How to Care for Embroidered Garments

Embroidery is one of the most durable forms of garment decoration, but the stitching can fray, pucker or lose its shape if washed incorrectly. These rules apply whether the embroidery is on a polo shirt, a cap, a hoodie or a jacket.

Washing Temperature

Wash at 30 to 40 degrees Celsius. This is the safe range for most embroidered garments. The thread used in commercial embroidery is generally polyester or rayon, both of which hold colour well at low temperatures.

Avoid 60 degrees and above. Hot washing causes several problems: the thread can shrink at a different rate to the fabric, creating puckering around the embroidered area; colour can bleed out of the thread; and the backing stabiliser used during embroidery can shrink and distort the design.

Machine vs Hand Wash

Machine washing at 30 to 40 degrees on a gentle cycle is fine for most embroidered items. For delicate pieces such as embroidered badges, event shirts or anything with very fine detail, hand washing in cool water is safer.

Turn the garment inside out before machine washing. This reduces friction against the embroidery surface during the wash cycle.

Use a mesh laundry bag for particularly valuable or delicate embroidered pieces. The bag keeps the garment from tumbling against harder items like zips and buttons.

Detergent

Use a mild liquid detergent. Avoid biological detergents with enzymes if the thread colour is delicate, as enzymes can attack natural protein-based threads (wool embroidery particularly). Standard non-bio liquid detergent is safe for polyester thread on all fabrics.

Ironing

Never iron directly over embroidery. The heat flattens the raised stitches and can melt synthetic threads, dulling the texture and sometimes fusing individual threads together.

To iron an embroidered garment: place the garment face down on a folded towel. The embroidery sits in the soft towel pile, protecting the raised stitches. Iron the reverse of the fabric at the temperature appropriate for the base fabric.

Drying

Tumble drying at high heat can shrink the backing stabiliser and distort the embroidered area. Air drying is preferable. If using a tumble dryer, use the lowest heat setting and remove the garment while still slightly damp.

Lay flat to dry if the garment has embroidery across a large area of the chest or back, as hanging can stretch the fabric around the heavier stitched section while wet.

Dry Cleaning

Dry cleaning is safe for embroidered garments and is a good option for structured pieces (blazers, caps, formal wear) where maintaining the garment shape matters as much as the embroidery.

Longevity Comparison

Embroidery and screen printing are the two methods with the longest lifespan when cared for correctly. Embroidery has the additional advantage of a three-dimensional textured finish that print methods cannot replicate.

For information on logo embroidery on polo shirts, workwear and caps, visit the embroidery service page.