# Do you take your collar stays out when you wash your shirts



## 10gallonhat (Dec 13, 2009)

Just curious if you're supposed to or not. I never do, but my friend seemed very surprised and asked if they ever fell out or got bent.

I also button all the buttons on my shirts when I wash them, and then unbutton them all to iron them. Is this correct?


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## CAG (Jun 27, 2010)

If you're using the plastic stays that come with a shirt, they'll get bent if you leave them in while washing. I'd reccommend spending a few dollars (less than $5) on some metal stays. They stay straignt longer and help the collar look nicer. As for your other question, I always wash unbuttoned, but I can't imagine it makes much difference.


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## Racer (Apr 16, 2010)

If the stays aren't sewn in, you should take them out. Otherwise they get lost/damaged.

I wash my shirts inside out, which I've always been told is the proper way to do it (same with washable trousers), so they can't be buttoned when washed.


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## Kurt N (Feb 11, 2009)

^ Can't you button them and _then_ turn them inside-out?


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## JoeyC (May 6, 2010)

There's also the possibility that your stays will melt in the dryer and damage your shirt. As far as I can tell, there's really no good reason to leave them in.


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## PedanticTurkey (Jan 26, 2008)

You need to take them out when you iron, otherwise you'll have a shiny imprint of the stays on the collar. As for washing...I don't see what difference it makes. They won't melt in the dryer or anything like that, either. I mean, c'mon. They're plastic, like, for example..buttons, zippers, all kinds of things you'd throw in the dryer without a moment's hesitation.


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## CuffDaddy (Feb 26, 2009)

I take out the stays every time I take off a shirt, store them, and then re-insert them the morning I am wearing the shirt (after ironing). Among other things, it means I need a very limited number of stays. It also means the stays don't get bent, don't wear through the fabric in the shirt, etc.

I use metal stays, if that makes any difference. And throw out the plastic ones that come in the shirt along with the rest of the carboard and plastic clips, rings, backings, etc., that festoon a new shirt.


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## Hanzo (Sep 9, 2009)

CuffDaddy said:


> I take out the stays every time I take off a shirt, store them, and then re-insert them the morning I am wearing the shirt (after ironing). Among other things, it means I need a very limited number of stays. It also means the stays don't get bent, don't wear through the fabric in the shirt, etc.
> 
> I use metal stays, if that makes any difference. And throw out the plastic ones that come in the shirt along with the rest of the carboard and plastic clips, rings, backings, etc., that festoon a new shirt.


Agreed. Plus, if I don't take them out at night, I tend to forget about them, or they get bent in the hamper. If I leave them in while washing them, they get bent or lost. I treat them just like my wallet and keys. When I get undressed, I take them out and put them away.


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## JJR512 (May 18, 2010)

Racer said:


> If the stays aren't sewn in, you should take them out. Otherwise they get lost/damaged.
> 
> I wash my shirts inside out, which I've always been told is the proper way to do it (same with washable trousers), so they can't be buttoned when washed.


It seems to me that an unbuttoned dress shirt (I assume we are talking about dress shirts, since we're talking about collar stays) is pretty much the same whether it's inside-out or right-side-out. Only the sleeves are getting whatever benefit of being inside-out is. I mean, without being buttoned to keep it closed inside-out, it can flap open.

To be honest, I've never understood the benefit of washing inside-out. I admit that I usually do it for t-shirts, but I don't really know why. Maybe it's because taking them off turns them inside-out and I just leave it that way until it's time to fold them after washing. Anyway, it seems to me that the outer surface of the garment is going to wear against something whether it's one way or the other. If it's inside-out, it wears against itself; if it's right-side out, it wears against some other garment. What's the difference?


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## Racer (Apr 16, 2010)

Kurt N said:


> ^ Can't you button them and _then_ turn them inside-out?


I guess I could. Why would I want to do that?


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## JJR512 (May 18, 2010)

Because, as I just said, if the shirt isn't buttoned to stay closed, it's not really going to stay inside-out very long in the wash. Only the sleeves would get the full benefit (whatever it is, if any) of being inside-out.


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## Penang Lawyer (May 27, 2008)

Take all stays out either plastic or metal.


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## Racer (Apr 16, 2010)

JJR512 said:


> To be honest, I've never understood the benefit of washing inside-out. I admit that I usually do it for t-shirts, but I don't really know why. Maybe it's because taking them off turns them inside-out and I just leave it that way until it's time to fold them after washing. Anyway, it seems to me that the outer surface of the garment is going to wear against something whether it's one way or the other. If it's inside-out, it wears against itself; if it's right-side out, it wears against some other garment. What's the difference?


The benefit is, of course, reduced friction against the "show" surface from other fabrics and the washer itself. Yes, when you wear a dress shirt under a jacket it wears against the jacket, but that level of contact is nothing compared to what happens inside a washer. A modern washer is basically an automatic, mechanized version of beating your clothes with a rock, and/or rubbing them against a washboard. If you're going to beat your dress shirt with a rock, wouldn't you rather do it on the side that you're not showing to the world?


