It’s all fun and games when we are cheering for our favorite team, wearing their jerseys as a pledge of undying loyalty to them. After a bunch of sweat and stains, it’s a different story. The thing is, a swingman jersey does have a specific code of care, so it does not peel or wear quickly. If you want to know how to wash a swingman basketball jersey, it’s best to stick around and learn some tips and tricks that we will share in this article.

Can You Machine Wash a Swingman Basketball Jersey?

Yes, you can opt to machine-wash a swingman basketball jersey if you’d like to do so. Here are some reminders on how to wash a swingman basketball jersey or any basketball jersey for that matter:

• Always was inside-out. The washing machine is a very hostile environment, so it’s not uncommon to feel sorry for the clothes. A typical washing machine has 300 watts and is capable of about 3,000 RPM. Even though a swingman jersey is pretty durable, protecting the front part of the jersey by washing it inside-out is the first line of defense against damage.
• If you can, soak the jersey before washing. If you’re doing the laundry at home, this is pretty easy and standard. Typically, you should pre-soak the jersey in cold water and a small amount of detergent. 
• Do it separately. Never machine-wash a swingman jersey with other clothes, especially with items that have zippers and rough towels or jeans. This is because they can forcefully rub against your jersey and, in turn, could possibly damage it. You should also never machine-wash a swingman jersey with clothes of different colors as you run the risk of staining and ruining your jersey. 
• Set the washing machine to a low setting. As previously mentioned, washing machines are pretty strong equipment, so make sure you set them into the hand-wash or the most gentle setting option. 
• Never machine-dry the jerseys. Some do this, some don’t but if you want your swingman jersey to last long, do not machine-dry your jersey after washing. The dryer heat is also pretty intense and can ultimately damage, cause the colors to fade, shrink your jersey, and whatnot. You can dodge all those bullets plus save electricity by opting to air dry your jerseys.
• If you can, use a detergent designed to wash jerseys. This is recommended, especially if you play on your swingman jerseys. The sweat and the stink of body odor are so otherworldly that it would not be enough to wash the jerseys you played on using a gentle formula detergent. If there are no specially-designed jersey detergents, you may add more of the usual detergent or use vinegar to rid the jerseys of putrid body odor.

How to Remove Stains in a Basketball Jersey

Before we talk about removing stains in a basketball jersey, let us say something about stain prevention first. If you are playing basketball with a white swingman jersey, never wipe your hands or perspiration on the front side. Bring a towel with you, or if it’s inevitable to wipe the sweat off in the middle game, use the underside of your jersey.

Now, here is the central question, how do you remove stains in a basketball jersey? The best way to remove jersey stains is by pre-soaking the stained jersey for a few minutes and then gently removing the stains on the fabric and the decals by hand. 

For the most stubborn stains, it probably needs a little more than pre-soaking and gentle hand wash. Some common stubborn stain treatments include using vinegar or shampoo. You may also use a soft-bristled brush or a sponge as you squeeze out the extra moisture of the stain.

Of course, if you don’t want to get your hands dirty– literally and figuratively– you can always go to the commercial cleaners although we don’t recommend it. As far as stains go on a basketball jersey, you can often deal with it at home more often than not.

How Often Should You Wash Swingman Basketball Jersey?

Like any other item of clothing, you should wash a swingman basketball jersey as often as needed. Most likely, if you’re watching the game live and just bring along the jersey for support by wearing it over your shirt, you can choose not to wash it immediately. 

However, if you wore it on a real basketball game or accidentally got smothered by a stubborn stain, there is no other option but to wash it. If that’s the case, then wash the jersey as soon as possible.

Can You Wash a Swingman Basketball Jersey with Other Clothes?

That is not the recommended route in washing a swingman basketball jersey. The reason is that clothing items such as zippers, towels, and others with rough exteriors may rub against the jersey and potentially damage it. 

But then again, we do not always have the luxury of time, and it’s not always practical to do so. If you need to wash a swingman basketball jersey along with other clothes, double-check if those items are there.

How Long Does It Take for a Swingman Jersey to Air Dry?

This is the good news when it comes to air drying a swingman basketball jersey. Because they are made of 100% polyester, it is estimated to dry in a matter of two to four hours. It would even take less, probably about an hour, if you air dry a swingman jersey outdoors with direct sunlight. 

As noted in the previous paragraphs, swingman jerseys should not be exposed to high temperatures, such as machine drying and ironing. This could harshly damage the stitching and the stickers, but if it does get out of the high heat alive, it could severely cut short the jersey’s lifespan.

For them to last longer, here are some tips on how to correctly dry your swingman jersey:

• Flip the jersey to the right side (right side out) and shake the water off of it. Turning your swingman right side out will avert the stickers from attaching with one another.
• You can choose either to hang dry or flat dry, but to be safe from the sun’s heat, cover it up with a thin fabric.
• Say no to machine drying or ironing, that is, unless you want the stitched numbers and letters to melt or to turn into splinters.

Do’s and Don’ts of Washing a Swingman Basketball Jersey

 

In this portion, we will do a recap and put the Do’s and Don’t of washing a swingman basketball jersey in one place:

Do’s:

• Do pre-soak the jersey in cold water and detergent.
• Do remove the stains by gently hand washing the jersey.
• Do apply stain-removing and smell-removing agents such as vinegar for stubborn stains and smells. 
• Do wash the jersey inside-out and separate from other rough clothing items.
• Do air dry the jersey with the right side out. Do cover it with a thin fabric if you opt to air dry it outdoors in direct sunlight. 
• Do read the washing instructions on the tab to make sure you’re not doing something wrong. 

Don’ts:

• Don’t wait a long time to remove a stain, especially if it’s beer, ketchup, mustard, and other stubborn stains.
• Don’t use hot water in pre-soaking jerseys or in washing them. This practice damages them pretty quickly.
• Don’t wash your jersey with blue jeans as this may cause blue-colored streaks to stick.
• Don’t expose your swingman jerseys into high heat, whether to a dryer or an iron.
• Don’t wash your jerseys with clothing items with zippers, velcro, and those with rough exteriors.
• Don’t use fabric conditioners because it prevents breathability and may settle in the jersey’s pores and membranes.

Wrapping Things Up: How to Wash a Swingman Basketball Jersey

How do you wash a sports jersey, mainly basketball swingman jerseys? It’s not really rocket science, but there are many things to keep in mind.

First, washing them by hand is ideal, but let’s face it, we rarely have enough time to do so. If you wash your swingman jersey using a washing machine, you need to be careful.

Some of the essential things to remember are pre-soaking the jersey, never using hot water (at least not more than 30 degrees Celsius), washing it inside out, not putting it with rough items of clothing, and never exposing it to high temperatures. 

Now, if your problem is about removing stains on the jersey, you may have to use stain agents such as shampoo and vinegar (recommended). Never use bleach on polyester materials because it can deteriorate the quality of the fabric. These are the things that you need to recognize how to wash jerseys in a washing machine.

Without a doubt, we all want to maintain the condition of our swingman basketball jerseys. Aside from the do’s and don’ts mentioned above, we suggest that you consciously be aware of the situations involving your jerseys. Never let the sweat dry out without washing them directly. Never leave it scrunched in the sports bag for the next training day, but always store them appropriately until the next session.

We hope that you learned something from this article on how to wash a swingman basketball jersey. If followed religiously, you can be sure that you will enjoy wearing these beloved jerseys for quite a long time.

Did you find this post helpful? Then you may also like our post on how to wash a basketball jersey.

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