How do you wash a vintage football shirt? The expert’s advice
I risked my own shirts to show you exactly how to wash your vintage collection without ruining the sponsors or the fabric.
WASHING MACHINE
HAND WASHED
If you are serious about collecting football shirts, washing them the right way is everything. Get it wrong, and you are looking at damaged sponsors, peeling patches, or shrinking fabrics. That is every collector's worst nightmare.
But don't panic. In this guide, I will explain exactly how you can best care for your precious shirts. As a fanatical collector myself and owner of First11, one of the largest webshops for vintage & retro football shirts in the Netherlands, I speak from years of experience. I know exactly what you should and absolutely should not do to maintain the value of your collection.
Stop throwing your football shirts in the washing machine
You will often hear people say: "Just put your vintage football shirts in the washing machine on a cold setting." Sure, you can do that. But remember that once you close that door, you have zero control over what happens inside.
In the washing machine, a retro shirt gets tossed around and rubs against other clothes constantly. That friction is the enemy. Especially with shirts you bought second-hand, it is hard to know how strong the glue on a 20-year-old print still is.
I wanted to see the real impact, so I tested this myself on two different shirts:
The Ziggo Sponsor of an Ajax 2021/22 "Bob Marley" Third Shirt after hand washing 5 times.
The Ziggo Sponsor of an Ajax 2021/22 "Bob Marley" Third Shirt after 5 times in the washing machine.
At first glance, you might not notice much of a difference. However, when you take a closer look at the lettering, you start to see that small cracks have formed in the sponsor of the Ajax shirt that went into the washing machine.
A close-up of the Ziggo sponsor on the machine-washed shirt showing the cracks.
This doesn't automatically mean that this will happen to every shirt immediately, as there are many factors involved in whether cracks will form in the prints. But for me, the difference is clear. Because these authentic shirts hold a lot of emotional and commercial value for collectors like you and me, it is a waste to take that risk. Therefore, I strongly advise against using the washing machine.
The right way: Washing by hand
To keep your classic football shirts looking fresh, my advice is simple: always wash by hand and turn them inside out.
Here is my routine for the best results:
Fill a bucket or sink with lukewarm water
Add a tiny bit of detergent
Let the shirt soak for about half an hour
Wring it out gently (watch out with wringing the prints)
Hang the shirt on the clothesline to dry
This gives you full control and keeps those fragile prints and sponsors safe.
Common mistakes to avoid
When First11 was just starting out, I ruined a fair share of shirts learning the hard way. Save yourself the trouble and avoid these three big mistakes:
NEVER use a tumble dryer. Heat is the enemy. It shrinks the fabric and can melt the glue on player names and sponsors. You will end up with sticky, ruined prints and ugly stains that won't come out.
NEVER use fabric softener.
Softener sounds like a good idea, but it clogs the fabric. Football shirts are designed to breathe and wick away sweat. Softener coats the fibers and blocks this process, ruining the quality of the material.
NEVER iron your football shirt. An iron gets way too hot. If you touch the printing, it will melt instantly. If you need to get wrinkles out, use a garment steamer. It uses hot steam to smooth out the fabric without burning it.
Follow these tips, and your shirts will stay in top shape for years. Got questions about care or looking for a specific kit? Check out the full collection at First11shirts.com.
FAQ's
Technically yes, but I wouldn't recommend it. Even on a cold cycle, the spinning and rubbing against other clothes can damage fragile sponsors and old prints. Hand washing is the only way to be 100% safe.
Never use an iron; it burns the fabric and melts the print. Use a handheld garment steamer instead. The steam relaxes the fibers and removes creases safely without direct heat damage.
Softener leaves a waxy coating on the fibers. This stops the shirt from "breathing" and ruins the moisture-wicking technology that keeps you dry. It’s best to stick to standard detergent.
No. The dryer is the quickest way to ruin a shirt. The high heat shrinks the fit and causes sponsors or numbers to peel and crack. Always air dry your kits on a line or rack.
