Okay so my rugby jersey was seriously gross after last weekend’s match. Mud stains near the hem, some weird grass streaks on the shoulder, and it just had that… sweaty locker room smell stuck to it, you know? I really didn’t wanna ruin it because it’s my favorite. So this morning I finally tackled washing it properly. Here’s exactly what I did, step-by-step, mess-ups and all.
Before Anything Else – Checking The Label
Right, first thing I did was actually look at the care label inside the shirt. I usually ignore these, whoops. Good thing I did! Important bits:
- Machine Wash Cold – So not hot water, got it.
- Gentle Cycle – No heavy spinning.
- No Bleach – Obviously, bright colors!
- Turn Inside Out – For the print.
- Line Dry – No dryer.
Okay, basic, but good reminder.
My Actual Washing Process
Here’s how it went down:
- Step 1: Inside Out! Grabbed the shirt and flipped it inside out. Gotta protect those printed logos and numbers from getting bashed around.
- Step 2: Zippers Down. My jersey has a zipper! Forgot about it last time. Made sure to zip it all the way down. Don’t want it snagging or damaging the fabric.
- Step 3: Pre-Treating Stains. Saw those mud patches. Dabbed them lightly with cold water first, then gently rubbed a tiny bit of mild liquid laundry detergent directly onto the stains. Didn’t scrub hard! Just let it sit for about 15 minutes before throwing it in.
- Step 4: Pick the Detergent. Chose a regular liquid detergent – nothing fancy, no sports wash, no bleach alternatives, no pods (heard those can leave sticky gunk sometimes). Just plain liquid.
- Step 5: Load the Machine. Only washed it with other jerseys and similar rugby stuff. No jeans, no towels, nothing heavy or rough. Didn’t stuff the machine full – gave it some room to move.
- Step 6: Settings Time. Selected Cold Water. Then chose the Gentle/Delicate Cycle. Double-checked! Spun the dial myself to be safe.
- Step 7: Start. Hit the button and let it run.
Drying Drama (Almost!)
Once the wash finished, I remembered NO DRYER. Pulled it out damp. Almost chucked it in the dryer out of habit – scary! Phew, avoided that disaster.
- Step 8: Gentle Squeeze. Didn’t wring it like crazy. Just held it up and gave it a few gentle squeezes downwards to get rid of some drips. No twisting!
- Step 9: Shape It & Line Dry. Laid the damp jersey flat on a clean towel for a minute to get rid of more water. Then, hung it up on a plastic hanger inside out still, pulling it smooth-ish. Didn’t hang it in direct hot sun; found a shady spot on my covered porch rack. Airflow is key, not heat!
Finally, Done!
Checked on it a few hours later. Completely dry? Felt it. Nice and fresh smelling? Sniffed it (weird, I know). Stains gone? Yep. Print looked perfect. Success! Smelled clean, not overpowered by fake perfume crap. Took maybe 5 minutes of actual work, but paying attention to those little steps makes a huge difference. Saved my favorite shirt!
