse with cold water before washing.	Removes Stains	Stain Free clothing

The Journal The Story Behind The Brand

In a world racing toward the next trend, Utmost Province® moves differently—quietly, deliberately, with purpose. Founded in Fort Worth in 2022, the brand is redefining modern apparel through restraint and craftsmanship, not excess. Each piece is built to endure—made to be worn, cared for, and kept. Guided by the ethos “quality over excess,” Utmost Province is less about chasing fashion and more about preserving it—one timeless garment at a time.

November 3, 2025 7:52 PM

Written by Jack Tutton