What to do if your hat stretches after washing

There has been a case in every person's life when his hat irrevocably lost its shape after washing or under the influence of high temperatures. The question arises as to whether it is possible to return your favorite item to its original appearance or whether it will have to be thrown away.

Before performing any actions with a stretched item, you need to determine what material it is made of:

wool;
synthetics;
knitwear

A label inside the headdress will tell you what material the hat is made of. It also contains information about all the washing features that must be observed so as not to lose the item.

How to return to original form

If your hat stretches during washing, you need to soberly assess its condition. In order to revive a headdress, you need several components that are available in every home:

three-liter iron basin;
water heated to 60 degrees;
washing powder;
washing gel;
laundry soap;
mold retainer.

If there is no water thermometer in the house, you need to remember that at 50-60 degrees it is impossible to put your hand in the water for a long time.

First, put the stretched wool hat in a basin and fill it with hot water for half an hour. You can add a little gel for washing woolen items. After 30 minutes, the hat should be washed gently by hand; it is strictly forbidden to twist, wrinkle or squeeze it.

If the cap is not stretched very critically, then you should fill it with cold, almost ice-cold water and leave it to lie for about twenty minutes. The whole secret is that hot water compresses the fibers, and cold water fixes the result.

Drying of the product is carried out only on a fixing form, for example, on a balloon, ball or bottle. If such items are not at hand, then you need to lay a rubberized oilcloth with a towel on the table and lay the hat evenly on it. This needs to be done after the item has flowed around a little.

You should never dry a hat by hanging it on a clothesline, as the shape will be lost forever.

Reducing the size of the hat so that it fits

The methods depend on the material. You can find out what the hat is made of on the tag.

Woolen

To reduce the size of a knitted wool hat, you will need:

the hat itself;
pelvis;
water;
ice;
terry towel;
wool detergent.

Pour hot water into a basin (temperature 20 degrees higher than indicated on the label) and soak the headdress for half an hour. If there is a special product intended for woolen fabrics, add it in a small amount.

After 30 minutes, the water in the basin will cool down. Now the hat can be gently washed. Do not apply too much force, do not rub or twist it.

Next, drain the water and fill the basin with cold water, you can additionally add ice. Leave for 20 minutes.

Rinse gently. Wrap your hat in a terry towel to remove excess moisture. Leave to dry on a flat horizontal surface.

Important Details

If a hat has stretched after washing, then in the process of resuscitating it it is necessary to observe certain conditions:

the above method, which returns things to their previous appearance, is suitable only for products made from natural fibers;
things made of acrylic cannot be immersed in hot water, because they will turn into a matted lump;
It is strictly prohibited to use a washing machine with a 60-degree wash cycle.

There is a possibility that the hat may not only stretch, but also fade from hot water. To check the product for shedding, you need to turn it inside out, dip one side in hot water, and run a white napkin over it. If the item is subject to shedding, then stains will remain on the napkin. This doesn't mean that a stretched shedding cap can't be saved, you just need to add a tablespoon of vinegar to the water.

What to do if you can’t return your headdress to its original appearance? You can either get rid of the item or take it to the dry cleaner. By the way, not only a wool hat can lose its shape, but also a headdress made of knitwear with a low wool content.

Some models of wool hats can be made smaller by sewing a wide elastic band on them or simply by sewing in the item itself.

Determination of cap material

Before you begin the shrinkage procedure, you need to understand the material of the headdress. Different fibers have their own rules, if they are not followed, you can worsen the problem. Usually knitted items made from woolen threads, knitwear, and some synthetic items lose their shape.

Factory-made garments have sewn-in labels that contain information on composition and care: permissible washing temperature, drying method, etc. Many consumers do not pay attention to these instructions, which in turn leads to deformation of the item, loss of color and other troubles.

Restoring a cotton hat

If a natural cotton hat has stretched or become deformed, the question arises of how to reduce it to its original size. It is worth clarifying that the shape will return only to a properly sewn item.

