# How to properly maintain shirts?



## waltj (Oct 9, 2005)

Hello,

After reading several posts about dry cleaning/laundry services I have read that the best care and feeding of your shirts happens at home. Now I have to admit that I am someone who frequents the dry cleaner once a week with the shirts that I own. I have figured that they can take care of my shirts better than I can. With the exception of cracking my buttons. 

In the past I have washed my own shirts. However it seems that when I wash them they shrink more. If there were 2 shirts one maintained by me and one by the dry cleaner over 20 launders my shirt would be smaller after this period. 

What's the trick to maintaining your shirts at home?

Walt


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## kidinme (Oct 30, 2005)

Do not put your shirts in the dryer. Let your shirts hang dry.


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## Berry Wall (Nov 7, 2005)

I do not send my shirts out be cleaned commercially. I am fortunate to have a girlfriend that enjoys ironing them for me. To your question: I would suggest that you treat stains and collar discoloration with a water diluted solution of liquid detergent and a soft (natural) bristle brush. Use lukewarm water to wash and rinse and don't use too much laundry detergent. You don't get shirts that dirty during normal wear. I line dry my shirts-plastic hangers so that you won't get a rust stain from a wire hanger. Then iron with a spray bottle set to mist. (These instructions come straight from my girlfriend). I don't know why your shirts should shrink, unless you are washing them in very hot water or perhaps more importantly, drying them at a high heat until bone dry. That could lead them to shrink. If you have your shirts laundered commercialy, I'd suggest that you ask for no starch (there will always be some starch used, even with no starch being asked for). A Gitman shirt rep told me years ago that starch built up in shirts and to occassionaly wash them with fabric softener to release the starch from the fabric. I cannot attest to the efficacy of this procedure, but it might be worth a try. I don't know where you live, but you might look in your local (suburban) paper to see if you can find a laundress to press your shirts. I had a woman who owned a laundromat offer to iron my shirts for a dollar a shirt. I would have washed them first myself. Good luck!


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## waltj (Oct 9, 2005)

Thank you for your replies. 

I have to admit when it comes to using the dryer I pretty much run high heat till bone dry. 

I have a few new shirts that are 60/40. I will gentle wash and hang dry. You make a great point about the shirts not getting that dirty during normal wear. I would agree office wear doesn't require much sweat abuse. Only the occasional stain. 

Tomorrow I will wash the shirts on gentle, cold, with just a touch of detergent since the shirts are relatively new just a little fabric softener and let hang dry. Then go over them with an iron. 

You guys will end up saving me money on the cleaning bill. More money for clothes.


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## DougNZ (Aug 31, 2005)

One more thing: while ironing your still-damp shirts, be sure to stretch the seams out.


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## WoolSilkCotton (Nov 15, 2005)

Guys, guys, you are tormenting yourselves needlessly. You must find a decent laundry/dry cleaner who will launder and iron the shirts (no starch), put a plastic tab on the top button to maintain the front of the collar's shape, put them on a hanger or in a box, and a nice plastic clip gizmo to keep the French Cuffs neatly together. Mine does all this for $1.70; it's run by a nice italian lady and her son and daughter. God bless that guy whose girlfriend irons for him- if he doesn't marry her, I will.


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## Alexander Kabbaz (Jan 9, 2003)

> quote:Mine does all this for $1.70


 It requires 27 minutes to properly iron a shirt. At 1.70 per shirt that = $3.60 per hour. You are either dealing with slaveowners who don't pay even minimum wage or ...

You get what you pay for.

*https://www.CustomShirt1.com

Kabbaz-Kelly & Sons Fine Custom Clothiers
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## Alexander Kabbaz (Jan 9, 2003)

Laundering doesn't require 'gizmos', it requires care, knowledge, and elbow grease or a hefty dose of _caveat emptor_.

Pays yuh money, takes yuh choice.
*HOW TO: *

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## maxnharry (Dec 3, 2004)

You need to listen to Alex! 

