Any Recommendations For Washing/Drying Polo's? - Badger & Blade
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Washing in cold water, on the gentle cycle if needed, is a good idea. Staying away from the dryer is a better idea. I dry mine hanging on a drying rack rather than hangers, though. 
I wash mine in cold water and dry them on warm, not hot. But for me, the real secret to not having the collars get deformed or creased is to always button the shirt all the way up before washing, turn it inside out, and open the collar so that it is extending all the way up flat instead of folded over like when you wear it. And use a fabric softener sheet in the dryer. I then hang them on thick, plastic hangars after turning them back right side out and turning the collars back down. 
I wear lots of polos and chambray and poplin short sleeve sport shirts. I only buy 100% cotton. That said: I have not put a single shirt in the dryer in the last 12 years. Not one. I wash them in cold water, put each one on a PLASTIC hanger, run my fingers down both the button side and the placket side (on the sport shirts), smooth the pocket, turn the collar UP (ala James Dean), leave them UNBUTTONED, and let them dry IN THE HOUSE. Long ago I purchased an inexpensive "rolling hanger bar" online. It gets shipped in pieces and you take a couple of minutes to put it together. It is hard plastic with a polished aluminum bar that is 37" across and will telescope another foot on each end. The vertical stanchions that hold the crossbar can be raised and lowered depending on the height of the garments to be hanged. The whole set up is on small caster wheels so you can easily move it. My shirts stay the same size as when I buy them after dozens and dozens of laundering. I don't ever have a wrinkle problem with the CASUAL pure cotton shirts that I buy. I will NEVER be without one of the "garment hanging carts" the rest of my life. It is just too handy. Not to mention the longevity I get from my shirts. And the freshly laundered shirts add a nice mild scent to your room while they're drying. Sorry to ramble, but it's a great system to beat the woes the OP describes about his annual shirt replacement hassles.
A rack much like I referred to in the previous post. Mine seems a little more trim at the bottom, but you get the gist. P 
H So I tried a couple-few unscented soaps... 
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- Thread starter chicagotrim
- Start date Apr 10, 2011
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In Spring, I load up on brand new Polo's(Ralph,Lacoste etc) and every summer, I have to give them away, donate them or throw them out because I ruin them by either shrinking or destroying collars. Lately, Ive been dry cleaning just to avoid the damage. Any good suggestions on how to clean/dry without shrinking and destroying collar? mretzloff
Wash cold, tumble dry. If possible, skip the dryer, and hang your shirts to dry. My Lacoste shirts are five to eight years old and look just as good as they did when I first purchased them. Ssid3000
Also consider wearing an undershirt so you don't need to wash the polo after each use. Less washes = less deterioration, and it will still be sanitary because the undershirt will absorb the sweat/etc. Sscaevola
Washing conditions, drying conditions? These guys have given great recs. Especially the undershirt. Jjbird1264
I wash mine inside-out in cold water. jbird chicagotrim
Yes, great stuff guys. Thanks for the Recs Matt S
I just wash mine on cold and I get a good run out of them. Oddly enough, one has a collar that is messed up (developed like a crease, and the top of that crease is now faded. I tried air drying it after it developed with the collar up, but it never came out. Ironing didn't help either. Most of mine are Polo polo shirts. nehpets4627
Wash cold and dry low heat (though sometimes they get dried on high heat). Those that I know I'll never wear to the office get hung directly out of the dryer. Those that I wear to the office get pressed with light starch. I have some that have lasted 10 years, but a few cheaper ones (store brands) have faded or developed picked spots after 1-2 years. I've settled on Izod as the best balance between quality and price... they're often as little as $10-$15 at Izod outlets, Marshalls, TJ Maxx, or Ross. This compared to $35 for an outlet Polo or $70+ for Lacoste. Most of my Lacoste came from a business trip to China, though they're a bit snug due to the Asian sizes being basically 1 off from the European sizes. I've found Chaps aren't nearly as high quality since they are no longer affiliated with Ralph Lauren. Nautica has also gone down in quality in the past few years. Tommy Hilfiger seems to be as good in quality as Polo and usually $20-$25 each at outlets and discount stores... they're probably my overall favorite, but I still usually default to Izod based purely on quality for the price. Ccarloverfast2
