Soccer jersey is the identity of every soccer player. Fans treasure it too because it helps them to identify with their team—you will understand this when you look at the spectators in a stadium.
Some fans collect soccer jerseys as memorabilia or as a reminder of an important event in their team’s history. For example, when Liverpool won the Champions League in 2019 after a 14-year wait, some of the fans kept the jersey and wore it to every Liverpool game because of its symbols.
Most soccer jerseys are made of synthetic fabric or polyester which are easy to maintain. The biggest problem with soccer jerseys is the name and number on them which are not usually as resilient as the jerseys.
The decals are heat-pressed and can crack or peel when the soccer jerseys are not properly taken care of. For soccer fans, these are not just letters and numbers, they are memories and soccer fans would love them to stay the way they are the day they bought them.
When you talk about taking care of soccer jerseys, it is important to split them into three main categories namely cleaning, storing, and usage. How you handle the soccer jersey in each of these stages will determine how long it will last.
In this post, we are going to walk you through how to take care of a soccer jersey, covering all the various stages involved in detail.
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How to take care of a soccer jersey?
Soccer is an aerobic sport requiring lots of sprinting, jumping, and occasional sliding. So, every soccer player playing the game actively is bound to sweat and get dirty—if they are playing on natural turf.
Therefore, it is almost difficult to use a soccer jersey twice without washing it. Sadly, a lot of soccer players wash the soccer jersey wrongly, leading to their premature ruin.
Soccer players have the luxury of getting new kits for every game but fans don’t have such luxuries. To make matters worse, soccer jerseys don’t come cheap.
Therefore, those that are able to get original soccer jerseys will want them to last really long. Considering the fact that some people style their soccer jerseys with their casual wear means they use it more often than just going to the stadium once a week to watch their favorite team.
We will discuss the various stages involved in taking care of a soccer jersey beginning with cleaning.
How to properly wash a soccer jersey?
A lot of people wash their soccer jerseys the wrong way which is why the fabric will either start creasing or the decals will either peel or crack, making the entire jersey look ugly. Here is the right way to wash the soccer jersey.
Step 1: Remove debris
The first step when you want to wash your soccer jersey is to remove any hard stain or debris that might have stuck to you from the stadium. Use your hand to brush off any mud cakes on the jersey as well as to untangle grasses.
Step 2: Presoak
Pre-soaking is an important part of washing soccer jerseys. If your washer has a presoak option, you can pre-soak it in the washer.
In the absence of that option, pour some cold water into a big bowl and put the jersey inside. Allow the jersey to stay in the bowl of water for about 20 minutes before loading it into your washer.
Step 3: Turn the jersey inside out
Prior to loading the jerseys in the washer, it is important to turn them inside out. This is a very important part that many people usually neglect which often leads to the ruin of the decals.
By turning the jersey inside out, the impact of the agitation from the washer doesn’t directly impact the decals, thereby prolonging their lifespan.
Step 4: Wash the jersey using cold water setting
Another serious mistake that a lot of people make when it comes to washing their jerseys is using hot water to wash them. It is important to always set your washer to cold water.
Three things happen when you constantly wash your soccer jersey with hot water. Firstly, the hot water will cause the color of the jersey to bleed making it look old and faded.
Secondly, since the decals are heat pressed to activate the glues that make it stick on the jersey, the use of very hot water will melt the glue causing the decals to peel off the jersey. Finally, the use of hot water can cause the material to shrink.
Use laundry detergents that are specifically made for synthetic fibers for your washer when washing soccer jerseys. The use of fabric softeners is not encouraged too because they can weaken the bonding of the decals. If your jersey has an odor, you can add vinegar to your wash water to neutralize the odor.
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Last update on 2023-11-10 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
We strongly recommend that you wash soccer jerseys separately. By all means, avoid washing them with jeans or other hard fabrics.
Also, if you must wash them with other materials, make sure the other material doesn’t bleed color. Otherwise, you will see a streak of color on your jersey that will water down its aesthetic appeal.
Step 5: Hang the jersey to dry
Putting the jersey in a dryer after washing is a bad idea because it can produce the same effect as washing the jersey with hot water. After washing the soccer jersey, turn it right side up to prevent the decals from sticking together.
Do not squeeze the jersey to drain water from it. Instead, shake them to get as much of the moisture off and spread them on a line. Alternatively, you can put them on a hanger and place them in an open space to be air-dried.
If you live in the tropics that experience abundant and hot sunlight, hanging the jersey directly under the sun will also cause the color to fade. If your jersey is genuine and you follow these instructions correctly, there won’t be a need for ironing which can also cause the decals or crack or melt.
How to properly store a soccer jersey?
Now that you are done with washing and drying your soccer jersey, the next big problem is storing them. No matter how much you love your soccer jersey, you cannot wear them all the time—even if you work in a casual setting.
On the days that you will not be wearing your soccer jersey, it is important that you store them properly. If you happen to be a soccer jersey collector, the way you store them is particularly important because it will determine how long they will last.