If you care about your shirts, you're either going to have to them yourself or let someone else you trust to do them. The local washer spends seconds on pressing your shirt in a machine. Now his estimate is probably on the high side, but even if it took you 10 minutes to half a$$edly iron your shirts, you could do a weeks worth of shirts in a little more than an hour.

If you're one of the Captains of Industry who "doesn't have an hour", then you need to find a laundry commensurate with your station to do you shirts (and what are you doing on this board?)


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## JohnnyVegas (Nov 17, 2005)

> quote:_Originally posted by Alexander Kabbaz_
> 
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> 
> ...


Could you (or anyone) please point me in the direction on how to do this 27-minute ironing technique? I wash and iron my own clothes and I knew there had to be a better way than what my mom taught me growing up.


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## Alexander Kabbaz (Jan 9, 2003)

> quote:but even if it took you 10 minutes to half a$$edly iron your shirts


 I heard that M 'n H ... y'all cheatin' agin? 

*https://www.CustomShirt1.com

Kabbaz-Kelly & Sons Fine Custom Clothiers
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## maxnharry (Dec 3, 2004)

Just trying to make self ironing more palatable!


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## houserichichi (Jul 4, 2003)

For curiosity's sake, Alex, what would you recommend for a blue ballpoint pen mark on a white, 100% cotton shirt? Your instructions tell me to contact my shirtmaker...does that mean I'm s.o.l.? Same deal with a scorching on the collar. I don't know how I did it but I think I magically burned the facing side of my collar, both around where the stays would be (yes, I took them out before I washed/ironed). I put that poor shirt through hell! [:I]


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## AlanC (Oct 28, 2003)

Alex's instructions are the best, of course, but wash at home in cold water on gentle cycle, no fabric softener. Hang dry. Iron while watching tv using a water spritzer to dampen the fabric, no starch. I understand being busy, time value of you money, blah, blah, but that's not something that is universally applied. If you watch tv at all, you can iron. It's probably even good for you as it fights against the brain deadening effect of the television.

And those who say that a hand ironed shirt doesn't look 'right' as compared to one crushed by an industrial iron at a cleaners must also think a home grilled burger doesn't taste 'right' as compared to a McDonald's quarter pounder.


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## Alexander Kabbaz (Jan 9, 2003)

> quote:For curiosity's sake, Alex, what would you recommend for a blue ballpoint pen mark on a white, 100% cotton shirt? Your instructions tell me to contact my shirtmaker...does that mean I'm s.o.l.? Same deal with a scorching on the collar. I don't know how I did it but I think I magically burned the facing side of my collar


 For the pen ... SOLUTION A: Mix up a bit of glycerine (pharmacy item) with a small bit of liquid dishwashing soap. Apply and rub in with a toothbrush. Let sit 24 hours and wash in machine on warm with powdered Tide. 
SOLUTION B: If that doesn't work, return to the pharmacy. Buy a bit of Nitric Acid. Mix with the glycerine and throw the concoction at the shirt. Before it reaches the shirt, bend over, put your head between your legs, and kiss your a$$ goodbye.

For the scorched collar ... squeeze the juice out of a lemon onto a saucer. Allow the water and citric acid to evaporate. You will be left with salts of lemon. Using a different toothbrush and your fingers, grind this into the scorch. Allow to sit for awhile. Then moisten your fingers and rub the scorch again to dampen it. Allow to sit overnight and wash as above. Whether this works depends upon how much you scorched it.

NOTE: Try removing the pen first. If that doesn't work and you follow my Solution B instructions, I guarantee you won't be worrying much about the scorch. No reason to waste a perfectly good lemon.

*https://www.CustomShirt1.com

Kabbaz-Kelly & Sons Fine Custom Clothiers
* Bespoke Shirts & Furnishings * Zimmerli Swiss Underwear
* Alex Begg Cashmere * Pantherella Socks **​


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## wby (Sep 10, 2003)

No fabric softener? I wash and then hang dry, but I do add a little fabric softener to the rinse cycle (my new washer does this automatically, which is nice). Am I doing a lot of damage to my shirts? Are the shirts not really stiff if you do not use any fabric softener? I have pretty good quality shirts, mostly Hilditch & Key. Perhaps I don't need the fabric softener?


