How to Restore Flannel Shirts

Flannel shirts are incredibly popular today. Many people wear them because they are comfortable, easy to wash and very easy to look after. These shirts can be easily cleaned in a washing machine on a gentle cycle with cold water and mild soap, and they do not shrink or get entangled in any lint. If you look carefully at a flannel shirt, you will see that it has many small holes in it. These are the buttons.

Flannel is basically a soft, light woven cloth, of different fineness. The fibers of a flannel shirt are woven tightly together, without any stretch. The term “flannel” actually refers to the softness of the fabric, and not to the fiber. Flannel used to be made out of carded wool or even worsted wool, but now is usually made out of cotton, wool or synthetic fiber. The reason for the change in the material is that the softness is liked more than the hardness, so flannel shirts have a tendency to shrink slightly in size.

The softness, however, does not mean that a flannel shirt is not good quality. It just means that the wearer might not like the way the shirt feels to him or her. If you feel like your favorite flannel shirts are shrinking in size, that’s not the fault of the fabric. The wearer is simply wearing the wrong size for his or her body. Here is how to make your favorite flannel shirts feel like special little pieces of themselves again:

Soft, brushed cloth. Most flannel shirts that were originally made out of wool have been washed many times, probably more than once! Over time, the wool can become damaged by brushing it with hard bristles. When that happens, the fabric becomes crumpled and worn looking rather than the soft, smooth feel that we remember from when it was first made.

Soft, brushed fabric. Some flannel shirts, particularly the very inexpensive ones, have been washed several times. The more heavy duty types were washed only once or twice. Those kinds are all in great shape. But if you want to revive them, try washing them with only mild soap and water and then brushing them with a flannel shirt brush made out of soft, brushed fabric. You’ll be surprised at how soft they feel like.

Soft, brushed fabric. Some people who love to wear vintage clothing find it a real chore to iron their shirts; even those that were made out of very heavy fabric can get a little wrinkles when you’re not really trying to iron them, as I’ve often found myself doing. For that kind of wearer, try washing their flannel shirts using only water and a gentle, stiff brush, and then brushing them with a flannel shirt brush made out of soft, brushed fabric. They’ll look as good as new.