Sports & Recreation

Best Ways to Clean Your Soccer T-Shirts

Before you go running to the soccer shop to buy a new uniform, take a moment to glean some insights on the best ways to keep your jerseys clean.  Let’s take a closer look at the most common types of stains your soccer jersey can collect.

Perhaps the most obvious stain is caused by grass and dirt, after all, soccer is played in an open field.  For these types of stains, first rinse the uniform in a sink to remove all of the loose dirt and mud.  Brushing off these stains or rubbing them off vigorously in the sink will do the trick.  Another method would be to hang the uniform on a clothesline and spray it off with a garden hose.  Next soak your stained soccer t-shirts in the sink or a bucket for one hour or overnight as needed.  After this soaking period, inspect your jersey to see if it still has noticeable grass stains.  If so, try rubbing it out with a mixture of one part vinegar and two parts water.  Let it set for two to three hours and repeat if needed.

Another stain that can pack quite the pungent punch is caused by sweat.  There are a number of known remedies for this, but let’s explore a couple of simple ones.  The first is to use a mixture of one part dish soap and two parts hydrogen peroxide.  Scrub this mixture into the stain and let it sit for a couple of hours.  You can also try using salt.  Mix 4 tablespoons of salt with 1 quart of hot water and simply sponge in the solution until the stain disappears.  As yet another solution you can find in your kitchen, mix equal parts of lemon juice and water and scrub it into the uniform to remove unsightly underarm stains.  Stains from deodorant can also accompany some sweat stains.  For these, try pouring a bit of vinegar onto the stain and rub it into the fabric.  Incidentally, vinegar works for sweat stains as well.  For a remedy that’s a little more unconventional, try crushing two aspirins and mixing the powder in half a cup of warm water.  Soak the stained areas of the uniform in that solution for a two to three hours.

After utilizing these pre-wash tactics, the next step is to throw the uniform in the washer.  Be sure to use cold water!  Hot water can cause certain stains to set in during the wash cycle as well as fade letters and numbers on the uniform.  Lastly, hang dry the uniforms instead of using a dryer to prevent stains from becoming permanent and keep it from shrinking.  Also, avoid direct sunlight.

Now play hard, rinse, and repeat.

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Guest post is provided by Soccer Garage.  We carry a wide variety of soccer uniforms and accessories to keep goalies looking sharp while defending a season’s worth of soccer goals.  Find us at www.soccerrgarage.com.