How to Prevent Clothes from Shrinking?

When you have a new piece you like and haven't washed it yet, it's important to read the label carefully - because fabrics can shrink with washing. After one careless washing, you can get a few sizes smaller, or even just a ruined piece of closet, which will remain only to be thrown away. Each of us at least once in his life upset because after washing his favorite thing became small, sometimes small enough to give to the dog.

Many have faced the problem of clothes shrinking after washing when the thing bought in size becomes small. This does not happen with all materials, but often. It happens that the more natural and expensive the fabric, the greater the chance that the wrong washing mode will spoil everything.

No one wants to lose their favorite closet items, or just spoil things for which they had to give money. To avoid unnecessary spending on new clothes and avoid shrinking clothes, it is important to know what fabric sits down after washing, and what to do to never face such a problem. Things can sit down strongly (by one or two sizes) or moderately, some of them can no longer be restored, and others can be brought back to their original appearance.

Today we will talk about why clothes shrink - in what cases it is normal, and in what cases it is not, how to avoid it, how to save the shrunken thing and vice versa, and how to wash it so that the thing decreased in size, but did not lose its beautiful appearance.

Clothes shrinking after washing is the process of shrinkage or change in the shape of garments due to water, heat, and mechanical friction during washing. The fibers from which the fabric is made can react to these factors, resulting in shrinkage.

It can occur in both the longitudinal and transverse directions of the fabric. As a result, the garment may become tighter fitting or change its shape, and sometimes even become unusable if the shrinkage is too significant. For example, linen fabric shrinks quite strongly due to its natural composition, so tight, non-stretchy clothes "to fit" can be ruined after just one wash.

There are two obvious reasons for shrinking clothes: excessive temperature and high-speed spinning. And three reasons, which are written about in professional and incomprehensible language for the common man.

Reason 1: failure to comply with the temperature regime
The temperature regime can be violated at all stages of laundry: washing, drying, and ironing. Why we do not observe the temperature regime on the care instructions, and sometimes even deliberately increase the temperature of washing:

To save time, we don't find the washing recommendations on the labels and throw things made of fabrics with different washing modes into the same pile.

We are afraid of germs and various parasites, so we wash things at high temperatures.

We have not studied the instructions on the care tags and do not know what this or that washing mode means in our washing machine.

We do not know how to determine the composition of the fabric when there is no label with recommendations, and as a consequence, we can not correctly select the mode of washing.

We deliberately wash things in the machine, for which the manufacturer recommended hand washing or dry cleaning.

In the dryer, we most often violate the temperature mode for the same reasons. But, we are not the only ones to blame clothes shrinking in the dryer. Dryers themselves can locally overheat things in direct contact with the drum in the place where the heating element is attached.

Clothes shrinking during the first wash in hot water due to the need for the threads to relieve stresses after the production machines and mechanical influences after sewing. Natural fabrics will not shrink in subsequent washings, provided the manufacturer's recommended temperature regime is adhered to.

Synthetic fabrics are less prone to shrinkage during washing, but there is a possibility that they will shrink during drying in the dryer. The fact is that when drying in a dryer, the temperature of the air directly near the heating element can reach 140°C.

Wool fabrics have an outer layer of fiber that prevents water from getting inside. This protection works well at low temperatures and mild detergents and does not work at all when the water temperature is high and the detergents are aggressive. The fiber gains water, swells, and shrinks along its length - that is, it shrinks. After the water evaporates, it does not return to its former state.

It is customary to iron things not only to give a presentable look but also to kill germs and bacteria that may have remained on things. Ignoring the manufacturer's recommendations for ironing temperature settings is another common cause of shrinkage of your favorite clothes. Usually, we think we've burned the thing with an iron when the clothes shrink but not really. This is the process of shrinking a garment, in fact, "shrinkage" is the process of the fibers shortening for whatever reason.

Reason 2: the spin cycle is not set correctly
Always remember that clothes made of natural materials love water and are very elastic. Machine spinning is not recommended for clothes that need to be shaped before drying, especially knitted garments. Clothes made of raw materials of animal origin after washing should be straightened and left to dry on a flat surface: so the thing will not stretch and will retain its original appearance. That is when the water is gone from the wool, the fibers will remain in the shape in which the thing is at the moment.