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## Racer (Apr 16, 2010)

JJR512 said:


> Because, as I just said, if the shirt isn't buttoned to stay closed, it's not really going to stay inside-out very long in the wash. Only the sleeves would get the full benefit (whatever it is, if any) of being inside-out.


I've never had a shirt turn right-side out all by itself. It typically needs my help.


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## J.Marko (Apr 14, 2009)

I generally unbutton all my buttons because I figure it will cause less strain on the button and button stitching. I am not basing that on anything though, just seems that there would be more pulling on the buttons if they are buttoned during agitation.

I also take the stays out before they go in the wash, otherwise they fall out or get bent. I put them in on the hanger to keep the collar straight and to prevent me forgetting to put them in when I put on my shirt.

I have also wondered what the 'correct' thing to do is, thanks for the post.


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## Kurt N (Feb 11, 2009)

Racer said:


> I guess I could. Why would I want to do that?


You said you couldn't wash your shirts buttoned because you washed them inside-out. I was just pointing out that this didn't make sense. Whether you actually want to wash your shirts buttoned is a whole other question. The OP apparently does.


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## Hanzo (Sep 9, 2009)

Racer said:


> The benefit is, of course, reduced friction against the "show" surface from other fabrics and the washer itself. Yes, when you wear a dress shirt under a jacket it wears against the jacket, but that level of contact is nothing compared to what happens inside a washer. A modern washer is basically an automatic, mechanized version of beating your clothes with a rock, and/or rubbing them against a washboard. If you're going to beat your dress shirt with a rock, wouldn't you rather do it on the side that you're not showing to the world?


I know I don't have the highest quality washing machine, but in mine, there is no mechanism that keeps the shirt billowed out in the same shape as my body. That means that its laying flat, so even if its inside out and all buttoned up, its still rubbing against itself. Whether its rubbing against itself or rubbing against another shirt really doesn't matter. I suppose if you're washing your dress shirts along with your jeans you could run into this problem, but based on problems I've had in the past, I no longer wash dress shirts with anything that has metal, such as zippers and buttons.


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## CuffDaddy (Feb 26, 2009)

Hanzo, I think there may be a difference in the amount of relative motion between a shirt and itself versus a shirt and other items in the washer. Generally, the more closely two things/surfaces are attached, the harder it is to generate a big speed differential between them. 

All that said, I don't turn dress shirts inside out to wash them. Even dress shirt I've ever worn out wore out at the cuffs and collar. Turning them inside out won't change a thing with those parts. In fact, since most of my dress shirts are double-cuffed, and the worst area for wear is the edge of the fold-back, turning the sleeves inside out would expose that part of the shirt more, not less. I do generally turn my mercerized cotton polos inside out for washing, though, and it seems to reduce the surface wear on those.


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## Cocophone (Apr 13, 2005)

If you leave the stays in they might come out of the shirt and plug up or damage your washing machine.


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## PJC in NoVa (Jan 23, 2005)

I remove the stays, yes.

One of the nice things abt CT shirts is that their stays are so easy to spot. Instead of being anonymous white plastic, they are made of dull brass and say "Tyrwhitt" on them in raised letters. Very simple to find them in my 'box o' stays' when it's time to redeploy the bones into the collar leaves.


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## jst (Oct 22, 2008)

Yes I do remove the collar stays before washing.


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## Starch (Jun 28, 2010)

When you launder shirts, you should take the collar stays out, but leave yourself in. The presence of a body helps maintain the shirt's shape.

On the buttoned thing: I've never even considered laundering a shirt buttoned up. I don't know that it particularly would do _harm_, though I suppose it might possibly make it easier to pop a button off. I don't see what advantage it would have that's sufficient to go through the trouble of buttoning up an empty shirt (assuming you don't remove your shirt still buttoned by slithering out in a sort of snake-like maneuver).

If it has a button-down collar (which, in this case, it doesn't, or it wouldn't have collar stays) if you don't unbutton the collar, the wash tends to do weird things to it.

Final thought: what, am I the only person who sends shirts out to a laundry? I think they might actually get kind of irritated about having to unbutton all your shirts.


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## JerseyJohn (Oct 26, 2007)

I send my shirts out, so, yes, I always take them out. Otherwise, they could get melted into the collar.


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## naylor (May 31, 2007)

I never put them in.


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## Jovan (Mar 7, 2006)

Take collar stays out, set aside. (Make sure you have the right ones for the right shirt!) Wash buttoned, inside out. _Preferably_ you air dry dress shirts and press them when they're just damp. I dry my sport shirts inside out at the lowest setting -- they don't really need pressing.


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## andy b. (Mar 18, 2010)

One time I washed a shirt and wondered where my kids found the little pointed pieces of white plastic that ended up in the wash. I threw the pieces of plastic out.

Now that I am not so much of a fashion idiot, I take the stays out before laundering. 

