How to wash something so that it shrinks: methods and useful tips

During wear or improper care, items can stretch, losing their original shape.

In some cases, it is quite possible to return clothes to the desired parameters if you use simple methods of influence - washing and drying.

Let's figure out how to wash a thing so that it shrinks - at what temperature of water, how to do it to shrink cotton, synthetics, denim and other fabrics?

Why do fabrics stretch?

The threads are slightly twisted during the production process. During wear, under the influence of moisture, temperature changes and mechanical influence, they begin to stretch. As a result, the thing loses its original shape. Changes may occur disproportionately. Products made from cotton material most often increase in width. This happens due to the fact that the fabric is cut along the grain, and the weft threads stretch faster. The weft thread is intentionally twisted weaker so that the transverse strip can pass freely through the lobe strip, and the weft fills the space between them more tightly. This makes the material more voluminous and fluffy.

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Knitted items can stretch both in width and length. This happens for several reasons:

Intense mechanical impact during wear.
Natural increase in body temperature.
Getting wet.
Failure to comply with the rules of use, washing and drying of the product.

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Things made from natural fabrics fit much better than those made from synthetics. Linen, viscose and cotton are greatly reduced in size. But this does not mean that artificial materials are not subject to shrinkage. It is possible to return the item to its original shape or reduce it; to do this, it is necessary to purposefully use temperature changes of water and steam. So, how to wash something so that it shrinks?

Nuances that can ruin a thing completely

The following can be detrimental to a knitted item:

ironing;
drying on a rope or radiator.

In these cases, the canvas may become deformed in such a way that it will be impossible to correct it.

Drying on a radiator is detrimental to knitted items

Video: how to irrevocably ruin a wool item

I once bought a synthetic sweater. I was still quite an inexperienced housewife at that time. I washed it by hand and hung it on a line to dry. As a result, I ended up with something very long. I had to think about what to do with this. Fortunately, either short dresses or what they now call tunics (I didn’t know such words then) came into fashion. In general, I found a matching belt, and simply turned the sleeve cuffs inside out and inserted an elastic band into the lower part. I want to say that I wore this mini-dress for quite a long time and was glad that I had come up with a second life for my mistake.

Washing Tips

In order to make a product smaller, it is not necessary to alter it. There are simpler and less expensive options that help you reduce one or even two sizes, for example, washing. Once you learn how to wash an item to make it fit, you will no longer have to get rid of loose clothes or refuse to buy something if a size is out of stock. But it should be remembered that not any fabric can shrink. Wool, denim, cotton and silk items become smaller when washed. In addition, it is impossible to predict exactly how a particular item will behave; along with its size, it may also lose color. Therefore, you should use the methods listed below carefully.

Is it better to use hand or machine wash?

Washing by hand allows you to control not only the size of the item being reduced, but also better preserves the color of the material from which it is made. This is the reason why hand washing is more desirable.

For some fabrics that easily withstand mechanical stress, such as synthetics, it is better to shrink them using a washing machine. This will help maintain strength and be effective.

Basic shrinkage methods

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There are several ways to deliberately reduce size. The choice should be made depending on the type of material and the desired result:

Using hot steam (iron).

Soaking and washing items in high temperature water followed by hot drying.

Contrasting. First, the item is kept and washed at a very high temperature, then sent into ice water and dried with hot steam.

Boiling.

Dry at high temperatures or in the sun.

Depending on the result that needs to be achieved, people use one or another method. But remember that it is impossible to predict the outcome with accuracy. Therefore, in some cases it is recommended to use gradual exposure. If the product has already been subjected to deliberate shrinkage, then it will not be possible to do this again.

How to make it fit the product in a specific place?

Getting something to shrink in the right place is a very difficult task, and with an unguaranteed result.

If the material can be processed with steam, then the following method is suitable:

Water is poured into an iron with a steam generator.
Set to maximum heat.
When ironing, a jet of steam is directed to the place that requires shrinkage.

You can try to place the item in the right place using a hairdryer:

wash the item or just wet it;
spread on a horizontal surface;
set the air regulator to hot air;
directing a stream of heated air to the part of the item that requires shrinkage, try to gather it with your hands.

By exposing the entire thing to high or, conversely, low temperatures, you cannot be sure that the product will take the shape that is planned.

Cotton items

Don't know how to wash cotton to make it shrink? It is important to know that cotton material shrinks even when exposed to low temperatures (40 degrees), so you should evaluate a product made from it only after the first wash.

