Caring for tees, how to wash a trucker hat and garment care guide | Sharp by Design

How to Care for Embroidered Caps and Graphic Tees

The fastest way to wreck a good graphic tee or embroidered cap is to wash it exactly the way you'd wash a plain cotton basic. Prints crack, embroidery loosens, and structured caps lose their shape — none of which is inevitable if you adjust how you wash a handful of pieces.

Washing embroidered caps

Embroidered caps, like our Golf Trucker Hats, have a structured front panel that a washing machine will happily reshape into something closer to a pancake. A few rules:

• Hand wash where possible — cool water, a soft brush or cloth, mild detergent, focused on the sweatband and brim
• Never put a structured cap in the dryer — heat warps the shape permanently. Air dry, ideally over a bowl or cap form to hold its curve
• Spot clean the embroidery rather than scrubbing directly — embroidery threads can loosen faster than the surrounding fabric

If a cap absolutely needs a machine wash, use a cap-specific cage on a cold, gentle cycle, and still skip the dryer.

Washing graphic tees

The print is the part you're protecting here, whether that's the Fish Art Graphic Tee or anything from the Bestsellers range.

• Turn the tee inside out before washing — this is the single biggest factor in how long a print lasts, since it stops the print rubbing directly against other garments
• Cold water, gentle cycle — hot water accelerates cracking and fading on printed designs
• Skip the dryer if you can — line dry inside out; if you do use a dryer, low heat only
• Iron inside out, or avoid the print entirely — direct heat from an iron will melt or crack most prints

Washing hoodies with chest graphics

The same inside-out rule applies to printed hoodies like the Pricks No.7 Hoodie — cold wash, inside out, low heat if tumble drying. Hoodies also hold moisture longer than tees, so give them extra time to fully dry before storing to avoid a musty smell setting into the fabric.

Storage

Fold rather than hang printed tees long-term — hanging can stretch the shoulder area over time, especially with a relaxed unisex fit. Caps store best upright or on a cap rack rather than stacked, which keeps the front panel from flattening.

Looking after a piece properly is the difference between a tee lasting a season and lasting years — worth the extra two minutes per wash. Full care details are also on each product page, or check our FAQ for anything specific.