Acrylic is a synthetic material. Acrylic fiber has great strength and dyes well. During washing, the paint is not washed out of it, thanks to which such products retain their color for a long time. They are wear-resistant, not susceptible to mold, not damaged by moths, and do not wrinkle.
At the same time, there are a number of disadvantages that should be taken into account during operation and washing:
- acrylic fabrics do not absorb moisture well;
- easily form greasy stains;
- During washing, the item may become deformed, stretched, or form pills.
Therefore, many people believe that machine washing of these products is impossible. Actually this is not true. To avoid negative consequences and not spoil the item, you need to apply certain rules and know how to wash acrylic.
How to wash acrylic in a washing machine
If the material consists entirely of acrylic, it can be machine washed. To prevent the fabric from deforming and rolling, a number of conditions must be met:
- Wash acrylic items separately from other clothes. The washing machine drum should be no more than half full.
- Use a zippered mesh bag.
- Soak the item in soapy water for 10 minutes before washing in the machine.
- On light-colored items, wash the collar and cuffs with soap in advance.
- Remove difficult stains with stain remover or laundry soap before washing.
- Fasten zippers and buttons, if present.
- Turn the item inside out.
Before loading an item into the washing machine, read the information on its label. It must contain permissible temperature conditions and other recommendations for caring for clothing.
Product Features
Acrylic is a 100% synthetic fiber. This is the name of an artificial substitute for natural wool, which costs much less. Products made from acrylic have a very resistant color, practically do not wrinkle or deform even during machine washing.
Caring for synthetic knitted items is quite simple, you just need to follow some recommendations:
- You can wash such things only in cool water no higher than +40 degrees;
- Even the use of regular washing powder is allowed, although it is better to give preference to gels for washing delicate fabrics;
- Acrylic products should not be rubbed too hard during washing, as the hinges may be damaged;
- squeeze out the acrylic very carefully, trying not to twist the thing too much. The machine should be set to minimum spin speed.
Expert opinion
Kristina Samokhina
Experienced housewife.
The use of aggressive bleaching compounds is prohibited. Use regular powder for colored laundry if you don’t have a special product on hand.
Sweaters and sweaters made of acrylic are most often worn every day on weekdays. Due to frequent wearing, clothes quickly become dirty. Products have to be washed frequently, almost every week. When washing, it is advisable to add conditioner during rinsing to make the jacket soft.
Very often, acrylic thread is mixed with natural wool in production. In this case, the item can only be washed with special wool powders. When machine washing, select a delicate wash cycle.
Detergents
Although it is not forbidden to wash acrylic with powder, it is better not to do this. Powder particles may not dissolve completely and settle on the acrylic fibers, causing the item to become rough and require a long rinse. And any mechanical impact only harms acrylic.
A liquid detergent labeled “for acrylic fabric” is best for washing such items.
Use fabric softener when washing. It fluffs up fibers and removes static electricity.
Properties of acrylic
Acrylic has a second name - nitron. These are completely synthetic fibers, durable and hold paint well. They are used to make fleecy sweaters (“grass”), scarves, carpets and blankets.
Things made from acrylic fiber have a number of pros and cons:
- They are afraid of high temperatures.
- They warm well.
- Do not lose color.
- They tend to form pellets.
- May become deformed if improperly washed and dried.
- Quickly absorbs greasy stains.
- They don't wrinkle.
- not afraid of insects and mold.
- Soft and pleasant to the touch.
- Wear-resistant.
- Static electricity accumulates.
- They do not absorb moisture well.
Some clothing manufacturers add cotton or wool fibers to nitron. The admixture of natural materials gives things antistatic properties and increases hygiene. The body sweats and breathes less.
How to wash by hand
If the fabric contains natural fibers in addition to acrylic, it can only be washed by hand. You need to fill a basin with water at a temperature of 25-30 degrees and dissolve grated soap in it. Immerse the clothes in water and carefully wash the collar and cuffs. Then leave the item in the water for 10-15 minutes. When finished, rinse the clothes 2-3 times in water of the same temperature.
During the last rinse, you need to add hair rinse or conditioner.
What to do if your sweater is stretched?
So, the thing was stretched, but it still lost its shape. The sweater could stretch out a lot or, on the contrary, shrink. It is difficult to fix such damaged knitwear, but something can still be done.
If the sweater is very stretched, you will have to wash it according to all the rules, and then rinse it in fabric softener. This simple measure will help improve the situation at least a little.