If after this the need to remove a couple of centimeters remains, then throw the product into the washing machine and set a program with a temperature above 40 degrees. For colored laundry, use a special detergent to prevent them from fading.

A very common question is how to wash a cotton item so that it shrinks. To shrink a size or even two, you need to immerse the product in boiling water for 15–20 minutes. The longer the exposure, the more it will shrink. After the time has passed, you need to carefully remove the item, place it in a bowl with cool liquid and rinse. Dry outdoors.

There is another way to reduce cotton - exposure to hot air (drying). For this purpose, you can use a dryer or a heating device.

How to plant cotton

Not a plant, but an overly voluminous or stretched item made of cotton fabric. This is done in three stages:

First, let's get acquainted with the tag on things. The temperature at which the fabric does not shrink will also be indicated here. But you need to do the opposite. So, if the temperature is indicated at approximately 30-40 degrees, wash at 60. But this is suitable for dark or light fabrics. Colors will fade and may fade. As for the spin cycle, about 150 more revolutions should be added to the speed recommended on the tag (200 is possible);
At the same time, we prepare the planting solution. The container is filled with covered boiling water (from 5 to 7 liters), and clothes conditioner (1 cap) is also poured into it. We take our product out of the machine and lower it into the container. Cover the top with plastic, wait about 7 minutes. The item should shrink by one size, if you need more than one size, you can hold it for about 15 minutes.
Now we take out the item and immediately put it in the machine to dry. In the dryer it will shrink another half size. If there is no dryer, simply place the item on the table (or any other flat surface made of wood), blot it with a towel (also made of cotton) and leave it to dry in the sun.

Linen

Linen fabric also has a tendency to shrink under certain conditions. How to wash a linen item so that it shrinks? Only hand washing, not machine washing, is allowed, and at a water temperature of 90 degrees. After this, rinse the item thoroughly several times and leave to dry.

Woolen items

Wool belongs to the category of natural materials, so reducing it will not be difficult. So, how to wash woolen items so that they shrink? First, you will need to soak the products for half an hour in a container of hot water and manually remove any dirt, if any. When washing wool, it is worth considering that using a machine and violating the temperature regime can shrink the item to such an extent that only a child can wear it.

It is recommended to rinse wool clothes in cold or even ice water so that the fibers “settle down” under the influence of a sharp change in temperature. To prevent the item from losing its original appearance, it must not be twisted. At the end of washing, carefully squeeze out excess water and lay the product on a flat surface until completely dry. To speed up this process, you can place it near a hot radiator or on a heated towel rail. A towel must be placed under the item.

You not only need to know how to wash a knitted item so that it shrinks, but also remember the characteristics of wool. If you hang a sweater on a rope or hanger, it will be irrevocably damaged. The product will lose its shape and stretch.

What clothes will shrink after washing

Almost any fabric can be stretched and tightened to your liking.
Some materials lend themselves better to this, some worse. It all depends on the texture of the fabric; for some materials, just a couple of washes in hot water is enough. To prevent unwanted changes to your laundry, pay special attention when cleaning the following items:

Knitwear will definitely shrink after washing, due to the specific fiber structure inherent in this material. The threads from which it is made are twisted too tightly; it is enough to hold them in water at a temperature slightly higher than indicated on the tag to achieve a change in size.
To shrink acrylic products, 30 degrees of water or higher is enough. In this case, you should be extremely careful not to damage the item; use special laundry bags. Make the spin mode as weak as possible.
Viscose. This type of fabric is rarely used alone in the manufacture of clothing. When shrinking items made from several types of fabric, it is necessary to work on the most delicate fabric using one of the methods listed below.

Remember that if intentionally shrinked, items may fade and fade greatly. Before washing clothes, you need to test the shrinkage on a small piece of fabric, which manufacturers attach to a tag, just for such purposes.

What to do to prevent the item from shrinking after washing:

Follow the cleaning instructions on the product label.
Do not use when ironing at high temperatures.
Avoid spinning and harsh washing machine settings.
While drying things, try to avoid fading under the sun. Do not dry clothes on a hot radiator.

Jeans products

Denim items are always very popular; only the style of the product, the quality of the fabric and shape changes. Only a denim item made from natural denim can remove a few centimeters by washing. If synthetic fibers are present, shrinkage is almost impossible.

Classic jeans can be washed down by contrasting. First, the item is placed in practically boiling water for 20–30 minutes, and then rinsed in ice water. When washing in a machine, set the program to 60–90 degrees and spin at maximum speed.

