How long should a shirt & print last?

[Homer]

I just had a customer bring in a Hanes poly shirt from 2012. It was well worn, but still wearable.  I was amazed the print hadn't cracked or faded.


What is the average life cycle? How long do you expect shirts and prints to last? I know wash and wear cycles come into play but what is a good time frame to get out of a shirt? I never really thought about it before.

[Frog]

I can tell you that I get this question a lot from my inkjet digital transfer clients. I have an approximate nine day rotation of the shirts I wear and launder, and using transfer examples from my own stash, I can sometimes show clients shirts from three years ago, that still look good except for the stains I attract. So, that is sometimes well over 100 washes! These are mostly Gildan 2000's

[Evo]

Depends on the detergent, water, machine, whether or not you're picking the right cycle, etc.

If you're like me and you nuke all your laundry on the harshest settings like a college kid, count on a year or two max.

[mk162]

It should last until the check clears.

Evo is right, it's all about care.  I am hard on my shirts. Both in the laundry and while wearing.

[Sbrem]

I have probably a half dozen shirts that I've worn repeatedly for 25 years +, easily 100+ washings, and they are still good. Then another set of old favorites that look like they are old, not faded, but seriously cracked. I use a normal wash cycle, cold water only, then 10 minutes in the dryer on low, then onto hangers to finish drying. No shrinkage with that. Of course, it's in my home, not at a laundromat, so it's convenient to do it that way.

Steve

[Homer]

Interesting. Do customers ever ask about longevity? I guess it's assumed the better you take care of your stuff the longer it will last. I thought maybe there was an industry standard for expected life span of a shirt...I was just amazed that after 12 years of landscaping it was still kickin.... I don't usually wear T shirts. I have a dozen or so, after I notice the collars get stretched out they hit the rag pile. That's not many washes, maybe a dozen or so, if that.

[3Deep]

We've had some customers ask how long does a print last or shirt and we tell them it depends on how yo take care of it, and like homer we've had customers come in years later with a shirt that still looks good and we've some customers come months later and there shirt looks like it's been worn for 20 years.  We print for a cleaning company and they get shirt's every 2 to 3 months and chems they use eats them up... bleach etc.