If only certain parts of the product are stretched, for example, sleeves and cuffs, then they should be dipped in very hot water for a couple of minutes and then carefully dried. This method is radical, but it really helps to save the thing.
If the sweater has shrunk very much, you can try soaking it in fabric softener for 15 minutes. Take out the wet sweater, wrap it in a towel and wring it out lightly. After this, the product is laid out on a flat surface and stretched in different directions, giving the desired shape and size. It is necessary to apply equal efforts when stretching different parts of the product.
It is necessary to stretch the item during the drying process every 30 minutes. Some housewives advise putting on a wet sweater and drying it on yourself so that it stretches.
How to dry things after washing
Acrylic items are lightly squeezed in your hands so that the water drains from them, then placed on the dryer. If it is not there, then spread a large towel on a horizontal surface. Place the item on it and blot it slightly. The towel is changed, and the clothes are carefully straightened to avoid creases.
When drying acrylic items, the following is prohibited:
- hang on a clothesline.
- put on the battery.
- hang on hangers.
- leave near a heater or in direct sunlight.
High temperatures are detrimental to acrylic. The fabric should not be blow-dried or ironed.
Removing contaminants
But, before you start washing the product in powder, you need to carefully inspect it for stains, and, if any are found, remove them. To do this, soak the clothes in cold water and then remove the stain. Fresh stains are much easier to remove, so it’s better not to delay removing stains.
You can remove stains from acrylic thread with regular brown washing soap. To do this, lather the stained area thickly, leave the item for half an hour, and then gently rub the stain with your hands.
Characteristics and features of the material
An artificial material such as acrylic is very light and soft in texture, but at the same time its threads are quite strong, which allows you to create products that retain heat. Items made from this fiber practically do not wrinkle, have good wear resistance and dry quickly after washing. Acrylic sweaters have a rich range of colors, as this material takes paint well and holds any shade for a long time without fading in the sun.
The big advantage is that acrylic, compared to natural wool, does not shrink after washing in hot water. But, in addition to the advantages, there are also disadvantages, although there are not many of them. An acrylic sweater is prone to pilling, it can become electrified, and when washed in too hot water, the fibers stretch, resulting in the product being deformed.
Which fabrics are most susceptible to shrinkage?
Fibers that shrink the most are those that can absorb the maximum amount of water and change their size when wet. Such fabrics include cotton and linen materials, as well as viscose. Woolen fabrics vary greatly in size. In this case, not only the diameter of the yarn changes, but also the structure of the fabric itself. Shrinkage during washing is also possible with corduroy and tartan, and fabrics such as chintz, cambric, poplin, teak, satin, calico and a number of others are less susceptible to shrinkage.
“Shrinkage greatly depends on the composition of the fabric, and it is not always possible to correct everything. The item can be corrected if it is wool that has a rough knit. Under steam, you can pull it a little and increase the product by one size. But there is such shrinkage that nothing can be corrected. This is the result of the wrong temperature being selected during washing. Nowadays, household machines have been improved; they have a delicate wash mode. Certain modes have a pre-programmed low temperature. You cannot act according to your own judgment or be in too much of a hurry when putting things away for washing. First of all, you need to read the labeling and see how to wash and dry things,” says dry cleaning manager Irina Yakush .
Why does shrinkage occur?
The main reason for shrinkage is the peculiarities of fabric production. During creation, the fabric is deliberately stretched, and during washing the material tries to regain its optimal shape, as a result of which its length and width decrease. If the threads (warp or weft) have been twisted or compressed too much, when wet they will try to straighten out, but this will happen by shortening the threads that run either across or along the fabric. Another common cause of shrinkage is fiber swelling. In this case, the threads become thicker and shorter.
What not to do when washing knitted items to shrink them
You should not try to reduce an item by several sizes at once, choosing a washing temperature more than 20° higher than recommended - this will more likely lead to damage to the item than to the desired result.
It is also undesirable to select the spin mode with maximum speed - the yarn may bunch unevenly. The optimal choice would be the 400 rpm mode (unless otherwise stated in the washing instructions) for delicate handling of the item.
You cannot dry knitted items on a radiator, thus wanting to speed up the drying process, or iron still wet clothes - this can deform the structure of the yarn and ruin the item.
Do not dry knitted items on a radiator, as this may deform the structure of the yarn.
