How to Wash Men's Dress Shirts

Keep your dress shirts looking sharp by using these simple tips.

Step 1: Read labels Read the care label on the shirt before washing.
TIP: Don't dry clean your shirts. Excessive dry cleaning will cause them to deteriorate.
Step 2: Separate Separate your shirts into white, colored, and dark piles.
Step 3: Treat stains Tackle stains by applying a stain remover or presoak shirts in a sink before loading them in the washer.
TIP: Check the collar -- that's where you will find most of the stains.
Step 4: Load machine Wash the shirts using a delicate or hand-wash setting with lukewarm water.
Step 5: Use hypoallergenic detergent Use hypoallergenic detergent without dyes or scents.
Step 6: Choose dryer setting Dry shirts on the delicate or permanent press setting to reduce wrinkling. Remove your shirts from the dryer while they are slightly damp.
Step 7: Iron shirt Iron the shirt, and then hang it on a wooden hanger.
FACT: Roughly 85 percent of dry-cleaner shops use perchloroethylene, a chemical which can be harmful after repeated, prolonged exposure.