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## Cantabrigian (Aug 29, 2005)

If you prefer your shirts with some starch - and I think there is good reason to - find a decent dry cleaner and every fourth or fifth time, wash them yourself first (gentle cycle, no dryer) to get rid of the accumulated starch and then take them to the cleaners. 

Take some less expensive shirts there first to see if you are satisfied. In many areas, cleaners will pick the clothes up from your home.


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## waltj (Oct 9, 2005)

Just washed 3 blue dress shirts on COLD and COLD. One thing I noticed is the washer didn't completely rinse away all detergent. There is some residue left on the shirts. Currently rinsing again. 

How should I pretreat the collars to get rid of the dreaded "Ring around the colllar"?


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## Holdfast (Oct 30, 2005)

I've always washed my own shirts and have found the following regime works well and doesn't shrink shirts:

1) Wash on a cool cycle (40 deg C) with the recommended amount of detergent (I use Persil non-bio) and also fabric softener (I use Comfort Easy Iron - the Easy Iron stuff definitely makes a difference). Use the "extra rinse" cycle on your machine if it has one.
2) Dry to slightly damp (this takes just under 60 minutes on my machine's low heat setting but will vary for you). Err on the side of dampness! If still a bit too damp to iron straight away, hang up on hangers and button the collar button.
3) Steam iron on the cotton setting of your iron. Use as little steam as you can get away with. Certainly don't go crazy trying to over-steam collars/cuffs - you'll do more damage than good. At this stage I re-insert collar stays so the collars remain crisp since I fold the shirts to store them away (button all chest placket buttons if you're folding; you can just button the collar button if you're hanging).

I accept Mr Kabbaz's extreme authority on all things shirt and therefore his earlier advice as "technically" best. 

But for me personally, I have used the above regime for long enough, with excellent results, and no damage to my shirts, that I will continue using it and feel confident recommending it.


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## Alexander Kabbaz (Jan 9, 2003)

> quote:How should I pretreat the collars to get rid of the dreaded "Ring around the colllar"?


 Stop being lazy and read the laundry instructions! Here's the link again:



> quote:No fabric softener? I wash and then hang dry, but I do add a little fabric softener to the rinse cycle (my new washer does this automatically, which is nice).


 No. No fabric softener. Would YOU like to be washed in fabric softener? Cotton shirts are just as organic as you are. Possibly moreso, depending upon your diet. Put a fan in front of them to simulate the wind they would receive on an outdoor line.

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## miro (Jan 31, 2005)

Is there any type/brand iron that is recommended?


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## Holdfast (Oct 30, 2005)

> quote:_Originally posted by Alexander Kabbaz_
> 
> 
> > quote:No fabric softener? I wash and then hang dry, but I do add a little fabric softener to the rinse cycle (my new washer does this automatically, which is nice).
> ...


I'm not sure I'd want to wash in Borax or Laundry Detergent and yet your link recommends these. Is there actually a technical issue here with either longevity/damage/feel or do you just not like the stuff for some other reason?

As I mentioned earlier, I've always used it and the difference is very noticeable - it makes ironing much faster. Feel-wise, I don't find too much of a difference, I will admit; only slightly softer with fabric softener but it's not dramatic. This with between 100s and 120s cotton shirts - I suppose higher end shirts may need the softener even less?

I'd be interested in your thoughts about these points.


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## waltj (Oct 9, 2005)

> quote:_Originally posted by Alexander Kabbaz_
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## Alexander Kabbaz (Jan 9, 2003)

> quote:I'm not sure I'd want to wash in Borax or Laundry Detergent and yet your link recommends these. Is there actually a technical issue here with either longevity/damage/feel or do you just not like the stuff for some other reason?


 Doesn't say to wash in Borax. Says to use Borax (bar soap) to loosen the ring around the collar. As far as the rest, just consider me old-fashioned.

