⚡ The short answer
Three rules cover the essentials. Printed textiles should be washed at a maximum of 30°C, inside out, and never tumble-dried—it's the heat, not the water, that cracks a design. Plush toys can be machine washed in a closed pillowcase, on a delicate cycle, and air-dried. Throws and covers can withstand 30°C but lose their softness with fabric softener. In all cases: do not iron over the print.
📑 Table of contents
A printed sweatshirt can last years or six months, and the difference almost never comes down to the quality of the garment. It comes down to what happens in the machine, and especially what happens afterwards.
The good news: the rules are few, easy to remember, and they apply to the entire catalog. This guide gathers them by product type.
The real enemy: heat, not water
This is the principle to understand before anything else. A printed design is a flexible layer applied to the fabric. Water doesn't do much to it; heat, however, softens it and then cracks it.
Hence a clear hierarchy of risks. The tumble dryer is by far the most destructive, because it combines heat and friction for forty minutes. The iron placed directly on the design comes right after, with an immediate and irreversible effect. Washing at 60°C wears it out more slowly but surely.
Friction plays a secondary but real role: that's why we wash inside out. The design is protected by the fabric itself instead of scraping against the drum.
💡 Did you know? A print that cracks cannot be repaired. Unlike a color that fades and can sometimes be revived, a cracked layer has lost its continuity: each subsequent wash widens the cracks. Prevention is therefore the only strategy that exists.
Printed sweatshirts and t-shirts
The most sensitive category, and the one that represents the largest share of the average basket. Five actions are enough.
Turn the garment inside out before putting it in the machine. This is the most cost-effective action on this entire list, and it costs nothing.
Wash at 30°C, never above. For clothes worn during the day, without particular soiling, 30°C cleans perfectly.
Avoid bleach and detergents containing oxygen-based agents, which attack colored pigments. A standard detergent, in normal dose, does the job.
No tumble drying. Hang on a hanger, away from direct sunlight. The sun is the second factor in discoloration after machine heat, and it acts particularly quickly on yellow.
If you iron, do it inside out, or place a thin cloth between the iron and the design. Never place the iron directly on the print, even briefly.
These rules apply to the entire textile range — the models detailed in our hoodie guide as well as those in the sweater guide.
🧥 Items to wash inside out
30°C, air dry, never iron on the design
Washing a plush toy without damaging it
This is the most frequent question, and the answer is reassuring: most plush toys wash very well in the machine, provided they are protected.
The pillowcase method
Slip the plush toy into a pillowcase and close it with an elastic band or a knot. This casing absorbs shocks against the drum and protects glued parts—eyes, nose, embroidered tags.
Run a delicate cycle at 30°C, with minimal spin. A violent spin will permanently flatten the stuffing.
Drying, the crucial step
This is where plush toys get damaged the most. Press it in a towel to remove water, without twisting, then let it air dry flat, turning it once. Allow twenty-four hours for a medium-sized plush toy.
When dry, shake it and rub the fur by hand: the fibers will reset and the plush toy will regain its original appearance. Our plush toy guide details the different sizes available in the range.
⚠️ Check before washing — If the plush toy contains a sound mechanism, weighted beads or rigid elements, it cannot be machine washed. Clean it locally with a damp sponge and mild soap, without ever immersing it.
🧸 Plush toys from the range
Pillowcase, delicate cycle, flat drying
Throws, covers and rugs
Home linen is more robust than worn textiles, but it has a specific weakness: softness.
Fabric softener is to be avoided on microfiber or fleece throws. Counter-intuitive, but true: it deposits a film that clumps the fibers together and makes the surface rough after a few washes. This is exactly the opposite of the desired effect.
Wash alone or with similar laundry. A fleece throw washed with terry towels will come out covered in lint. Our throw guide specifies the materials concerned.
For duvet covers, close the snap or zipper before washing: an open cover will swallow the rest of the machine and come out in a ball. See our duvet cover guide.
Rugs are mainly cleaned with a vacuum cleaner, without a rotating brush that tears out fibers. For a stain, blot without rubbing, from the edge towards the center. Our bedroom rug guide covers the sizes.
Mugs, figurines and accessories
Three quick points to avoid disappointments.
Decorated mugs should be hand-washed. The dishwasher combines high heat and abrasive detergents, which dulls and then erases designs in a few months. An occasional wash won't kill a mug, but daily use will.
Assembly figures should not be washed: dust them with a dry brush or compressed air. Water seeps between the bricks and does not come out. Our Nanobloc figures guide discusses their fragility.
Phone cases should be cleaned with a slightly damp cloth. Avoid alcohol and disinfectant wipes, which can yellow transparent materials.
Summary table
| Product | Washing | Drying | Never do |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sweatshirt, t-shirt | 30°C, inside out | Hanger, in the shade | Tumble dryer, iron on design |
| Plush toy | 30°C, in pillowcase, delicate cycle | Flat, 24 h | Strong spin, wring |
| Throw, cover | 30°C, alone | Air dry flat | Fabric softener |
| Decorated mug | By hand | Soft cloth | Daily dishwasher use |
| Figurine | Dry brush | — | Submerge in water |
Fixing Damage
Three common situations and what can actually be done.
A cracked print cannot be repaired. The only useful reflex is to prevent further damage: wash cold, inside out, dry flat. The garment remains wearable for a long time if it is no longer mistreated.
A flattened plush toy can almost always be restored. Once perfectly dry, massage the stuffing through the fabric to de-compact it, then brush the fur with a soft-bristled brush.
A blanket that has become rough due to fabric softener can be improved: wash at 30°C without detergent or softener, followed by air drying, removes some of the residue. The result is never perfect, but the difference is noticeable.
🧠 The game-changing habit — Create a "printed textile" load rather than distributing these clothes among your usual washes. A single dedicated 30°C cycle, all clothes turned inside out, and the issue no longer arises.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
At what temperature should I wash a SpongeBob sweatshirt?
30°C maximum, inside out. Beyond that, heat softens and then cracks the printed layer. For clothes worn during the day without particular soiling, 30°C cleans perfectly.
Can I put a printed garment in the dryer?
No. This is the most destructive action for a print, as it combines high heat and prolonged friction. Hang to dry, away from direct sunlight which fades yellow particularly quickly.
How do I wash a SpongeBob plush toy?
In a closed pillowcase, delicate cycle at 30°C, minimal spin. Dry flat in the open air for about 24 hours, then rub the fur by hand to reposition the fibers.
Why avoid fabric softener on a blanket?
Because it leaves a film that clumps together microfiber and fleece fibers. After a few washes, the blanket becomes rough — the exact opposite of the desired effect.
Can I iron a printed garment?
Only inside out, or by placing a thin cloth between the iron and the design. An iron placed directly on the visual, even briefly, will irreversibly damage it.
Are decorated mugs dishwasher safe?
It's better to wash them by hand. The dishwasher combines high heat and abrasive detergents that dull and then erase the designs. Occasional use is fine, but daily use is not.
How do I clean a buildable figurine?
With a dry brush or an air blower, never with water. Water seeps between the bricks and does not come out, which can detach pieces and leave marks inside.
Can a cracked print be repaired?
No, but you can stop it from getting worse: wash cold inside out and dry flat. The garment remains wearable for a long time as long as it is no longer exposed to heat.
Remember three things and the rest will follow: 30°C, inside out, never tumble dry. The entire catalog fits within these three rules, with a pillowcase for plush toys and no fabric softener for household linen. To choose your next items, our size guide and the new arrivals page will take over.
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