Regarding friction and wear, my wife and I have a front-loading washer so we don't have to deal with the excessive wear caused by the agitator in top-load washers. I believe that was one of the selling points of the front-load washers.

Andy B.


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## Not Ed Harris (Jun 30, 2010)

Always take the collar stays out and have for as long as I've been aware of such things. Half my shirts specifically say to take them out on the washing instructions anyway. Also undo all the buttons, but don't go quite as far as turning them inside out.


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## eagle2250 (Mar 24, 2006)

Most of my shirts are OCBDs (problem solved) and yes I am one of those Cretins ()commonly known to wear button down collars with a suit and tie. However, with the straight point collar I do have in the rotation, the collar stays are taken out before laundering. In addition to preventing loss of the stays, it substantially reduces wear and tear on that part of the collars!


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## KRMaley (Mar 28, 2010)

I should, I never do though. If you don't they are sure to disappear. I do always have a bag of back-up's though. My dry cleaner always gives me some when I ask.

KM


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## harwellplant (Apr 16, 2007)

taking them out is part of my undressing routine. watch off, cufflinks out, stays out, shirt off... i've lost way too many stays and cufflinks to trust that i'll do that later.


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## a tailor (May 16, 2005)

oh for petesake take them out. why do you think they are made removable. if one slides out it could screw up your washer.
the reason for buttoning and turning the shirt inside out is, to keep expensive buttons from chipping.


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## jacnyr (Apr 29, 2010)

I use to not worry about them but; after losing so many, yes I take them out before washing.


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## Miket61 (Mar 1, 2008)

I have a pair of sterling silver stays from Tiffany. I make sure to remove them each night and place them in their little blue pouch on my nightstand. 

Except once, when I left them in a shirt that was sent off to be laundered. It returned with only one stay, from which I must conclude that they were not the victim of theft, or both would be gone.

(Sorry, reading Jane Austen. I'm starting to talk like that now.)


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## MyCustomTailor (Apr 5, 2005)

This is the most logical reasons I have seen in this thread - of course collar stays if they slide out can ruin a washing machine. But in the days when there was no such thing as a washing machine, stays would snap or bend given the thrashing a shirt would receive during laundry (on a stone or block of wood) and so stays were to be removed. Same with buttons (heard of removable buttons anyone?). Hence the trend/tendency to fold the shirts inside out to protect the buttons (from beatings in the past and machines today). 
Must say though that I have never heard of resin collar stays melting into the collar as someone has posted in this thread. If that were the case, resin buttons would melt into the front of the shirt too - specially since they receive more direct heat during pressing than the collar stays!
thanks


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## stubloom (Jun 6, 2010)

As a professional cleaner, my shirt laundry handles 50,000 to 75,000 shirts a year. For the past 20 years. That's a lot of shirts. After all those shirts I still couldn't tell you whether removing the collar stays helps extend the life of your shirts or not. That's because we remove and replace the stays on every shirt. Automatically. Even if the client never requested that we do so. Common sense dictates that collar stays should be removed and replaced. Why take the risk?

Here are some more reasons to remove and replace: I've seen shirts come in with mismatched stays .....different lengths, different widths, different thicknesses, different materials. Shirts with missing stays. Shirts with stays that are bent, curled up or cracked in half or thirds. Shirts with paper clips and crudely cut up strips of plastic (often fashioned out of hotel card keys) masquerading as collar stays. Shirts with stays that are literally "glued" into the collar and that take an inordinate amount of time to remove without damaging the fabric (these are often regular plastic stays or fabric covered stays that have bonded to the fabric due to the use of synthetic starch).

Bottom line: If you launder your shirts at home, take them out. If you send out your shirts to a "professional laundry", either take them out yourself or insist that your cleaner removes and replaces them for you. Why take the risk?

For further information on this subject

Blog post: A true quality cleaner's shirt laundry standards
https://ravefabricare.com/true-quality-cleaning/2010/6/29/a-true-quality-cleaner's-shirt-laundry-standards.aspx


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## WJRJR (May 1, 2010)

I remove the stays. Always have. However I have never thought about washing inside out. Is that really more beneficial?

WJR


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## Trip English (Dec 22, 2008)

1. Remove plastic collar stays from new shirt.
2. Insert solid gold collar stays.
3. Wear once.
4. Remove solid gold collar stays. 
5. Discard shirt.
6. Discard solid gold collar stays.


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## Holdfast (Oct 30, 2005)

a!!!!1 said:


> Just curious if you're supposed to or not.


They have an annoying tendency to slip out and get lost in washing machines if you don't.

PS. your policy to button up the shirt before washing seems inordinately time-consuming given you don't spend 2s taking the collar stays out!


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## andy b. (Mar 18, 2010)

Trip English said:


> 1. Remove plastic collar stays from new shirt.
> 2. Insert solid gold collar stays.
> 3. Wear once.
> 4. Remove solid gold collar stays.
> ...


That's what I WAS doing, but I now use rhodium stays. They make a nicer sound when they land in the trash can.

Andy B.


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