Unlike woolen items, cotton ones need to be washed in a washing machine at 60 degrees with a high spin level.

If there is no washing machine in the house, then you will need to immerse the hat in boiling water for five minutes. At the same time, you need to be sure that the product is not subject to shedding. An item can shrink by one size in a short period of time, and if you leave it in boiling water for half an hour, it will become two sizes smaller.

It is worth noting that if it was not possible to return the hat to its original appearance the first time, then you should not make a second attempt. In this case, the headdress will be completely damaged.

The hat stretched after washing - what to do?

Before performing any actions with a stretched item, you need to determine what material it is made of:

wool;
synthetics;
knitwear

A label inside the headdress will tell you what material the hat is made of. It also contains information about all the washing features that must be observed so as not to lose the item.

Rules for caring for woolen items

To eliminate the consequences of incorrectly washed clothes, you need to know the causes so that mistakes do not occur again in the future.
The following reasons have a negative effect on woolen products:

Very high water temperature - in order to protect wool products from deformation and shrinkage, washing should be carried out at a t0 of no higher than 30 degrees Celsius.
Using conventional powder – conventional powders contain strong chemicals that negatively affect not only wool, but also delicate fabrics. For this reason, powders should be selected so that the packaging indicates that it is intended specifically for woolen garments.
Choosing the right cycle on your washing machine – many modern washing machines have a cycle for washing wool. Such a program carries with it a correct and thrifty attitude towards clothes; functional spinning is not provided. If you do everything in the usual way, then, as a rule, the woolen hat or sweater will shrink significantly.

Before you begin restoring shrunken woolen sweaters and jackets, you should familiarize yourself with and understand the following rules for their restoration:

Items made of wool are easier to repair if they contain viscose or cotton threads. Without their maintenance, the size of the garments can be restored, but it will be much more difficult.
If the sweaters have decreased in size after washing, the restoration process can only be carried out in cool water, the temperature should be less than 300 C. Wool is very sensitive to hot temperatures and can easily become deformed from washing.
During standard washing procedures, you cannot change the water temperature, as this will cause things to deteriorate and their fibers may become matted.
If, however, your wardrobe items are well damaged, then to restore them you need to use only those detergents that are specifically designed for wool.
It is strictly forbidden to twist clothes, as this procedure causes severe deformation of the fibers.
If an item of clothing shrinks during washing, then after rinsing, spin it out using towels.
Drying should only take place in a horizontal position.

Such actions must be taken into account before stretching a sweater or cardigan after washing in order to avoid irreparable mistakes, which can really lead to the fact that your favorite sweaters will simply have to be thrown away, because it will no longer be subject to restoration.

If, however, your wardrobe items have become quite worn out, then to restore them you need to use only those detergents that are specifically designed for wool.

After washing, all shrunken woolen blouses should be placed back in cool water, the temperature of which is less than 30 degrees.

Regardless of the methods used to restore trousers and sweaters, you should keep the clothes in water for 10 to 30 minutes.

When drying

There are several ways to dry after washing:

Woolen hat - wait for the water to drain and stretch it over a 3-liter jar and keep it like that until it dries. A dried headdress will no longer shrink.
When drying a sweater, jacket, scarf or small item, everything is placed in water, then laid out on an ironing board, a terry towel is placed under it, on which you need to stretch the item of clothing in different directions, and cover it with another towel. During the drying process, you should change damp towels for dry ones and periodically stretch the clothes in different directions.

When ironing

Using an iron to restore garments is also very effective.

For this method you need to perform the following procedures:

Place the damp blouse on an ironing board, straighten it well and stretch it in different directions.
Cover the item with a damp towel (cloth) and iron, moving the iron in different directions.
For greater effect, use the steam function, which is available in almost every iron.
It takes a long time to iron, while stretching the sweater in different directions.

This method works well if the composition includes not only wool, but also cotton. When restoring products made from pure wool, this method is the most effective.