always hang dry. then you won't worry about the shirts shrinking from the dryer chicagotrim
So when you guys hang dry, do you button the buttons? I'm just curious how to keep collar from from deforming.. nehpets4627
I always button when hanging in the closet, though I don't hang-dry. My wife, on the other hand, rarely remembers to button them and they end up a bit deformed and "wide open" when I put them on. I can usually adjust the collar to where I want it, but some lighter weight (i.e. cheaper) shirts retain the collar shape from when they were hung, even when hung after being dried in the drier. MoonshineXXX
Wash them inside-out with the top botton fastened and hang dry if you're afraid of shrinking. This will insure the collars stay crease-free and without deformation. This method works flawlessly for me! chicagotrim
nehpets4627 said: I always button when hanging in the closet, though I don't hang-dry. My wife, on the other hand, rarely remembers to button them and they end up a bit deformed and "wide open" when I put them on. I can usually adjust the collar to where I want it, but some lighter weight (i.e. cheaper) shirts retain the collar shape from when they were hung, even when hung after being dried in the drier. Click to expand...Great! Thanks
chicagotrim
Moonshine Leatherworks said: Wash them inside-out with the top botton fastened and hang dry if you're afraid of shrinking. This will insure the collars stay crease-free and without deformation. This method works flawlessly for me! Click to expand...Ill try that too!
Doc4
Stumpy in cold weather
Staff member Washing in cold water, on the gentle cycle if needed, is a good idea. Staying away from the dryer is a better idea. I dry mine hanging on a drying rack rather than hangers, though. garyg
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chicagotrim said: Ill try that too! Click to expand...The theme is cold & that works. Another polo tip/trick is to buy the lighter colors, .. they fade less in the sun that a polo is typically exposed to .. all my deep indigo ones are in the rag bag, the lighter shades keep on ..
jakespoppy
I wash mine in cold water and dry them on warm, not hot. But for me, the real secret to not having the collars get deformed or creased is to always button the shirt all the way up before washing, turn it inside out, and open the collar so that it is extending all the way up flat instead of folded over like when you wear it. And use a fabric softener sheet in the dryer. I then hang them on thick, plastic hangars after turning them back right side out and turning the collars back down. Crixus
I wear lots of polos and chambray and poplin short sleeve sport shirts. I only buy 100% cotton. That said: I have not put a single shirt in the dryer in the last 12 years. Not one. I wash them in cold water, put each one on a PLASTIC hanger, run my fingers down both the button side and the placket side (on the sport shirts), smooth the pocket, turn the collar UP (ala James Dean), leave them UNBUTTONED, and let them dry IN THE HOUSE. Long ago I purchased an inexpensive "rolling hanger bar" online. It gets shipped in pieces and you take a couple of minutes to put it together. It is hard plastic with a polished aluminum bar that is 37" across and will telescope another foot on each end. The vertical stanchions that hold the crossbar can be raised and lowered depending on the height of the garments to be hanged. The whole set up is on small caster wheels so you can easily move it. My shirts stay the same size as when I buy them after dozens and dozens of laundering. I don't ever have a wrinkle problem with the CASUAL pure cotton shirts that I buy. I will NEVER be without one of the "garment hanging carts" the rest of my life. It is just too handy. Not to mention the longevity I get from my shirts. And the freshly laundered shirts add a nice mild scent to your room while they're drying. Sorry to ramble, but it's a great system to beat the woes the OP describes about his annual shirt replacement hassles. Crixus
A rack much like I referred to in the previous post. Mine seems a little more trim at the bottom, but you get the gist. P Plano
I have been told years ago that it is the tumble in the dryer that causes your shirts to shrink not so much the temp. But any way I just send mine to the cleaners... I figure it is cheaper then replacing a $100 RL Polor every few months.- 1
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