Dressing up in a suit and dress shirt feels sophisticated; the necessity to wash your dress shirt afterward does not.Still, it’s part of the territory.You’ve probably invested some pretty good money in several dress shirts, so you should take the greatest care in washing them.When you do it properly, you’ll prolong the life of your dress shirt, saving you money over time.The most important information you’ll need from your label is if your shirt needs to be dry cleaned or if it’s machine washable.

Many men’s dress shirts are machine washable, but not all. If it can go into your washing machine, check to see if it tells you “gentle” or “delicate.”Undo all the buttons on your dress shirt before washing it, including any on its collar and sleeves.Pre-treat any spots or stains on your shirt. You can do this with either a pre-treatment spray or by rubbing a small amount of detergent onto the site.Don’t forget to pay special attention to the inside of your collar and cuffs, where dirt can build up.

Turn your dress shirt inside out before you wash it. That will be better for getting underarm odors out and help prevent fading.Washing your dress shirts yourself at home requires both time and energy.You can also prolong your dress shirt’s life when you wash it correctly at home. Remember to use a stain remover before tossing in your load for better results.Again, don’t forget to check the shirt’s care label to help guide you.

After you’ve decided whether to use a normal or delicate cycle, you’ll need to determine what temperature to wash your shirts in.For example, white and lighter dress shirts can be washed in either hot or cold water.You should only ever use cold water for dark shirts. Warm or hot water will make the color fade.However, for either type of dress shirt, cold is always best. Warmer temperatures may cause your dress shirt’s placket to shrink, giving it a puckered look that’s hard to iron out.

Some detergents are specifically designed for delicates, and these are fine if you do many loads of dress shirts on the delicate cycle. However, it’s not necessary.Add the detergent you’ve chosen to the washing machine. You’ll probably need around 1/4 to 1/2 of what’s usually recommended for a full load, as indicated on the detergent packaging.If you are washing white dress shirts, add bleach or another whitening booster to the load. Whites always look their best when they are pristine, so give them a little extra help to prevent dullness.

A good guide to remember is that if your dress shirt is cotton, linen, polyester, nylon, or other thick fabric, it will fare best in the normal cycle.If you can set your shirts on normal, I advise it. The normal cycle is a little heavier duty than the delicate cycle, so it’s more effective at removing dirt and stains.Proceed with washing your dress shirt as if doing any other load.

Any lightweight dress shirt material, such as silk or cashmere, would be best in a more gentle wash.You might consider putting your dress shirts in a washer bag. It’s a protective mesh bag that keeps delicate fabrics from catching on to something inside your washer.A washer bag isn’t necessary, but it is good insurance to prevent damage to your fragile dress shirt.Depending on your work schedule, and if you wear dress shirts daily for your job, washing them may feel like too much work.You may decide it’s worth spending a little extra cash to have somebody else take care of it. The dry cleaners will use one of two different methods.

First, they wash your dress shirt in a washing machine, just as you would at home. They use the same type of washing machine and detergent as you would.At the end of the wash, your dress shirt goes through a spin cycle to remove most of the water.While your shirt is still damp, the cleaner lays it on an industrial shirt press and closes it over your shirt. This process dries and irons your shirt at the same time.

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