Place the wet blouse on an ironing board, straighten it well and stretch it in different directions

To restore a woolen wardrobe, there are many rinse recipes with different compositions.

For example, a few of them:

Use of ammonia, medical alcohol and turpentine:
Mix everything and place the products in it, which must be left there for at least 1 hour.
After the time has passed, rinse everything in water of a similar temperature and lay it out on a board to dry, stretch it well to the desired size. Cover with a towel and keep until completely dry.
If there is no alcohol:
- You need to take about 10 liters of cool water and pour a few tablespoons of hydrogen peroxide into it.
Rinse thoroughly, stretching the sweaters in different directions.
After the procedures, leave it alone for about 2 hours.
Let the liquid drain and dry on a flat surface.

Hydrogen peroxide in this case restores tissue fibers.

An interesting and original recipe if peroxide is not found in your home medicine cabinet:
Place the damaged item in the water solution and keep it there for up to 30 minutes.
Rinse in clean water, its temperature should be cool.
Let it drain and squeeze very carefully.
Place the woolen item in a bag and put it in the freezer for a day.
After 24 hours, remove the bag from the chamber and dry it carefully.

Drying on yourself

There is a great way to restore a damaged wardrobe, giving a 100% guarantee:

After deforming the clothes, it is necessary to re-place them in cool water and keep them there for up to 30 minutes.
After the time has passed, let the liquid drain and put on a shrunken jacket or sweater and wear it until it dries completely.
While drying, you need to constantly stretch the sleeves and strips in different directions with your hands, bringing them to their normal size.

This method is one of the most effective, although quite unpleasant (not everyone wants to walk around in a damp jacket).

other methods

If the shrunken sweater is white, you can apply the following:
After a certain period of time has passed, rinse thoroughly and dry, placing it horizontally.
If your favorite outfits have lost their size, you can use a proven method:
Keep for 12 hours, after which it should be washed again and transferred to another solution.
Prepare a new composition for it: add 10 tablespoons of tartaric acid to 2 liters of water.
Keep in this solution for at least 2 hours, turning occasionally.
After these procedures, rinse the item well and dry thoroughly.

To restore lost volume and color, take regular milk and soak your clothes in it for half an hour.
With proper and careful care of woolen items, you can easily avoid problem situations and keep their appearance in great shape for a long time:

Always use a steamer when caring for items. Do not use an iron to smooth out wrinkles in clothing. If you don’t have a steamer, you can simply hang the garment on a hanger and hold it over the steam.
Always wash items in cold water. This will not only avoid clothing shrinkage, but will preserve the richness and brightness of the colors.
During cleansing, you need to use special wool products. For urgent wet resuscitation, you can use hair shampoo or baby soap.
You need to wash things without using physical force. This procedure is performed primarily manually and in a soap solution.
Drying should be done in a horizontal position and only on a hard surface (on a table or ironing board).
The pellets should be removed periodically. This can be done using a special machine or a regular razor. If there are any puffs, you can remove them using a regular crochet hook.

We invite you to familiarize yourself with the symbols on the washing pad

How to temporarily stretch an item that has shrunk after washing and return it to its original size? Take baby soap or shampoo and use your hands to knead wet clothes from any fabric to the desired condition. Afterwards, gently rinse the item, but do not wring it out. And remember, as soon as you wash your shrunken clothes in the machine again, they will return to their shrunken state.

We restore shirts, T-shirts and other small cotton items using conditioner and cans that you have not yet used for preservation. Shrunken items should be soaked for five minutes in a warm solution of three spoons of conditioner. Then rinse and lay the item on a flat surface until it reaches the desired size. Why banks? It's simple - they are needed to fix the item of clothing during the natural drying process.

First, put on your jeans and sit in them in a warm bath for about 15 minutes, then dry them without taking them off. The last step is to walk around in your jeans for an hour afterwards.

