product care instructions

Once you have ordered your products with us we know you will want your new garment and merchandise to stay looking awesome. Following our care instructions will help you keep your products looking great for as long as possible.

 This guide is to help maintain the life of your print and embroidery, please also be mindful that all garments carry their own care instructions too and different materials may need washed in different ways. So always refer to the care instructions on your garment’s tag too. If you need any specific advice for each garment or you are unsure of anything please don’t hesitate to drop us an email at hello@branded5.co.uk.

 GARMENTS

 Wash and dry your garment inside out

There are many benefits to washing your clothes inside out but the main one is it reduces the rubbing of garments with another during washing creates friction. This friction can cause the garment to become fuzzy and rough. It also causes pilling and can damage your print or embroidery.

 Wash garments on a low temperature

Washing at high temperatures is not only bad for the environment it can also damage items and cause your prints and the backing used in embroidery to break down.  Most detergents nowadays work amazingly on a cold wash at 20°c. Although most of our printing methods are tested at 60°c we recommend keeping your machine on a low-heat or cold wash can ensure the print and material are protected during the cycle.

 Do not tumble dry

Tumble drying is the number one reason we see decorations become damaged. The high heat in tumble driers along with additional friction can really damage your decoration. It can also cause shrinkage and fading. Air drying such as a drying rack, or outside on a washing line is always recommended when drying personalised printed or embroidered garments. These methods of drying give the best results while protecting the print.

 Always iron inside out

Ironing on the right side of your garment can cause iron marks and shiny patches especially on dark garments. It can also cause damage to the garment prints as they will often be damaged by direct heat – so always iron your garments inside out to protect them! We also recommend putting your iron down to a lower heat the first time you iron the item, so you don’t accidentally apply too much heat to the area. Also try to avoid steam over your embroidery as this can also distort the threads.

 Avoid bleaching and fabric softner

While chlorine bleach and oxygen bleach can be amazing at removing stains from garments and we all love the fresh smells and static prevention we get from our favourite fabric softners both can break down the adhesives used in garment decorations meaning your garment may start to crack or peel. The chemicals in bleaches and softners also break down the ink on printed garments which can make your design look faded.

 Also we advise NEVER to use Softner on garments made from Polyester with moisture-wicking or Fire-Retardant Materials. This is because the chemicals in the softener will leave a residue behind. This residue then fills the weave/mesh of the material which will negate any of its wicking or fire-retardant properties.

 Shrinkage

Many brands that we provide such as Gildan or Fruit of the Loom will pre-shrink their cotton garment. However, some brands do not and it is quite common for these garments to shrink almost a full size in the first wash. We can always advise on each item we sell but please be mindful of this if you supply us a garment to decorate as we are not responsible for this. The best way to avoid shrinkages is to avoid heat. Wash on cold wash cycle and let it air dry and avoid the tumble dryer!

Cotton/Poly blended materials, such as our ProRTX tshirts are less prone to shrinkage. It all depends on the ratio of cotton to polyester. The higher the polyester count, the less risk of shrinkage. If you’re unsure on shrinkages, don’t hesitate to ask us!

AFTERCARE FOR SUBLIMATED MERCHANDISE

A lot of our personalised Merchandise is printed using sublimation. These are items such as Mugs, Waterbottles, Keyrings, Phonecases, Chopping boards, Lunchboxes etc.

Sublimation is a very durable form of printing but it does need some care to keep it perfect.

For fabric items such as bags, pillow cases etc please follow the guidance for garments.

For solid items such as ceramics, glass and wood we recommend

·     Handwash Only

·     Do not use a dishwasher

·     Do not put in the microwave

·     Avoid extreme heat