Getting your 49ers gear ready for Week 1 and keeping it fresh all season

With the start of the regular NFL season fast approaching, it’s time to get your San Francisco 49ers merchandise and gear ready.  I’ll share how I keep my gear in prime shape all season long.

I understand I’m biased, but the San Francisco 49ers have one of the best color schemes in the NFL and I love taking care of my beautiful gear.

I’ve seen 49ers fans who fall into two camps: those who wear their gear all year, and those who sport it during football season exclusively.

Regardless of the camp into which you fall, at some point, you’ll find yourself wondering how to clean your beloved Niners merchandise.

Below are some of the best practices I’ve found.

T-shirts, dress shirts, hoodies and sweatshirts

Follow general laundry directions on the shirt labels. Easy.

One thing to note: any sweatshirts or hoodies made of dry-fit technology should be washed sans fabric softener in their own load. To prevent pilling on the inside, never wash them inside-out.

If pilling occurs, then use a pumice stone and gently brush away the pills.

Polos and fitness gear

One thing that drives me nuts is the way fitness gear or dry-fit polos cling while wearing. To prevent the cling, I wash these items in their own load, never mixing them with any cotton blends. To maintain their shape, I hang them to dry on bars, not hangers.

If you notice  static when dry, take a fabric softener sheet and lightly rub it on the inside to erode the static. If you notice any lingering odors, simply re-wash, but add 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda.

Ball caps, hats, and jackets

If you own suede, felt, or leather hats your best bet is the pros; take them to a cleaner who specializes in head gear. The same goes for jackets. Simple!

Fitted, adjustable, beanies or bucket hats made of a variety of fabric blends like, acrylic, straw, cotton, polyester, wool, felt and plastic are more forgiving.

Soak them in lukewarm, soapy water for a few minutes and brush away sweat stains using a soft-bristle brush with liquid laundry detergent.

Rinse off with cold water thoroughly and hang to dry.

Jerseys

The following applies to all jersey categories: Game, Limited, Throwback, Pro Line, Legend or Elite.

First, spot-treat any stains with Oxi-Clean or laundry soap. For greasy stains use dish soap.

Second, turn the jerseys inside-out, wash in cold water, on the gentle cycle, with like-colors only and use liquid laundry soap. Never wash your jersey with items that have buttons or zippers.

Third, to prevent wrinkling, remove from washer immediately and hang to dry. Drape the jersey over a bar, flat on a rack, or on a wide-shouldered hanger.

Fourth, to maintain its shape, store your jersey by tri-folding it or using a contoured, wide-shouldered hanger. However, creasing can occur if the jersey remains unused for long periods.

The frequency with which you use your jersey and the environment in which you do so, will determine how often to wash it.

If you’re mostly a game-day user at home, then washing only once per season might be enough. If you live in it, then others will surely inform you when it’s time.

If the jersey is clean and you just need to refresh it, then you can run it inside-out on the steam cycle (if your dryer has this setting) on low for about five to 10 minutes. I would not recommend this for jerseys with decals though.

Nike Elite, or “on-field” jerseys, are meant to take a beating, but some fans complain they are too rough on exposed skin. I typically wear a soft undershirt and have no issues.

I’ve heard of a tactic involving a salt-water soak followed by an immediate wash that supposedly helps soften clothing, but I’m not bold enough to try it on Elite jerseys!

Let me know if you’ve tried this tactic or if you have other methods.