At least I didn't tell you to take the shirts and your washboard down to the Thames and bang them with stones until clean. 

*https://www.CustomShirt1.com

Kabbaz-Kelly & Sons Fine Custom Clothiers
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## Alexander Kabbaz (Jan 9, 2003)

> quote:Yes master. The Padawan will refer back to the original instructions.


_ There is no emotion; there is peace.
There is no ignorance; there is knowledge.
There is no passion; there is serenity.
There is no chaos; there is harmony.
There is no death; there is the Force._

*https://www.CustomShirt1.com

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## Patrick M Thayer (Dec 24, 2004)

I have never (I mean never!) seen a home ironed shirt that looks as good as one done by a careful professional laundry. More power to those of you who have time to do your own, but I don't have time even to wash my casual shirts -- I've found a great laundry that takes good care of my shirts -- they look professional and last a very long time, , ,

Pat --
Living well is the best revenge.


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## Holdfast (Oct 30, 2005)

> quote:_Originally posted by Alexander Kabbaz_
> _ There is no emotion; there is peace.
> There is no ignorance; there is knowledge.
> There is no passion; there is serenity.
> ...


I must admit I didn't expect to see the Jedi Code's Catechism posted here!

The image of a wise old Master training Younglings with ironing boards in front of them and irons in hand, has popped into my head.

"Press or press not! There is no wrinkle!"


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## bluetag39 (Nov 30, 2004)

For those who do not wish to follow Alexander Kabbaz's excellent instructions, go to a commercial laundry that does all the work on the premises.

If there are any problems, make sure that when you learned Chinese as a second language, it was the right dialect.


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## Patrick06790 (Apr 10, 2005)

When a shirt is showing signs of distress, I mix a solution of lemon juice, Bon Ami, used motor oil,Imus Ranch salsa and gin. Then I put the shirts in an enema bag, add the solution, and hang it from a tree for the winter.

While waiting for the spring thaw, I go buy some new shirts.


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## ice (Sep 2, 2005)

```
I have never (I mean never!) seen a home ironed shirt that looks as good as one done by a careful professional laundry.
```
I can tell you were never in the military. Professionally pressed shirts don't stand up to scrutiny on most parade squares. Nothing beats doing it by hand.

A good ironing job for daily wear takes ten minutes. Here is a big hint: your ironing board has two ends. The pointy end is for pants. The square end is for shirts. Each "panel" of your shirt can be ironed without shifting, if you use the square end. This is considerably faster than using the pointed end, which requires constant shifting and readjusting.

Spray starch aids ironing and helps your shirt look crisp all day. There are different formulations: find one that suits your fabric, ironing style, and desired look.

The best way to apply starch is right after washing. Use powdered starch in a basin of water, dip the shirt, and hang to dry. A little starch, and the shirt will look crisp all day. A lot of starch, and it will practically stand up no its own. Perfect for summer linens or cotton in very hot weather.


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## Alexander Kabbaz (Jan 9, 2003)

> quote:If there are any problems, make sure that when you learned Chinese as a second language, it was the right dialect.


 Hey, dude ... I though I was in charge of the sarcasm around here. 

*https://www.CustomShirt1.com

Kabbaz-Kelly & Sons Fine Custom Clothiers
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## waltj (Oct 9, 2005)

Allright. Just got back from Target. Looks like Tide has a coldwater formula in powder and liquid. Picked up a bottle of the liquid. Will see how it works out.


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## Trogdor (May 20, 2005)

> quote:_Originally posted by ice_
> 
> A good ironing job for daily wear takes ten minutes. Here is a big hint: your ironing board has two ends. The pointy end is for pants. The square end is for shirts. Each "panel" of your shirt can be ironed without shifting, if you use the square end. This is considerably faster than using the pointed end, which requires constant shifting and readjusting.


This is the best bit of sartorial advice I've received in ages. Immediately after reading it, I ran out and tried it. I got five shirts done in the time it took to watch "Gray's Anatomy." Perfect. Thanks!


