Care & Cleaning
AlohaClothes · Care Guide
How Do I Care for My Made-in-Hawaii Clothes?
Cold water, mild soap and a line to dry on. That's most of it. Rayon and cotton want slightly different handling, though, and one common mistake will ruin a white shirt for good.
Wash in cold water with a mild soap, by hand or on your machine's gentle cycle. Never use hot water, and never use bleach. Line dry in the shade. Iron cool, or use steam. Hot water is what shrinks these clothes and dulls the print, and it does it on the first wash, not the tenth.
Cotton or rayon? Start here
Most of our aloha shirts and dresses are 100% cotton or 100% rayon. The first line of every product page tells you which, and so does the label. The care is similar, but rayon is far less forgiving when it's wet, so it's worth knowing which one you're holding.
100% Cotton
The forgiving one
- Wash
- Machine, gentle cycle, cold water
- Dry
- Line dry, or tumble on cool and take it out while slightly damp
- Iron
- Cool to warm, inside out
- Watch for
- Shrinkage if the water is warm. Cotton relaxes and softens with wear.
100% Rayon
The delicate one
- Wash
- Dry clean for best results, or hand wash cold
- Dry
- Line dry only, in the shade, on a padded hanger
- Iron
- Cool or steam, inside out, while slightly damp
- Watch for
- Rayon loses much of its strength when wet. Don't wring it, twist it or hang it heavy.
Got a blend, board shorts or bamboo boxers? Follow the care label on the garment. If a shirt is part cotton and part rayon, treat it like rayon. The gentler routine never hurts cotton.
Hot water is the one thing to avoid. Both rayon and cotton shrink in hot water, and rayon also loses its luster, that soft sheen you paid for. Cold water, every time.
How do I wash it, step by step?
- Turn it inside out. This protects the printed surface and keeps coconut and shell buttons from knocking against the drum.
- Wash it separately the first time, or with like colors. Deep reds and navies in Hawaiian prints can release dye in the first wash or two.
- Use cold water and a mild soap. Plain Ivory works well. Skip heavy detergents and anything labeled "brightening."
- Don't let it soak. A long soak sets dye bleed instead of preventing it, and it's especially hard on rayon.
- Machine users: gentle cycle only, cold, with a short spin. Hand washers: swish, don't scrub, and press the water out instead of wringing.
- Reshape it while it's damp and get it onto the line or a hanger before wrinkles set.
Never use Woolite on a white shirt with a red print. It lifts the red dye into the white background, and there's no undoing it. It's the most common way we see a good shirt ruined. Skip bleach entirely too, on every color.
How should I dry it?
Line drying is best, and it isn't close. Hang it in the shade, because direct Hawaii sun fades a print faster than any wash cycle. Use a padded or wide hanger for rayon so the shoulders don't end up with points.
If you have to use a dryer, run it on the coolest setting and take the garment out while it's still slightly damp. Heat is what sets wrinkles and shrinks the weave. For rayon, skip the dryer altogether.
How do I iron it without ruining the print?
Use a cool iron or steam only. Press on the inside, or lay a thin cloth between the iron and the fabric so the print never touches hot metal. Rayon irons best while it's still a little damp. If something comes out badly creased, a steamer does the job with no risk at all.
Buttons, prints and handmade details
Many of our shirts and dresses are made in Hawaii by RJC, Paradise Found, Pacific Legend, Two Palms and others. Coconut, shell and wood buttons are common, and they aren't machine parts. They'll chip if they get knocked around on a heavy cycle. Turning the garment inside out and using the gentle cycle takes care of it.
Aloha prints are printed onto the cloth, not woven in. Wash them inside out and keep them out of direct sun on the line, and they'll stay sharp for years.
The bitterness of poor quality remains long after a cheaper price is forgotten. It's not that the shirt or dress looks good. It's how long it keeps looking good.How we choose what we sell
How should I store my aloha wear?
- Hang, don't fold, if you have the closet room. Rayon especially holds a crease.
- Make sure it's fully dry before it goes away. Humidity and a damp collar will find each other.
- Keep it out of the light. A closet beats a hook by the window.
- No plastic dry-cleaning bags for long-term storage. Fabric needs to breathe.
One note before you wash something new. If a garment doesn't fit or isn't what you expected, send it back before you wash it. Once an item has been washed, we can't accept it as a return or exchange. Our Shipping & Returns page has the details on the 30-day window.
Quick reference
| Step | 100% Cotton | 100% Rayon |
|---|---|---|
| Water | Cold | Cold |
| Method | Machine, gentle cycle | Dry clean, or hand wash |
| Soap | Mild (Ivory is ideal) | Mild (Ivory is ideal) |
| Bleach | Never | Never |
| Soaking | No | No |
| Drying | Line dry, or cool tumble | Line dry in shade only |
| Ironing | Cool to warm, inside out | Cool or steam, slightly damp |
| Wringing | Avoid | Never. Press the water out. |
Common questions
Will my aloha shirt shrink?
Not if you wash it in cold water and keep it out of a hot dryer. Both cotton and rayon shrink when they meet heat, and most of that happens on the very first wash. Cold water and a line are all the insurance you need.
Can I machine wash 100% rayon?
We recommend dry cleaning or hand washing. Rayon fibers lose much of their strength when wet, so a machine's agitation and spin put real stress on the seams. If you do machine wash it, use the gentle cycle, cold water and a mesh bag, and never put it in the dryer.
Why can't I use Woolite on a white shirt with red in the print?
It lifts the red dye and carries it into the white background, leaving a pink haze that won't wash out. Use a plain mild soap instead. The same goes for any white-background garment with a strong red or dark print.
Is dry cleaning worth it?
For rayon, often yes. It gives the best result and takes the risk out. For cotton, cold water at home does the job well.
My shirt came out wrinkled. What now?
Steam is your friend. Hang it in the bathroom during a hot shower, or run a steamer over it. If you iron, keep the setting cool and press on the inside so the iron never touches the print.
How do I get a stain out without bleach?
Work on it cold and early. Blot, don't rub, with cool water and a little mild soap, working from the outside of the stain inward. Heat sets a stain for good, so don't dry the garment until the mark is gone. For anything stubborn on rayon, take it to a dry cleaner and point out the spot.
Can I return something after I've washed it?
No. Once an item has been washed, it can't be returned or exchanged. If you're unsure about the fit, try it on and send it back unwashed within 30 days.
Still not sure?
Tell us which garment you have and we'll tell you exactly how to handle it. We've been selling made-in-Hawaii aloha wear from Maui since 1998.
Ask us about your garmentEmail jz@MauiShirts.comFamily-owned on Maui since 1998 · Rated 4.7 out of 5 across 6,330 Amazon reviews · Free US shipping with code FREE
Last updated September 2026
