Contrary to popular belief, dry cleaning isn’t ideal for your shirts; it involves chemicals that shorten the lifespan of a shirt, and causes major stress to the buttons. Here’s how to wash your shirt the right way.

Knowing how to wash a shirt is an essential part of taking care of it.

1. Prepare the shirt by unbuttoning the cuffs and removing the collar stays. Apply a pre-wash treatment and spot clean.
2. Follow the wash instructions inside your shirt.

To save some time, throw the shirt into a machine dryer—but for a few minutes, no more. Take the shirt out while it’s warm and damp. Hang it out to dry on a plastic hanger. When it’s still slightly damp, remove the shirt from the hanger and lay it on an ironing board. It’s time to iron.