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## morgan (Sep 24, 2005)

No, I don't have one!

Morgs


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## Patrick M Thayer (Dec 24, 2004)

> _Originally posted by ice_
> 
> 
> ```
> ...


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## Brooksfan (Jan 25, 2005)

Your question brings to mind one of the few usable and worthwhile nuggets from the Esquire book Things a Man Should Know About Style from several years ago. 

It went something like "you will be happier if you consider dress shirts as disposable." 

Assuming you don't want to invest the effort and time to drip dry the shirt and lightly iron it yourself, you will be subjecting it to heat and pressure by giving it to a laundry. 

For years I brought mine to a laundry for ironing only, after washing and drying them at home to prevent shrinkage. I told them I didn't care what they charged to iron them but I wanted them done by hand. They assured me they would do it that way and one place charged $1.50 and the other $2.00. In both cases it was clear they were processed with all the other shirts and put through the Mangle (appropriately named, by the way.) 

A human couldn't exert enough force to crush the buttons they way these guys did, nor could they put nearly permanent creases in the places they did. 

My wife is of Scottish ancestry and she irons my shirts by hand now. Every time I suggest bringing them back to the laundry she reminds me of the shirts I no longer wear because of the problems caused by the mass production techniques used there. 

I can't imagine what true hand ironing would cost, and at this point I'm not willing to trust good shirts to any outside source.


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## Alexander Kabbaz (Jan 9, 2003)

> quote:"you will be happier if you consider dress shirts as disposable."


[:0]

I didn't see that.

Nope, I really didn't see that.

*I Absolutely DID NOT SEE THAT.*

*https://www.CustomShirt1.com

Kabbaz-Kelly & Sons Fine Custom Clothiers
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## Syringemouth (Aug 24, 2005)

I *ALWAYS* wash my own shirts. I just use a very mild soap and use the delicate cycle on the washer. Dryer is a big *NO-NO * as this allows the shirts to shrink more and (in my experience anyway) colors will fade quicker.


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## waltj (Oct 9, 2005)

This is a good thread it's been very helpful for me. 

Things I have learned so far

1. I know more about proper care and feeding of my shirts than I initially gave myself credit for. But this thread has simply reinforced that knowledge

2. The dry cleaners that I have frequented does a great job for the money less than $1.70 per shirt.With the exception of a few cracked buttons. Living in the Dallas area we have quite a few dry cleaners and that leads to competition driving the price down. 

3. Remembering Sundays past when my mother would spend a little time ironing clothes for the week. I will have to take up that tradition. 

4. It's possible to over wash your clothes. I think in the past I have used too much detergent. I will try to use less with dress shirts. It's not like the shirts have grass stains like when I was a kid. 

5. I don't think I will ever be able to get a home pressed shirt to look as good as a commercial pressed. But I can send the shirts in "every now and then" to keep the collars and cuffs nicely maintained. 

Just my observations so far.


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## Brooksfan (Jan 25, 2005)

> quote:_Originally posted by Alexander Kabbaz_
> 
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> ...


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## David V (Sep 19, 2005)

> quote:_Originally posted by ice_
> 
> 
> ```
> ...


Finally! Someone else who uses the square end for shirts. I have ironed my own shirts since high school (some 30 mummble mummble years ago.) and this is how I have always done them. Water from a sray bottle and a hot iron. 
I start with the back side of the collar and then do the yoke. I then move to the sleeves as Alexander mentioned. I never thought of ironing the inside of the fronts and back before doing the outside of the shirt.

David

Everything went to hell when we let California have its own pizza.


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## benedictusoblatus (Mar 15, 2005)

I can do a respectable job ironing my shirts in 22 minutes!



> quote:_Originally posted by Alexander Kabbaz_
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## Howard (Dec 7, 2004)

My Mother washes my shirts and irons them later


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## kkollwitz (Oct 31, 2005)

A late post, but I have good success getting ink, et al, out of shirts with Didi Seven, a stain remover.