To prevent woolen items from shrinking, it is necessary to eliminate all risk factors. Wash the product only in cool water, up to 30 degrees. Aggressive detergents and intensive washing are prohibited.

Do not dry woolen clothes on a radiator, near heat sources or in direct sunlight. Following these simple care rules will allow you to maintain the original size of the item.

How to reduce the bulk of a felt hat

Finding the best hat for yourself is not so easy.

Sometimes everything fits perfectly: color, cut, style - and it’s impossible to resist buying. But the size is a little too big - and the entire expected effect from the model comes to nothing.

Unfortunately, it will not be possible to reduce more than a few sizes even in a special workshop, but you can reduce a felt hat the way professionals do it by half a size or a size even at home.

How to make a felt hat smaller at home

First, let's remember the properties of the material - this is dense, high-quality wool that has undergone special processing under production conditions. Take a look at the label: it is clearly not recommended to heat treat it, much less wash it. Even more, in such models it is not recommended to be exposed to any precipitation - snow or rain.

So you won’t be able to shrink a felt hat the way you would with a regular woolen item. By soaking it in warm water and drying it even in the most delicate way, you risk losing the shape of the model forever. You should also forget about the possibility of ironing the model with steam - as a result, you can only spoil the texture of the material.

The material is quite capricious, and instead of a silky and plastic texture after such an operation, you risk getting a texture that is rough to the touch and hard.

You should also forget about the method that works great with knitted hats: hold it over steam and let it dry, giving it the desired shape. The felt from such a procedure stretches perfectly, and you risk getting a completely unexpected and unwanted result.

First of all, the size itself reflects the literal circumference of the head. In different measurement systems it is calculated in inches or centimeters.

But the system is quite simple, for example, the Russian “56” corresponds to the international S. it exactly corresponds to a head circumference of 56 centimeters or 22 inches.

In English or American standards, this is size 7, but the difference or step is easiest to calculate in centimeters.

So, we will need: matching threads, a needle and a tailor's seam ripper - you can buy it at any craft store.

You will also need a foam rubber strip, no more than 0.5-0.7 centimeters wide, and no more than 60 centimeters long.

Instead of foam rubber, you can take any light and plastic material, for example, roll a piece of wool into a rope, giving it the desired shape. But as practice shows, foam rubber is more convenient.

Then carefully manually restore the ripped seam - this is what you will need for thread and a needle. A blind or “back needle” stitch with a minimal stitch pitch will not leave a mark on the outer surface of the model.

Do not use an iron under any circumstances. This is the way to reduce a hat by size, suitable for both models with narrow and wide brims.

Quite often the question arises: “how to reduce the volume of a hat?” Not only the size, but also the crown, and sometimes the brim. It is their dimensions that influence not only the correct “fit” but also the overall impression. As you know, the width of the brim and the height of the crown are a matter of personal choice.

Thoroughly moisten the towel with a spray bottle, fold the towel so that it takes on any soft and round shape. Place a hat on it and smooth it out with your hands. Leave to dry at room temperature. At this stage, you can make an elegant longitudinal “dent” (as in men’s models) - just form it with the edge of your palm.

Too wide brims don't suit many people. But there is an opportunity to correct this shortcoming. Moreover, a material such as felt does not require additional processing of the edge - it does not crumble and clearly holds its given shape. Using chalk and a piece of soap with a sharp edge, trace the circle of the margins to the desired size. Sharp tailor's scissors and even a good knife (or a utility knife) will cut the edge just fine.

Will dry cleaning help correct the situation?

A shrunk item can be dry-cleaned. Professionals are armed with specialized compounds that they use to treat wool to make it softer.

Drying is carried out on steam mannequins, which evenly expand the clothes to the desired size.

The cost of the work depends on its complexity. They can stretch a hat for 150-200 rubles, and a dress for 400-800 rubles. You need to check the price on the spot.

