Washing advice - signed t-shirt

[Lancrelady80]

Hello,

After advice from you wise Mumsnetters.

I'm the proud owner of a Year 6 child who has just finished primary school. As per tradition, the children all signed the t-shirts they were wearing on the final day. The final HOT day and their t-shirts were next to their sweaty little bodies all day. A week later and said t-shirt is a little ripe to say the least. But dc understandably doesn't want to lose the signatures.

T-shirt is pale blue, allegedly 100% cotton, and would normally be bunged in the wash at 40 degrees, then line dried.

Signatures appear to be a mix of school handwriting pen, whiteboard marker, biro and orange / yellow felt tip pen.

Any suggestions would be very, very welcome!

Edited - typo.

Instead of washing it, could you give it a liberal spraying of Febreeze?

That's probably a good start, don't know why I didn't think of that! Thank you.

Any more long term suggestions?

I would try a mix of white vinegar & water sprayed onto the armpits I think. Maybe hang it on the line to air it out? Could you just spot clean where it is smelly?

Might be worth trying putting it in the freezer, I think this can kill some of the bugs that cause the smell

A way to keep this forever anyway is to take a video of them wearing the shirt showcasing all the names, then take photos of all the signatures and messages. That way you have the memory forever without the actual shirt.

We have lots of narrated videos by the children of their stuff, so rewards they received at school and how they felt about it. Costumes they wore for their school plays and later piles of school work books they were binning out post GCSE.

Start it now then it is something they get used to, they have the memories without the physical item.

Tumbledry with a dryer sheet

I wouldn't add any liquid to the scenario apart from maybe a bit of vodka under the armpits.

I'd hang it outside in the upcoming heatwave. I dont think you need to be too precious.

When this happened with mine - also sweaty - I hung it up outside and sprayed with Fabreeze. Some of the pens run anyway (I've seen the shirt since - it was done 16 years ago - can't believe I've kept all those signed shirts).

I’d hang it in the sun.

Thank you, everyone!

Do what others do and they put the clean one over what they are wearing and remove straight after it’s been signed, I had no idea they kids would get the one that had been wearing all day signed, even when I left school everyone brought a spare one in their bag, as did my mum and dad when they were at school.

Put it in the freezer overnight.