Shirt care · Six practical steps

Remove Collar Stays Before Washing? A Six-Step Dress Shirt Guide

Removable collar stays should be taken out before laundering or pressing. See Pilgrim Dry Cleaners' original demonstration video and Proper Cloth's maker guidance for identifying, storing and reinserting stays.

4 min read2026-10-26

Original Pilgrim Dry Cleaners collar-stay tutorial

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OriginalProper Cloth's original shirt care instructionsProper Cloth

Your style checklist

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01

What you need

Dress shirt and its care label
Good light and clean hands
Small case for loose stays
The shirt's own correctly sized stays

02

How to

1. Look inside the underside of each collar point for an opening that holds a removable stay. Do not force open a sewn-in stay or a button-down collar without a stay pocket.
2. If the stay is removable, gently slide it out by hand, one collar point at a time. Avoid stretching the pocket or prying it open with a sharp tool.
3. Remove the detachable stays before washing and store the pair together in a small case. Proper Cloth recommends taking them out before laundering and reinserting them after shirt care.
4. Wash and dry according to the actual shirt's care label. Cotton, wrinkle-resistant finishes and performance fabrics can have different wash temperatures and drying instructions.
5. Leave the stays out while ironing the collar at a label-approved temperature. Once the collar is cool and dry, slide the stays back into their original pockets.
6. Check each stay for the right length, sharp corners and bends. Use only a stay that fits comfortably; if a damaged stay presses into the cloth, find a suitable replacement for that collar.

One more tip

Never try to pull out a stay that is sewn in or has no removable pocket opening. Only remove detachable stays, and always follow the garment care label.

Sources and media

OriginalProper Cloth shirt collar ironing guidanceProper Cloth

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