I absolutely love wearing a nice soft, white t-shirt, however, I think I dried 6 of mine on the hot drying cycle for too long. They came out feeling somewhat rough and like there was sand in the fibers. I have 4 others that are still nice and soft. All are Fruit Of The Loom Crew White t-shirts. When we buy me a new package of FOTL t-shirts, I also wash them before wearing. Then, in the dryer they go. If I set the dryer on medium heat, it will take the t-shirts "for ever and a day" to dry, whereas the high heat takes much shorter time. But, from what I've read online, high heat can kill the softness of a t-shirt. So...…...how do you wash and dry t-shirts, whether they are white or colored ones?
Work shirts don't care about Good ones the few I have left I dry on delicate with a Bounce scented dyer sheet and take out and hang before it stops, my fishing shirts with sun block and all button up long sleeve are the best I own I do the same way or just let hang dry, then maybe a quick fluff up with dryer sheet, they get washed so much it really don't matter, I always take a clean t shirt and change after each trip at the dock and advise guests to do the same, most all do so, I just wish I knew how to get dried blood off them! They are all light colors. I have never used color safe bleach and ruined several items with regular bleach before.
So, even though I do add liquid fabric softener (to a dispenser in washer), I should also use a dryer sheet in the dryer?
We just bought me a pack of 4 new FOTL Beyond Soft Crew Neck White t-shirts last night and I don't want to ruin these. Anyone heard of putting a few tennis balls into the dryer? I use three of them when drying our bath towels and those towels always come out great feeling...….very, very soft.
When I had to worry about white T-shirts, I found that either White Revive or OxiClean with White revive works the best. Chlorine bleach will work if you have good, soft water without iron or other minerals, but may ruin modern T-shirts. As far a removing blood that has dried but not set into the fabric, hydrogen peroxide or normal (0.9%) saline/salt water worked the best for me. Once the blood has hemolyzed and set into the fabric, chlorine beach is probably your best hope...but don't expect much. If you get blood on clothing of any kind, treat it to remove the blood prior to washing for best results.
I'm not sure what they used but I worked for an EMS company for a while that used white uniform shirts, although I always thought that was a dumb idea. Sometimes, I'd go through four pairs of shirts during one shift, but the uniform company either got the stains out or replaced the shirts.
@Cody Fousnaugh Maybe you just have hard water. Not sure their is any solution to that, but using the tennis balls or dryer balls help fluff up the fabrics due to the extra movement / tossing while drying, Dryer sheets really aren't made to have the same effect.
We bought a box of ALL Free & Clear Non-Scented Dryer Sheets last night and I'll put one of them in the dryer with the new t-shirts. I will also add a little liquid softener to the wash. T-shirts cost, for a package of 4 (or even 6) to much to have them come out "rough feeling" to wear.
Personally, I think using fabric softener in the wash and in the dryer is a bit of overkill. (And in all my years I have never heard of a "rough" t-shirt. ) I'd recommend following the t-shirt manufacturer's washing instructions.
If it’s clean, I wear it. If the washer didn’t take a stain out, I wear it. If it turns out less “fluffy” than when I first bought it, I wear it. The only time I will put a piece of clothing aside is if it no longer fits or like underwear, so full of holes and tore up that a Somalian wouldn’t wear it.
I would'nt own a white t-shirt or a Fruit of the Loom for that matter. No white just for the reason you say, they stain and discolor much to easily. I wear Carhartt or CE Schmitt exclusively in colors. The only white I have is some wife beaters I wear as underwear.