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## crazyquik (Jun 8, 2005)

I use the ironing guide from Lewin.


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## Relayer (Nov 9, 2005)

Obviously, I'm not the sharpest knife in the drawer. I have always used the narrow end of the board to iron everything. Well, the last couple of days I have used the wide end. Eureka!

Normally, I only do touch-up ironing on my laundered/pressed shirts. After reading this thread, I'm getting the urge to wash them myself and take the ironing from scratch challenge. It seems the key to success may be coordinating the the timing of the washing (which my wife does) with the ironing (which I will have to do). As I said, I'm getting the urge. Whether I actually follow through (and how longterm my enthusiasm remains) is another matter.

Excellent thread.


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## Andre Yew (Sep 2, 2005)

Like washing your own car, ironing your own shirt is a great way to discover all those little details unnoticed in everyday use.

--Andre


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## JohnnyVegas (Nov 17, 2005)

I'm not sure how long it took me to iron my shirts over the weekend, but using the technique posted by Mr. Kabbaz provided wonderful results. My shirts never looked so good!

Also, I read in the latest Menswear mag (great suggested mag) that there are a few dry cleaners out there who do a top-notch job. Of course, it also costs about $10 per shirt.


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## dalp (Nov 30, 2005)

Alex advises washing whites in hot water. I've was under the impression this damages/shrinks the article(in my case a fine cotten dress shirt).


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## Alexander Kabbaz (Jan 9, 2003)

> quote:* Benedictusoblatus * I can do a respectable job ironing my shirts in 22 minutes!


 Looking for a job?



> quote:*dalp* Alex advises washing whites in hot water. I've was under the impression this damages/shrinks the article(in my case a fine cotten dress shirt).


 Pauline and I wrote those laundry instructions almost 20 years ago. I might, after 20 years of additional experience, modify that practice to include the possiblity of washing Whites in warm water if they are not terribly soiled. However, it is much, much more the dry heat of a hot dryer which will ruin the shirt than the moist heat of water.

FYI, the result of my many experiments on this subject indicate that the greatest cause of high shrinkage is not heat _per se_, it is temperature shock. In other words, if you wish to remove virtually all of the potential shrinkage from a garment, follow this procedure:
Turn on your dryer on the highest heat setting with a couple of dry terrycloth towels in it. Let it run while they get good and hot. Meantime, store your wet shirt in the freezer until it becomes solid. Throw the frozen shirt into the hot dryer and keep the dryer running. This is the procedure we use for our final fitting sample to insure that it is representative of shirts which have been washed 12-15 times.

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## joeyzaza (Dec 9, 2005)

I have a very good dry cleaner that uses a moderate amount of starch and the shirts look great. Over the years, I have tried all of the tips here at home on my shirts and I have never been able to get the crisp look on my collars or cuffs. I buy pretty decent shirts, usually from brooks brothers, and frankly, after a few (say 3 or 4) years, I would just as soon replace a shirt. In fact, Brooks shirts are date stamped and usually I get a good 5 years or so out of a shirt (if I can still read the faded date stamp). They ususally wear out in the elbow. I have about 25 shirts in rotation so I figure I wear a shirt 12 times a year. If I get 50 or 60 wearings out of a shirt, then to me that is not too bad. That means I have to buy 5 shirts per year. No big deal. I would rather pay $1.60 and get my shirts laundered.


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## clothesboy (Sep 19, 2004)

Does anyone here use a sleeveboard. The crease in a shirt sleeve, for some reason, irks me. Don't worry I still love a sharp crease in my pant leg.

EDIT: spelling

quis custodiet ipsos custodes?
Michael


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## Rich (Jul 10, 2005)

> quote:_Originally posted by benedictusoblatus_
> 
> I can do a respectable job ironing my shirts in 22 minutes!


I can iron and fold a dress shirt in 5 minutes flat. It won't be absolutely immaculate, but if you don't take your jacket off, only the collar and cuffs need to be perfect.


