Starting Simple With My Old Jersey
So I found my old Bryant jersey stuffed in the back of my closet. You know the one – faded numbers, weird stains near the collar. Felt like trash honestly. Figured let’s try bringing it back to life since I ain’t worn it in forever.
The Messy Soak Trick
First I filled my sink with cold water – like ice cold, straight from the tap. Dumped in just a small splash of plain white vinegar. Mixed it around with my hands until it felt kinda slippery. Then dunked the whole jersey in there, pushing it down till bubbles stopped popping up. Left that thing soaking for a good three hours while I watched the game.
Scrubbing The Nasty Bits
Pulled it out later all soggy and smelling like salad dressing. Saw those stubborn stains still hanging on near the collar. Grabbed an old toothbrush and baking soda – made a little paste with water right in my palm. Scrub-scrub-scrub real gentle in circles, like polishing a dirty coin. Didn’t go crazy or the fabric would’ve ripped for sure.
The Rinse Disaster
This part went sideways quick. Washed it under running water and purple gunk started pouring out – looked like melted crayons. Panicked and almost dumped bleach in! Luckily remembered my buddy’s warning. Just kept rinsing till the water ran clear. Took forever with all that dye leaking out.
Air Dry Fail
Laid it flat on a towel like those fancy labels say. Folded the towel over, pressed down hard to squeeze water out. But when I picked it up? Big mistake. Heavy fabric stretched like chewed gum under its own weight. Nearly ripped the shoulder seam carrying it one-handed! Had to drag it spread-eagle across two chairs instead.
Final Ironing Nightmare
Next day it felt stiff as cardboard. Flipped it inside out, set my iron to “no steam.” Pressed for two seconds… SSSSS! Left a shiny plastic-looking square right on Kobe’s name! Nearly burned the ironing board cover scrambling to yank the cord out. Switched to tossing it in the dryer with damp towels – banged it around low heat for ten minutes. Came out sorta okay. Still pissed about that iron mark though.
Whole process was like babysitting a moody toddler. Vinegar soak helped but man – treating gear right is a war sometimes. My takeaways:
- Cold water only unless you want tie-dye
- NEVER lift wet heavy jerseys by one sleeve
- Baking soda paste saves lives
- Irons are actual weapons
It’s wearable now at least. Sorta.