By arlington 
Okay folks, grab a brew, settle in. Need to talk about lookin’ after my favorite Tottenham shirt. Got it last season after the big derby win, absolutely buzzing. But man, after a few wears and washes… it was looking rough. Pits going kinda yellow, fabric felt stiff, colours fading a bit? Gutted. So figured I gotta sort this out proper.
The Stupid Sweaty Mistake
First thing, gotta be honest? Was just chucking it in the washing machine after match days. Hot wash, regular detergent, shoved in with jeans and whatever else was dirty. Dumb, I know. Came out covered in lint, felt weirdly scratchy, and those pit stains? Barely budged. Just got sorta… set in. Annoying as hell.
Worse still? Stuck it in the dryer couple times. High heat. Because impatient. Yeah. Don’t do that. Shrank a tiny bit up top and the heat press badges felt… kinda rough around the edges. Really thought I’d ruined it. That feeling sucked.
Actually Trying to Be Careful
Right, decided no more being lazy. Wanted my shirt fresh, crisp Spurs white and navy, badges looking new.
Started simple. Checked the actual label inside, you know? Felt like discovering secret knowledge. “Cool wash”. “Inside out”. “No fabric softener”. Whaaaat? Had totally ignored that thing forever.
Next game day, came home buzzing but also so sweaty. Spritzed the pits and collar straight away with some cheapo stain remover spray I had under the sink. Like immediately after taking it off. Left it sitting in the bathroom sink soaking in cool water with just a bit of washing powder while I had my shower. Figured let the stuff sit and work, yeah?
Couple hours later, actually got round to washing it. Flipped the shirt inside out – badges protected! Used a small drop of that liquid detergent for colours, specifically looked for one without bleach because… obvious, right? Cold water cycle, obviously. Threw it in with only other dark sports stuff I had. No gritty jeans this time!
The Aftermath (No Heat This Time!)
Pulled it out wet… felt different already. Softer? And the pits looked way better! Not perfect yet, but the yellowing was seriously faded. Huge relief.
Now drying. No dryer. Period. Screwed that up before. Got one of those wide plastic hangers – laid the shirt flat on it, shape kept nice, smoothed out any creases around the badge area as best I could. Hung it up inside my wardrobe near the door for decent air, away from direct sun (heard sunlight bleaches stuff bad). Took a full day to dry proper, but man…
The Win
Slid it on this morning. Crisp! Fits like it should. White bits look white, navy looks deep. Feels soft again, not scratchy. The heat press badges? Smooth and bonded proper, no peeling bits. Pits are good! Not brand new, but miles better than those gross yellow patches. Proper chuffed. So simple, just needed to stop acting like a caveman with the laundry.
So yeah, lessons learned the hard way:
- Spritz stains FAST: Hit the sweat zones ASAP after wearing. Don’t leave it fester.
- Inside Out & Cold Wash Only: Flip it. Use cold water. Every. Single. Time.
- Gentle Liquid Soap: Ditch the strong powder stuff. Use colour-safe liquid detergent. Tiny bit!
- No Fabric Softener! Ever! Apparently wrecks the techy fabric and badges. Who knew?
- Wash with Buddies: Only other kits or smooth stuff like football shorts. No denim bullies.
- Air Dry Always: Flat on a wide hanger or laid flat on a drying rack. Sunlight? Nope. Dryer? HELL NO.
- Don’t Iron the Badges: Seriously. Just don’t. If you really gotta iron (I don’t bother), iron it inside out on low heat, avoid any prints.
Feels dead obvious now. But took me ruining my pride and joy to figure it out! Works though. Shirt looks fresh, feels good, hopefully lasts way longer. Up the Spurs!