It is important to remember that hot water is not recommended for washing dark and black clothes, as the color will change when exposed to it. You can also use an automated machine dryer or a hot battery to shrink your jeans.

How and at what temperature should you wash cotton in a washing machine?

When automatically washing cotton, to prevent it from shrinking, you must follow the following rules.

Study the recommendations indicated on the product tag.
Inspect the material for stains and, if any, remove them before washing. To remove stains from white fabrics, you can use mild oxygen bleaches without chlorine.
Sort items by color, wash white items separately.
Sort clothes according to degree of soiling, and wash items that simply need to be refreshed on a gentle cycle.
Place clothes or bedding in the drum after turning them inside out and fastening all zippers and buttons.
Place small items in a special bag or an old pillowcase before loading the laundry into the machine.
For dense fabrics, set a mode in which the water temperature does not exceed 60 degrees.
Delicate materials should be washed at 40 degrees.
For colored items, use detergents containing enzymes to prevent shedding.
When using dry powders, install an additional rinse.
Use a gentle spin and turn off the automatic drying function.

Advice

In order for cotton items to be ironed better, they should be hung out to dry immediately after the wash cycle ends, and not left in the drum for a long time. In addition, the material will need to be carefully straightened - this will help eliminate large creases and folds.

How to wash a knitted item so that it shrinks

A washing machine will help reduce the volume of a knitted T-shirt. Wash the item on the program with the highest temperature and high spin speed.

There is another method that does not involve washing. Dip the blouse in boiling water for five minutes - and you're done! If you increase the soaking time to 15 minutes, the item will become one and a half to two sizes smaller.

How to stretch

Cotton (especially the most natural) shrinks not very often, but it does happen. We will try to correct the situation, fortunately, there are methods.

Option one. Using a washing machine

To begin with, soak the item in cool water for a third of an hour. Next, machine wash with wool powder (or delicate wash). We need gentle washing, water – no higher than 30 degrees. The cotton will begin to stretch during the spin cycle, but we take it out of the machine damp, not wet.

Now we stretch the item and dry it on a hanger with a hanger. This can only be done in a vertical position. Don't forget to shake the cotton occasionally. You can also dry a wet dress or jacket directly on your body.

Option two

Peroxide is needed here. You need a couple of tablespoons per bucket of water. We simply rinse the fabric in it and sometimes gently pull it in several directions.

Instead of peroxide, a mixture of turpentine and vodka (a couple of tablespoons each), as well as ammonia (three times more than turpentine) in a bucket of water, is also suitable. Again, rinse and pull. Then keep it in this mixture for 90 minutes and then squeeze it out a little. We dry it on a wet towel, sometimes stretching it. You can also add vinegar to the rinse water.

Option three

We use an iron. Just put the thing that needs to be stretched a little on an ironing board covered with gauze and iron it, pressing hard. You can turn on steam if available. It is also recommended to put a thin cotton material or just gauze on top.

Reminder on shrinkage of materials

To get the desired result, you must follow some rules:

First, use gentle methods: steaming with hot air, washing at high temperatures, etc. It is worth moving to radical methods only in extreme cases.

When using a washing machine, it is impossible to control the process; the item may shrink too much. Therefore, it is recommended to do everything manually.

Hot water washes away the dye and the item will become duller.

If the product has become too small, you can try to correct the situation. To do this, it is thoroughly moistened, slightly dried, and then put on while wet and walked around. At the same time, you should be active - squat and move. The item will stretch a little.

The shrinkage process is natural and controlled by soaking and further drying. Knowing all the subtleties, you can easily correct small mistakes with the size.

Are there special means for shrinking fabric?

The question of how to wash a woolen item so that it shrinks, and, most importantly, with what, comes up quite often. Unfortunately or fortunately, you won’t find compositions for shrinking fabrics on sale. This is due to the fact that a shrunk item is considered more of a cause for grief than for joy. Therefore, it is logical that no industrial products are produced for this purpose.

If you have lost weight, it is better to alter the product or put it in the far corner of the closet, who knows, maybe you will need it again.

Source

When does the wool “shrink”?

A material such as wool, due to its naturalness and natural characteristics, can easily be modified under the influence of various sources. First of all, woolen items shrink when washed at high temperatures . Natural hairs curl, compact and “fall off”, which makes the product warmer, but significantly reduces its size.

Important! Items containing both real wool and artificial fibers can behave completely differently. Some things containing synthetics do not shrink at all, some only stretch. Therefore, for products with a mixed composition, methods typical for natural woolen items may not always be suitable.