How to Wash a Graphic Tee: Keep Your Hill City Howlers Print Looking New

Quick answer

Turn your graphic tee inside out, wash it in cold water on a gentle cycle, and skip the dryer entirely. Heat is what cracks screen prints and fades colors, so cold washing and air drying do most of the work. If you only change one habit, make it the dryer.

A graphic tee takes a beating in the wash. The print sits on top of the fabric, so every hot cycle, rough tangle, and tumble through the dryer pulls at the ink until it cracks or peels. The good news is that a few small changes to your laundry routine can add years to a favorite shirt.

This guide walks through a simple care routine for Hill City Howlers tees, from the first wash to long-term storage. It applies whether you own the Men's 108 Stiches Gray Spelled Out Tee or the Royal Adult Performance Selkirk Tee, and it works for any screen-printed or softstyle graphic shirt in your drawer.

Start by reading the care tag and checking the print

Before you wash anything, flip the shirt inside out and look at the back of the print. If the ink feels thick and raised, it is a screen print and needs gentle handling. If it feels smooth and flat, it may be a softer transfer or digital print, which is even more heat-sensitive. The care tag inside the collar tells you the fiber content and any manufacturer warnings.

Check for loose threads, small tears, or areas where the print is already lifting. Washing a damaged print makes it worse. If you spot a crack starting, you can still slow it down by washing less often and always air drying. Catching problems early is the difference between a shirt that lasts one season and one that lasts five.

• Common mistake: assuming all graphic tees can be washed the same way. A heavyweight cotton tee and a performance blend need different treatment.

Turn the tee inside out and close any zippers or hooks

Turning the shirt inside out protects the print from rubbing against other clothes, zippers, and the drum of the machine. It also keeps the outside of the shirt from picking up lint and pilling. This one step takes five seconds and prevents most of the friction damage that causes cracking.

If you are washing the tee with jeans, jackets, or anything with zippers, buttons, or hooks, close them first. Metal edges catch on fabric and can snag both the print and the knit. For best results, wash graphic tees with other soft items like underwear, socks, or plain t-shirts rather than heavy denim.

• Checkpoint: the print should face inward and be fully covered by the rest of the shirt.

Wash in cold water on a gentle or delicate cycle

Cold water is the single most important setting for print longevity. Hot water breaks down the adhesive that holds screen print to fabric, and it speeds up fading in dyed cotton. Set your machine to cold and choose a gentle, delicate, or hand-wash cycle if you have one.

Use a mild detergent and skip the fabric softener. Softener leaves a residue that can dull the print and trap odors in performance fabrics. If your tee is heavily soiled, pretreat the stain with a small amount of detergent and cold water rather than reaching for hot water or bleach.

• Common mistake: using too much detergent. Excess soap does not rinse out fully and leaves a film that makes prints look cloudy.

Skip the dryer and air dry instead

The dryer is the number one cause of cracked and peeling graphics. High heat shrinks cotton, weakens the ink bond, and tumbles the print against the drum. Even low heat adds up over time. Hang your tee or lay it flat to dry, and it will keep its shape and print far longer.

If you must use a dryer, choose the lowest heat setting and remove the shirt while it is still slightly damp. Never leave a graphic tee in the dryer after the cycle ends. For performance fabrics like the Royal Adult Performance Selkirk Tee, air drying is especially important because heat can damage the moisture-wicking finish.

• Checkpoint: if the shirt feels hot to the touch when you take it out, the heat was too high.

Iron and store your tee the right way

If your tee comes out wrinkled, iron it inside out on a low setting. Never press the iron directly onto the print, because the heat will melt or scorch the ink. If you need to smooth the front, place a clean cotton cloth or parchment paper between the iron and the graphic.

Store folded tees in a drawer rather than hanging them on wire hangers, which can stretch the shoulders. Keep them out of direct sunlight for long periods, since UV light fades both the fabric dye and the print. A cool, dry drawer is ideal.

• Common mistake: ironing a graphic tee right side out. That is the fastest way to ruin a print in one pass.

Your 5-step graphic tee wash routine

1. 1. Read the tag and inspect the print: Check fiber content, wash instructions, and any existing cracks or lifting before the shirt goes in the machine. If the print is already peeling, wash it by hand or skip the wash entirely.
2. 2. Turn inside out and close hardware: Flip the tee so the graphic faces inward, then zip or button anything else in the load. This one step prevents most friction damage.
3. 3. Wash cold on gentle: Use cold water, a mild detergent, and a delicate cycle. Skip fabric softener and bleach. Hot water is the enemy of screen print adhesive.
4. 4. Air dry flat or hang: Lay the tee flat or hang it to dry. If you must use a dryer, use the lowest heat and remove it damp. The dryer is the top cause of cracked prints.
5. 5. Iron inside out and store folded: Iron on low heat with the print facing down, then fold and store in a cool, dry drawer away from direct sun. Never iron directly on the graphic.

Hill City Howlers tees this routine works for

• Hill City Howlers Men's 108 Stiches Gray Spelled Out Tee: Gray color with a spelled-out graphic, available in sizes S through 3XL, part of the 108 Stitches brand collection. The spelled-out graphic is a large print area, so inside-out washing and air drying matter even more than on a small logo tee.
• Hill City Howlers Royal Adult Performance Selkirk Tee: Unisex performance tee in a royal colorway, available in sizes S through 3XL, part of the Bimm Ridder brand lineup. Performance fabrics are more sensitive to heat than standard cotton, so keep this one out of the dryer entirely to protect the fabric finish.
• Lynchburg Adult Sunset Tee: Sunset-inspired design available in sizes S, M, L, XL, and 2XL, designed for adult fans. A relaxed-fit cotton tee like this one responds well to cold washing and flat drying, which helps the sunset graphic stay sharp.
• Lynchburg Hillcats 2025 Carolina League Champions Black Softstyle Tee: Black softstyle tee from Bimm Ridder, designed for unisex wear, available in sizes S and M. Dark softstyle fabrics can show fading quickly, so cold water and air drying protect both the black dye and the championship print.

A graphic tee does not need special products or a separate laundry day. It needs cold water, a gentle cycle, and patience while it air dries. Do that, and your Hill City Howlers tee will keep its print and color through season after season.