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## Alexander Kabbaz (Jan 9, 2003)

> quote:I can iron and fold a dress shirt in 5 minutes flat. It won't be absolutely immaculate, but if you don't take your jacket off, only the collar and cuffs need to be perfect.


 [:0] There are times when taking off one's jacket can be instrumental in the achievement of one's aspiration's for the day ... or night. Personally, this is not really my preferred reaction:

​
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## Rich (Jul 10, 2005)

> quote:_Originally posted by Alexander Kabbaz_
> 
> 
> 
> ...


You're quite right of course, but after day's wear under a jacket a shirt's not going to look pristine anyway. So long as the cuffs and the pleats in the arms, and the collar and placket are perfect, the rest can be less than 100%. In low light the flash of your cufflinks will hold her gaze. Still, when the stakes are high, better safe than sorry...


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## NewYorkBuck (May 6, 2004)

> quote:It went something like "you will be happier if you consider dress shirts as disposable."


I wrote this same thing here a few months ago after having a custom shirt ruined by the cleaners after owning it a month and them denying any responsibility. (For the record - it was KM Tops cleaners on Broadway and 83rd). My quandry was its wasnt worth me taking the day off of work to sue them for the $120, so I ate it and took my business elsewhere.

That was just one episode in a long line of cleaning mishaps. Rare was it when I didnt get a load of shirts back with at least a few buttons cracked or a burn mark here or there. Further, working in investment banking, I just didt have the time to spend 27 minutes ironing each shirt myself, and paying Hallak $10 each seemed absurd.

My solution now is to get them hand ironed (in suburban NJ) for $3 each. They are good, but the mishaps still happen from time to time. I will now buy shirts from H&K on sale, or from Carl from time to time, but I try to keep my average price per shirt to well under a $100. The realities of commercial laundering today just make me realize that each time I bring a shirt it could be its last.


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## Trenditional (Feb 15, 2006)

1) Get between 15-20 shirts

2) Rotate your shirts and don't wear the same one consistently

3) Have your cleaners wash them and press them with no starch

I have found this routine gets me about 1 - 1/2 years out of a shirt on the low end. They are shirts, they are going to wear out and have to be replaced. I don't like to nor do I have the time to iron my shirts.


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## Alexander Kabbaz (Jan 9, 2003)

> quote:They are shirts, they are going to wear out and have to be replaced.


 Pardon me? I detect derision in your declaration. [:0] You are correct ... but that should be at a minimum after 100 wearings and, if properly treated, more like 200.



> quote:I don't like to nor do I have the time to iron my shirts.


 Hand-ironing is *not* where shirts get damaged - at least not usually. A better solution is to launder them properly yourself - it can be done in 15 minutes per week. Then take them to a local Chinese laundry for NO WASH-HAND PRESS ONLY. They'll be happy to do it. They don't have to send it out to be washed so they actually make more money.

*https://www.CustomShirt1.com

Kabbaz-Kelly & Sons Fine Custom Clothiers
* Bespoke Shirts & Furnishings * Zimmerli Swiss Underwear **
* Alex Begg Cashmere * Pantherella Socks **​


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## Trenditional (Feb 15, 2006)

Alexander,

You are correct, I was over generalizing in my comment. 

I look at shirts as expendable. If I can get a good 2-3 years out of a shirt (yet to have one expire that quickly) I am happy. I have not spent more than $125.00 for a shirt, yet. 

It is my opinion, to just have shirts professionally laundered. Don't dry clean and don't have them starched. I'm lazy, I'll admit it.


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## J. Homely (Feb 7, 2006)

> quote:_Originally posted by ice_
> A good ironing job for daily wear takes ten minutes. Here is a big hint: your ironing board has two ends. The pointy end is for pants. The square end is for shirts. Each "panel" of your shirt can be ironed without shifting, if you use the square end. This is considerably faster than using the pointed end, which requires constant shifting and readjusting.


Thanks for the tip! It never would have occurred to me to use the square end. I suppose I just had it fixed in my head that the 'correct' set up for an ironing board point is to point left. And being a rightie...

