If you compare basketball with some sports, say football, it is not a “dirty” game. However, you would not miss the chance to play a competitive outdoor match, would you? And outdoor courts are not usually as clean as the indoor ones.
Well, whether you play on the indoor or outdoor court, your uniform can get stained or soiled, especially the jersey.
Now, if you do not clean your sweat-drenched basketball clothing properly, you will be looking to get a new jersey pretty much every month. That would be pretty expensive, wouldn’t it? So, learning how to wash a basketball jersey is pretty crucial.
That said, learning the correct washing method is not that hard at all! Do not believe us? Continue reading and find it out by yourself!
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3 Steps To Wash A Basketball Jersey
Washing the jerseys is a matter of just a couple of steps. And they are pretty easy to execute as well. Nonetheless, these are the steps that you would need to follow:
Step 1: Prepare a Different Load ( for Black and White Jerseys)
First of all, you should do a little prep work. If you have a white jersey, prepare a load with white clothes only. Clothes of other colors may bleed during the cleaning process, and the color can strain your precious clothing.
The same thing is applicable if you have a black jersey. You would need to prepare a different load for it. However, you can put them on your regular cleaning load for the others.
Step 2: Get the Jersey Ready for the Washer
Before you put the jersey in the washer, you should turn it inside out. Leaving them on the regular form can make the patches wear out quickly. Also, the stitching and wording will have too much abrasion and can come off during the wash. So, turn the jersey inside out.
Step 3: Wash the Jersey in the Washer
Even with the washers, you will need to give your jersey a delicate treatment. In other words, you should not use hot water. It can make the clothing fade or shrink. Instead, prepare the washer in the cold water mode.
Along with that, you should choose the correct detergent powder. A bleach-less, high-grade, and color-protecting powder would be our recommendation. Liquid detergents will work, but there will be a chance of your clothing getting damaged. Why? They do not dissolve that well, and many contain harsh elements.
How To Dry A Basketball Jersey
Washing the jersey is the first half of the story — drying is the other half. You might think of putting it into the dryer. Well, that can damage the jersey faster. The thing is, even though the dryer will dry out the clothing more quickly, it can make the jersey fade and make the jersey shrink.
Instead, let the clothing drip dry while being on a hanger. Put it in a place where it gets enough air and light.
How To Remove Stain from a Basketball Jersey
Stains are something that is pretty hard to deal with on clothes. And it gets a little harder for the basketball jersey. You see, for the regular clothing, you would need to wash the stains with warm water to get them off properly. But as we have stated earlier, hot water is not good for the jerseys.
So, how do you deal with stains on a basketball jersey? Well, before washing the entire clothing, you will need to do a pre-wash. Fill a bucket with cold water and mix some of the bleach-free and color-protecting detergent. Again, the liquid detergent will not work that well in this regard.
Then, use your hands to gently work with the stains. You might even want to use a brush to get the tough stains out. However, do not get too harsh with the brush, or else you will fade the color of the spot.
If the stain is too stubborn, you can wash it with some salt. Also, you can opt for gentle stain-removing detergents. There are many that can remove a majority of the stains with cold water.
Nonetheless, if you are working with mayonnaise, felt tip pen, and vomit stains, you should use lukewarm water. The cold water will not do that much of a good job with those stains.
Wondering how to get stains out of a white baseball jersey? Well, the process will be pretty much the same. You should work with your hands by dipping the jersey in a bucket of cold water mixed with detergent.
How To Wash a NBA Jersey
The thing with the NBA jerseys is that they are not from a single brand. You might have one that is from Reebok, Adidas, or Sand-Knit. And each of them will need to go through a different washing process. To be sure regarding the method, you should check the care instructions on the jersey.
Usually, most will recommend not to use bleach. However, you will need to use non-chlorine bleach for some Adidas jerseys. Also, in most cases, you should wash them with cold water. But with some of the options from Reebok and Fanatics, you should use water with a temperature of 40 degrees.
So, before you wash the NBA jerseys, it is crucial to check the care instructions that come with the tag. Also, check whether the jersey recommends you to do a cool iron or a hot iron after the wash. That is another critical part that you should consider when it comes to washing NBA jerseys.
Final Words
See? Getting to know the correct method of how to wash a basketball jersey makes it easier to clean your basketball clothes. However, if you have an NBA jersey, we would highly recommend following the care instructions. They will generally be of a mixture of materials. And they will demand a different clean and care process.
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