The Best Way to Wash a Football Uniform

Most boys and young men can make a complete mess of their nicest clothes. Knowing that, it stands to reason that when you dress them in a football uniform and send them out to play the game, they come back dirtier than ever. If you have a child participating in football, then you need to know some tips and tricks about getting the uniform clean.

Pre-Wash

1. Before you toss anything in the washing machine, make sure you remove all the pads from the uniform. Once you have the pads out, set them aside, and then sort the clothing into two piles: lights and darks.
   
   If you see any heavily stained areas, soak the stain in cold water and mild soap, or apply a stain-removing agent. It is best to refer to the instructions for your particular brand of stain remover before applying it to the uniform. Once the stains are removed, you can proceed to the washing machine.

Washing

2. Machine wash the lights and colors separately in cold water with a mild detergent designed to work with cold water. Avoid using bleach, as it can fade colors. As soon as the final rinse and spin cycle has completed, remove the uniform from the machine, and lay it out flat on a dry surface. If you let it dry in the machine or forget to lay it flat, wrinkles can develop in the material. Any wrinkles that you see after laying the uniform out should be pressed out by running your hands over the material. If any puckering occurs around the stitched areas, grab both sides of the area, and tug gently to remove the pucker.

Drying

3. Do not put the uniform pieces in a dryer. Let them air dry instead. While it is best to let the uniform pieces dry on a flat surface, you can also hang them up on hangers to dry. However, be very careful about how the items hang, especially the jersey. As the jersey material dries, it may conform to the shape of the hanger, creating bumps and other abnormalities in the material once it is fully dry.
   
   Reinsert all the pads you removed before washing the uniform, but do not do this until the uniform is completely dry.

Source : ehow.com