Rules for success
To ensure that acrylic clothing lasts for more than one season, follow these simple care rules:
- when washing, add a softening agent along with the powder - this will help avoid the appearance of pills;
- do not wash acrylic in hot water;
- When rinsing, use an antistatic agent;
- Do not twist wet acrylic items.
Taking care of acrylic clothing is very easy if you know some tricks and know how to use them. If you are not afraid of the prospect of mandatory horizontal drying and some restrictions during washing, you can safely run to the store for new things.
Is it possible to restore a shrunken sweater?
To prevent a synthetic cardigan from shrinking, you should strictly observe the washing temperature, not exceed its maximum permissible value, and also select a gentle automatic mode. But if the sweater does shrink, there is no need to be upset; in most cases, you can return the shape of your favorite item.
Re-soaking the acrylic in cold water with the addition of a softening conditioner-rinse aid can help correct the misunderstanding. The jacket should be immersed in a basin for 15-20 minutes, then wrapped in a sheet or towel, and gently squeezed out. Then the sweater needs to be laid out on a horizontal surface and, with gentle movements, stretched evenly in all directions. While the cardigan is drying, it is necessary to stretch the material every half hour.
If possible, it is better to put on a damp, shrunken sweater and walk around in it until the item dries.
There is another, more sophisticated way to give acrylic clothing its original shape. It is necessary to prepare a solution: add shavings of laundry soap, 15 ml of turpentine and 15 ml of ammonia to the water, mix everything well. The sweater is immersed in this liquid for a day. After soaking, the cardigan is stretched and dried on the countertop, placing a terry towel under it to absorb excess moisture.
Use of bleaches
On acrylic, as on other fabrics, various stubborn stains form, including from coffee, tea, varnish, and soil. To solve the problem, you can use bleach or liquids containing it.
But there are nuances, knowing about which you can keep the thing in its original form:
- Bleach should not be used to remove stains on dark fabric.
- Acrylic clothing should not be boiled.
- Before the procedure, you should wash a piece of material with a chlorine-containing product in order to see the reaction to bleach (a test piece is usually sewn on the wrong side of the product).
Vanish "Oxi Action. Crystal white."
It is the leader among preparations for bleaching gray clothes. In addition to this function, it also copes well with difficult stains on light-colored clothes. Surfactants, phosphonates and hexyloric aldehyde contained in the gel act on dirt molecules, breaking down and washing them away from the fabric fibers.
The method of application is quite simple: you just need to soak the clothes in warm water with the addition of one cap of the product and leave it for 30-40 minutes. And then wash it in a washing machine.
If there is a stain that is difficult to remove, you should first fill it with Vanish and let the liquid absorb for 20-30 minutes, and then wash the item by hand or by machine.
Mitsuei
To refresh colored clothes, this Japanese product is best suited. This is a concentrated oxygen bleach for fabrics of variegated colors, the substances of which actively penetrate deep fibers and wash out dirt. Despite this, the product does not damage the pigment, has an antibacterial effect and has a pleasant aroma. It also has stain-removing properties, so it can be used to clean even the most stubborn stains.
The method of application is to soak acrylic items in warm water with the addition of 20 ml of product. Finally, the product is washed with special gels.
Dr.Breckmann
One of the most difficult stains to remove from acrylic fabrics is greasy stains. Not all means cope with it. A spray product will help you solve this problem, thanks to which tiny droplets of fat solvent are absorbed deep into the fabric, soaking stains and removing them from the material. In this case, the paint of the canvas is not damaged under the influence of the product.
To clean dirt, as well as to bleach the product, spray the liquid onto the problem area or onto the entire surface of the item, and then leave for 20-30 minutes. After this, the fabric is washed by hand or in a machine.
Clean Home
Suitable for removing yellowness from children's clothing. Hydrogen peroxide contained in the liquid dissolves plaque from the surface of the material, thereby giving the fabric dazzling whiteness.
The product does not contain chlorine, dyes or preservatives, so it can be used for washing clothes for newborns.
To whiten things with the product, it should be added to the conditioner compartment. To achieve the best effect, it is used with powder.
Attention: be sure to read the packaging for more detailed information about the methods of use and doses of each product.
Subtleties of drying
You need to dry an acrylic sweater in the same way as wool and knitwear. The optimal method would be horizontal drying. Spread a large thick towel on a hard surface and carefully lay the sweater on it. Straighten out all the folds, align the seams and collar, it is permissible to bend the sleeves in half. Leave the jacket in this state until it dries completely.
It is not recommended to dry acrylic items hanging on a clothesline or hanger, as this may deform the item.
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