# Pre washing sweatshirts



## lisajones64 (Jun 26, 2008)

If you get an order for sweatshirts do you pre wash them prior to embroidering on? I've heard you should always pre wash if it is something that will shrink and I've heard some people never pre-wash because they don't want to give their clients something that doesn't look new. What do you do?


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## dan-ann (Oct 25, 2007)

When I use 50/50 cotton/poly I never wash them 

I do wash the 80/20 because I find they shrink more and I don't want my designs distorted.

I am about to wash and dry 60 80/20's hoping they do shrink I have never seen such big sweatshirts


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## veedub3 (Mar 29, 2007)

Wow this is interesting. How does the shirt look once it has been washed and then embroidered? Does it look like it has been washed and do customers mind this? I sub out my embroidery jobs but they never wash the garments.

Katrina


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## lisajones64 (Jun 26, 2008)

veedub3 said:


> Wow this is interesting. How does the shirt look once it has been washed and then embroidered? Does it look like it has been washed and do customers mind this? I sub out my embroidery jobs but they never wash the garments.
> 
> Katrina


I have always washed anything that I know can shrink because I was told that if it shrinks after it has been embroidered on, it will pucker around the embroidery. 
After I am done with the embroidery I iron it so it has no wrinkles at all and it looks new to me. My customers have never complained however it is very time consuming.


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## lizziemaxine (Nov 14, 2007)

I don't pre-wash sweatshirts. It's too time consuming and I don't think necessary.
If you are using a sweatshirt that is going to shrink enough to distort your embroidery then you need to look at using a better quality sweatshirt.
Also, if a sweatshirt is going to shrink when you wash it once then it more than likely will shrink the next time it is washed, and the time after that. How are you going to prevent the embroidery from distorting once you have delivered the sweatshirts to your customer? With proper digitzing that shouldn't be an issue.


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## dan-ann (Oct 25, 2007)

Never had much trouble with shrinkage after the first washing. I use a authentic pigment died and high quality sweatshirts. Not wasting my time with cheap ones. 

after they are dried I use the heat press to do the sleeves and front and back, embroider and then just touch up a little with the iron when the sewing is done. Time consuming yes but they look great when they go out.


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## veedub3 (Mar 29, 2007)

lisajones64 said:


> I have always washed anything that I know can shrink because I was told that if it shrinks after it has been embroidered on, it will pucker around the embroidery.
> After I am done with the embroidery I iron it so it has no wrinkles at all and it looks new to me. My customers have never complained however it is very time consuming.


I can imagine it would be time consuming. I have an order of 75 sweatshirts at the embroiderer now and he does not wash them. I have to say that I have never had a customer say anything about them shirkning or the embroidery puckering either but I do use good quality sweat shirts.
I wouldn't even want to iron that many sweat shirts. Heck I don't even iron my clothes. If it needs ironing it goes to the cleaners, if not then I wear it ruff dry. I am only going to the shop to get dirty anyway.

Katrina


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## dan-ann (Oct 25, 2007)

I guess we have all have our own way of doing things. It is what ever you are comfortable with


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## INKFREAK (Jul 24, 2008)

We have our own way of going out of business quick.I have never prewashed a shirt in 25 years.
You're a embroider not a laundry mat.I wouldn't be in this business if I had to prewash the thousands and thousands of shirts I've done.If you are buying blanks from a reputable company there should be few to no problems.
Save your washer,dryer, water and electricity for other things.Sorry so harsh but Holy Cow!


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## dan-ann (Oct 25, 2007)

Wow - remind me never to volunteer what I do again. a question was asked and I answered with how I do things. did not tell you what to do or that your way is wrong.


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## INKFREAK (Jul 24, 2008)

saving resources and time is wrong?


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## FatKat Printz (Dec 26, 2008)

So for those that prewash.. do you use dye free laundry detergent? I am afraid to wash something and the customer be allergic.


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## EXTouch (Mar 22, 2007)

@FatKatz: after reading the posts, that was my same question! LOL.

Interesting, I've never thought to pre-wash garments.


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## deChez (Nov 10, 2007)

Check the codes, laws, etc. in your state. In some cases, a pre-washed garment cannot be sold as "new"....it renders it a "used" garment.


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## lizziemaxine (Nov 14, 2007)

deChez said:


> Check the codes, laws, etc. in your state. In some cases, a pre-washed garment cannot be sold as "new"....it renders it a "used" garment.


Never thought of it that way but that may be the case in many states.


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## zoom_monster (Sep 20, 2006)

This would be true if you sold "stock", but if you buy the garment specifically for the job, the client is buying "new", you just charge them extra to pre-launder........ Personally I've never done this, because proper stabilization and digitizing should make this not nessasary, but I guess there may be a certain fabric that it might be better to do this, but a sweatshirt... I wouldn't.

Ian


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