Cold wash, inside out, hang dry or tumble low, and never iron directly on the print. That is most of it. Heat is what kills a printed garment, and everything below follows from that.
The care line for the exact piece you bought is on its product page, under Care. That is the authority if it ever differs from this article, because it is written per product.
What the print actually is
Our prints are pressed onto the garment with heat in our Quebec studio rather than dyed into the fabric. The design sits on top of the fabric as a thin flexible layer, which is why it feels slightly different to the cotton around it and why heat is the thing to keep away from it.
Embroidered pieces are stitched instead, so the care is the same but there is no print to protect from an iron.
Colour, on screen and between runs
A product photo is a guide, not a colour match. Screens render colour differently and so does the light you are standing in, so expect the piece to come close to the photo rather than be identical to it.
Garment dyed pieces also vary slightly from run to run. That is how the dye works, not a fault, and it is not something an exchange can fix, because the next one will vary too.
Printed garments
- Machine wash cold, inside out, with like colours.
- Hang dry, or tumble on low.
- Do not iron directly on the print. If you must press, turn the piece inside out and work around the print.
- No bleach.
- Garment dyed colour can settle slightly on the first wash. That is the dye, not a fault.
Turning a piece inside out is the single highest value habit. It keeps the print away from the drum and away from everything else in the load.
Softener, dry cleaning and steaming
- Fabric softener. Skip it. It coats fibres and it can dull a print over time.
- Dry cleaning. Not recommended. The solvents and the heat are not friends of a pressed print.
- Steaming. Fine, and better than ironing for creases. Keep the steamer moving and keep it off the print itself.
Caps
Spot clean with a damp cloth. Air dry. Do not machine wash, and do not wring the brim. A washing machine will destroy the shape of a structured cap and there is no way back from that.
The shaker
Hand wash recommended. Top rack dishwasher safe. Air dry with the cap off, so nothing gets trapped inside.
The keychain
Wipe clean. Keep it away from prolonged direct heat.
Drying is where pieces get ruined
A hot dryer is the fastest way to damage a print and to change how a garment sits. Hang drying costs you a few hours and it is the difference between a piece that lasts and one that does not. If you do use a dryer, keep it on low and take the piece out slightly damp.
If a print cracks or peels
Our prints are hand pressed in our studio in Levis, Quebec. If a print cracks, peels or lifts within 30 days of delivery after normal washing and wear, contact us and we will replace the piece. Beyond 30 days, get in touch anyway and we will look at it case by case.
A print that is lifting or peeling at the edges is the same thing, so do not wait for it to come away completely. Send a photo and tell us how the piece was washed and dried. That is not us looking for a reason to say no, it genuinely tells us whether it was a pressing problem on our end.
This is guidance, not a guarantee
This is general care guidance for printed cotton garments. It is not a guarantee about any one piece. Follow the Care section on the product page for the piece you own.
If the size looks wrong
Deal with that before you wash it. Once a piece has been worn or washed we cannot exchange it for a different size. Size exchanges are open for 30 days from the day you receive your order, and the piece has to be unworn, unwashed and in its original condition with tags attached.
Use the contact form at shftdco.com/pages/contact and we will reply within 24 hours. Your giveaway entries are never affected by an exchange.