Interestingly, old items usually cost more when they are eventually sold at auctions. Many soccer jersey collectors know this and wouldn’t mind preserving their jerseys as long as possible with the hope of making bigger bucks from them in the future.
There are three main ways of storing soccer jerseys namely;
- Hanging
- Flattening
- Folding
Each of these techniques has its pros—and cons. However, the right storing technique for you should be the one where the pros outweigh the cons. Regardless of the technique you choose, make sure the jersey is protected from UV radiation which will likely cause the colors to fade.
Other factors you should be aware of when storing your soccer jersey are the temperature and humidity of the place you intend to store them. Too high temperatures will cause the glue of the decals to melt.
On the other hand, high humidity will cause the jersey to absorb moisture making them prone to fungal attack—like the growth of molds on them.
When storing your soccer jersey, it is also important to make sure there are no insects or rodents in the place you intend to store them. Insects and rodents can bore holes in your jerseys reducing their worth or rendering them unusable.
Hanging
Hanging is one of the most common ways people use to store their clothes in their closets. As the name suggests, all you need is to get a hanger and use it to hang your jersey in a closet or any other suitable space.
When you opt for hanging, always choose a plastic hanger over the metal or wire counterpart. Metal or aluminum hangers are prone to rust-especially when kept in an environment of high humidity.
Another thing you can do after inserting a hanger between the jerseys is to put them in dust bags before placing them in the closet. This bag will prevent the accumulation of dust as well as further limit its exposure to radiation.
Dustbags will also prevent moths, stink insects, and other insects from staining the jersey. However, dust bags are ineffective against temperature and humidity—and can even make the condition inside the bag worse.
That is why it is always important to toss in a few bags of silica gel into your dust bags to help suck up the moisture and prevent the growth of molds.
While hanging jerseys can work when you have limited space, prolonged hanging can cause the shoulders to stretch slightly. That is why you should always use plastic hangers designed for jerseys.
Last update on 2023-11-10 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Flattening
If you have the luxury of space, keeping the jersey flat is the most ideal—and arguably the best—way to store soccer jerseys over a long period of time. If you have ever visited a jersey museum, you will find them stored flat in a jersey display case.
Storing the jersey flat in a case will allow the jersey to be in its natural form. The color of the jersey may fade from UV exposure if you don’t use the right jersey display case. However, the jersey can be stored for decades if kept in a cool dry place.
Never place your jersey in a cheap plastic bag like Ziplock bags. The plastic degrades over time and will produce gasses that will attack your fabric and ruin them over time.
The major disadvantage about storing your jersey flat is that a jersey display case or other glass cases can eat up a significant amount of room space and they are usually very expensive. This limits the number of people that can afford them.
Acrylic jersey display cases can provide as much protection as glass and are usually cheaper. However, they still tend to occupy space.
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Last update on 2023-11-11 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Folding
Folding up the jersey makes it easier for you to fit them into limited spaces. However, you have to make sure that the place you store your jersey after folding has controlled temperature, humidity, and UV protection.
When folding your soccer jersey for storing, one thing you must do is to fold them in such a way that the decals (name, number, manufacturer logo, and sponsor logo) are not folded which may cause them to start cracking.
The right way to fold your soccer jersey is as follows;
Step 1
Place the soccer jersey on a flat table such that the back is facing up while the front of the jersey is lying on the table.
Step 2
Fold the right side inward. The fold should be about halfway from the collar. Repeat the same on the left side.
Step 3
Hold the bottom of the jersey and fold the jersey into two equal halves such that the bottom and the collar are aligned.
Step 4
Hold the new bottom and fold the jersey into another equal half such that the new bottom is now aligned with the collar.
How to properly use a soccer jersey
The truth is that you must not be a soccer fan to wear soccer jerseys. You can style your jersey casually and use it in your day-to-day outing.
While there is no restriction to how you can use your soccer jersey, if you want them to last really long, you need to be wary about how you wear them and where you wear them.
Obviously, you should not wear soccer jerseys to demanding locations like construction sites or to places with extreme temperatures. In construction sites, for example, twisted iron or other sharp material can pierce the jersey and cause them to rip.
Another unspoken rule about soccer jerseys is never to wear one team’s jersey to their rival’s gathering. It may piss them off and they may end up ripping it into shreds.
Also, make sure the color of the jersey you want to wear matches the color of your pants. We covered everything you need to know about how to wear a soccer jersey here.
Conclusion
Some people are pretty sure they take care of how they wash their soccer jerseys. Therefore, they get frustrated when they see the decals cracking or peeling off.
The truth is, you cannot claim to be properly taking care of your soccer jersey unless the washing, storage, and usage are properly done. If you are lacking in any of these areas, it will ultimately show up as either cracking or peeling decals or fading colors.
Soccer jerseys are versatile. Whether you are a fan or not, you can still wear them. All they ask from you to constantly deliver that attractive glamor that makes you the center of attraction is that you take good care of them.
That is not too much to ask of you, right?
Hi there, I’m Jay.
Soccer is everything in my life! My friends and I have created this blog with all our enthusiasm, passion, and understanding after years of playing pro soccer. Hope you will enjoy it!