Reason 3: raw materials
Fibers that absorb a lot of water and change their size after getting wet are subject to shrinkage. Synthetic fibers can easily recover their original state, but natural fabrics are virtually unrecoverable.

Theoretically, clothes shrinking can be given and synthetic fabric, but it is more like a deformation caused by melting. For example, if you hold a burning match near a cellophane bag, it will "shrink" due to the shortening of fibers.

For example, cotton is made of fluffy raw material similar to absorbent cotton, so when first washed in hot water, the threads swell and stick together, giving shrinkage. Fabrics of animal origin have a completely different fiber structure.

Another example is that wool is made up of tubes whose outer part is non-polar and whose inner part is polar. This means that the inner part easily absorbs water, while the outer part repels it. That is why such fabrics are not afraid of water in small quantities, such as rain. But when washing at high temperature for a long time, water freely passes through the outer protective layer and gets inside the tube. Water from the tube evaporates slowly, so wool clothes take a long time to dry.

Some types of fabrics have a greater tendency to shrink after washing. Here are some of them:

Cotton.
Cotton fabrics, especially those that have not been pre-shrunk, can shrink after washing. Cotton has a natural fiber structure that can shrink when exposed to water and heat, so cotton fabric shrinks when washed;

Linen fabric.
Linen fabric also shrinks after washing. It can shrink and change its shape when exposed to water and mechanical friction;

Wool.
Some wool clothes shrink after washing because of their fiber structure. They can shrink and stretch freely when exposed to water and heat. To prevent wool items from shrinking, it is recommended to use special wool laundry detergents or dry cleaning;

Viscose.
Viscose fabric also shrinks after washing. Viscose is an artificial fiber produced from natural cellulose. It tends to shrink and can lose its shape when in contact with water;

Blended fabrics.
Fabrics made up of a combination of different fibers can also exhibit shrinkage after washing. Different fibers have different properties and may react differently to exposure to water and heat.

It is important to remember that each fabric is unique and the level of shrinkage can vary depending on the method of production, fiber quality, and processing of the material. Attention should be paid to the care instructions on the care label of each garment to reduce the risk of shrinkage during washing.

Any item of clothing can shrink or warp if used incorrectly. As you know, it's better to prevent a problem than to try to fix it - so it's important to know how to wash to keep the clothes from shrinking. To minimize clothes shrinking during laundry, here are a few guidelines:

Read labels. Pay attention to the care instructions on the label of each garment. It may include recommendations for washing temperature, washing mode (delicate, wool, cotton, etc.), and drying recommendations. Follow these recommendations for each fabric;

Learn to understand fabrics. This is good for both your laundry and your wallet. Buying truly quality items these days is a great art. Manufacturers are increasingly cunning, some invent new names for synthetic fabrics, and others attribute "eco" to the names of natural fabrics and give synthetics for things made of natural fabric. The most cunning is not shy to openly deceive and write, for example, cotton instead of polyester.

Use cold or warm water. High temperatures can contribute to the clothes shrinking, especially natural fibers such as cotton or linen. It is therefore preferable to use cold or warm water instead of hot water for washing;

Use a gentle washing mode. Some washing machines have washing modes for delicate fabrics or wool. Use these modes to reduce the mechanical impact on the fabric and the risk of shrinkage;

Avoid high-temperature drying. High drying temperatures can also contribute to fabric shrinkage. If possible, choose a low heat mode for drying or prefer natural air drying;

Pre-shrinking. If you have new garments or fabric that has not been pre-shrunk, it is recommended that you do so before the first wash. Read the instructions on the label, but you can usually do this by placing the item in hot water or exposing it to steam;

Use gentle detergents. Use mild detergents designed for delicate fabrics. They will help maintain the softness and structure of the fibers, reducing the risk of shrinkage;

Hand wash. If you have valuable or very delicate items of clothing, consider hand washing them. In this case, you have more control over the process and can avoid heavy friction and mechanical action, which will reduce the risk of clothes shrinking.

These guidelines can help reduce the risk of fabric shrinkage during washing, but it is always advisable to read and follow the instructions on the care labels of each garment to be sure of proper care.