Truthfully, though, I'm not sure I'm interested in spending time ironing anymore. I've never spent more than $100 on a shirt, and can't imagine I would (famous last words...), so mine are more or less 'disposable'.

But Mr. Kabbaz, I'd be curious to know roughly what percentage of your clients follow your advice to home launder. I'd imagine a significant portion of your clientele, despite their appreciation of fine cloths and tailoring, would just as soon send their shirts out to a reputable launderer, even if it meant replacing them sooner than they otherwise might have to.


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## BYoung (Jun 24, 2005)

> quote:_Originally posted by Trogdor_
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Second that, much quicker thanks! Now maybe you can explain why the pointy end is best used for slacks...

Regards,
Brian

"Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away."
~Philip K. Dick


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## JAGMAJ (Feb 10, 2005)

David V said:


> Finally! Someone else who uses the square end for shirts. I have ironed my own shirts since high school (some 30 mummble mummble years ago.) and this is how I have always done them. Water from a sray bottle and a hot iron.
> I start with the back side of the collar and then do the yoke. I then move to the sleeves as Alexander mentioned. I never thought of ironing the inside of the fronts and back before doing the outside of the shirt.


I have always used the square end of the ironing board and it works so well for shirts that I can't imagine using the pointed end. Like the other poster said, I just slip the shoulder of the shirt over the corner of the board.

On another issue, I do a little fabric softener on my shirts and finds that it makes them easier to iron, and they resist wrinkles better.


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## lizardking (Oct 18, 2008)

*Sleeveboard*

clothesboy,

I, too, use a sleeve board. I think the sleeve looks better without a crease. I had a boss once whose sleeves were always creased-all the way down to the end of the cuff. The laundry just put the sleeve in a machine an squashed it.


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## Bradley.Kohr.II (Oct 12, 2012)

As a useful resource, could anyone provide a source for those laundry instructions in Spanish? Or, perhaps, is their a demonstration online? 

(I'm fairly certain I could follow it, but my housekeeper would have an easier time in Spanish.)


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## momsdoc (Sep 19, 2013)

Primero, quitamanchas con un producto como Shout. Haga una prueba en un sito dixcreto, para ver si hay un cambio de color. Despues limpiarlo en la lavadora en un cyclo suave, con agua temprado. Puede usar agua caliente por camisas balnco. 

Secarlo en la macaquina con calor temprado, hasta estan casi seco. Pone en una percha de madera hasta estan completamente seco. 

Despues planchalos segun los instrucciones en el etiqueta.


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## johwal (Apr 21, 2010)

Use Dreft detergent; choose water temperature according to the label (crucial); and never use a dryer.


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## bobelmore (Jan 26, 2014)

Alexander Kabbaz said:


> It requires 27 minutes to properly iron a shirt. At 1.70 per shirt that = $3.60 per hour. You are either dealing with slaveowners who don't pay even minimum wage or ...
> 
> You get what you pay for.
> 
> ...


Here's how the laundries do it.


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## bobelmore (Jan 26, 2014)

joeyzaza said:


> I have a very good dry cleaner that uses a moderate amount of starch and the shirts look great. Over the years, I have tried all of the tips here at home on my shirts and I have never been able to get the crisp look on my collars or cuffs. I buy pretty decent shirts, usually from brooks brothers, and frankly, after a few (say 3 or 4) years, I would just as soon replace a shirt. In fact, Brooks shirts are date stamped and usually I get a good 5 years or so out of a shirt (if I can still read the faded date stamp). They ususally wear out in the elbow. I have about 25 shirts in rotation so I figure I wear a shirt 12 times a year. If I get 50 or 60 wearings out of a shirt, then to me that is not too bad. That means I have to buy 5 shirts per year. No big deal. I would rather pay $1.60 and get my shirts laundered.


My mother-in-law gave my wife her old Mangle when we got married, but she gave it away!


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## Bjorn (May 2, 2010)

This thread is ancient.


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