How to stretch a fur hat

You need to be very careful with fur, as it is an even more delicate and capricious material than wool. It is better to turn to dry cleaning professionals for help. If this is not possible, a small fur hat can be stretched using hot steam, but without an iron! To do this, bring the water in a kettle or saucepan to a boil and hold the headdress until it warms up and becomes damp.

After the procedure, pull the hat onto a three-liter jar, blank or special stand and put it in a cool, dark place with good ventilation. Leave for two to three days. Fur items should not be dried on a radiator, near an open fire or near electrical appliances!

When dried properly in a cool, dark place, the hat will begin to stretch and will stretch out when completely dry. The product should be stored in a dark, cool and well-ventilated area. You need to clean a fur hat with a dry soft brush or foam sponge. If stains appear on things, you can remove the dirt using a damp brush, sponge or cloth.

Always put a wet headdress on a three-liter jar, blank or special stand so that it retains its shape. And leave until completely dry. It is also better to store the equipment on a stand or jar. Clean the inner lining regularly with soapy water or wet wipes. If possible, the lining material can be unfastened or torn, washed and dried, and then sewn or fastened back.

If the white fur hat begins to turn yellow, use a solution of water and hydrogen peroxide. Safe and proven folk remedies for cleaning any fur are sawdust, semolina and potato starch. They absorb and eliminate grease and help get rid of grease and dirt. Read more about how to use these tools here.

Lightly moisten the material in cool or cold water or soak the product for 10-15 minutes. Take a three-liter jar, the neck of which is also moistened with water. Then put the cap on the jar and secure it so that it does not come off or come off. To do this, you can use pins or clothespins. Wait until the headdress is completely dry;
A more radical method is to wash the cap with a special solution. Take cool water with a temperature of up to 30 degrees and add a spoonful of table vinegar or a few tablespoons of hydrogen peroxide 30%. Rinse the product in the solution and hang it to dry on a three-liter jar or on a special stand for hats;
Hot steam will help steam the material and return the product to its former presentable appearance. To do this, place the cap on a flat surface, cover with gauze and steam with an iron at a distance of ten centimeters from the material. In the process, stretch the headdress in different directions and directions. After processing, pull the cap onto a three-liter jar or a special stand. Leave until completely dry.

How to stretch a hat? To stretch the hat, it would be more advisable to soak it in warm water with shampoo or conditioner and pull it over a jar or lampshade, which will allow it to return to the desired shape.

Some useful tips

To reduce the size of a woolen hat after it has stretched, not only the implementation of certain actions aimed at this will help, but also the following nuances:

shrinkage using hot water is effective provided that the composition of the cap contains fibers from natural fabrics;
acrylic hats may become matted due to temperature exposure;
A washing machine should not be used to create smaller sizes. This will most likely simply ruin the product;
It is always worth checking the headdress for color fastness; if there is a possibility of shedding, you need to take action.

The methods listed above for reducing the size of a headdress are the most effective and relatively safe.

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Method number 2: ammonia

What to do if a woolen product has shrunk and become smaller in size - of course, stretch it! The safest way is to use any hair conditioner or special conditioner for washing wool products. Take a basin, pour warm water into it and add 2-3 caps of hair conditioner that you have in your bathroom.

Conditioner balm improves the quality of wool and prevents shrinkage of the product. Stir the solution thoroughly and lower the woolen item. Leave and do not touch the wool for about 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, take out the woolen product, let the water drain, wrap it in a roll in an old terry towel, thereby removing excess water.

If the problem is not very large, using ammonia may help. You need to dissolve a little (2-3 tablespoons) of ammonia in water, immerse the item in the solution for 1 hour, then rinse and spread on a towel.

If you have a mannequin in your home, you can use this. We start soaking the product in cold water for 10-15 minutes. Next, you should carefully wring out the item until the water stops flowing. Lay out a terry towel on a flat, flat surface and lay out the item, be it a felted sweater or coat, while constantly leveling it with your hands.