Does cotton shrink after washing and how to avoid deformation of things?

Things made from cotton fabrics have been popular at all times. They allow you to stay warm in cold weather and save you from the heat in summer. But these materials have a number of disadvantages: they wrinkle a lot, and every experienced housewife, when purchasing such clothes, will definitely have a question about whether cotton products shrink after washing.

Does cotton shrink when washed and why does this happen?

Cotton (cotton) is a natural material with increased strength, but in order for products made from this fabric to retain their original appearance, they must be handled correctly.

Why do things made from natural fabrics shrink not only as a result of being in the washing machine, but also after washing by hand? There are a number of reasons.

First of all, cotton shrinkage is determined by the characteristics of the fibers. The fact is that the raw material for the production of such fabrics is a fluffy mass reminiscent of cotton wool. As a result of twisting, loose threads are obtained, and under the influence of water, the fibers “stick together,” which leads to a decrease in their size. For this reason, dense cotton materials shrink the most, and the higher this indicator, the more the item will shrink after washing.

In addition, such fabrics can shrink if washed at high temperatures. For this reason, heating the water should not exceed 60 degrees so that the item does not decrease in size.

Having received the answer to the question of whether cotton shrinks when washed, it would be useful to find out how much the size of the item can change. Most often, the material is reduced by 5-6% in length and 2-3% in width.

Advice
To avoid getting an unpleasant surprise after washing and drying a cotton item, you need to choose clothes one size larger.

conclusions

Cotton is a natural material, but not problematic. To prevent it from shrinking or stretching, you need to wash it correctly. In order for it to shrink, you need to follow all the recommendations for washing and drying exactly the opposite. To stretch such fabric, there are three ways:

We wash and dry in a specific way;
Soak and rinse in a solution of peroxide or ammonia;
We stroke, slowly stretching.

And yet, if there is a good tailor shop nearby, it is better to take the cotton item there. Professionals will stretch or fit everything correctly, without harming the thing at all!

The nuances of the first wash

To ensure that cotton items retain their original appearance for a long time and do not shrink too much, it is important to carry out the first wash correctly. To do this, you must follow the following rules.

Wash the item immediately after purchase, and not after a few days of use.
Wash by hand.
Use cold water without any detergent.

You will need to soak the clothes in a basin for 10-15 minutes, then rinse and send them to dry in fresh air, away from sunlight.

Subsequent washings can also be carried out in the machine, provided that the item is made of dense material. Thin fabrics will have to be tidied up only by hand.

How to wash cotton items by hand?

After the item has been in use for some time, you need to wash it by hand as follows.

Fill a basin with warm water, the temperature of which does not exceed 40 degrees.
Add a tablespoon of grated laundry soap and wait until the composition dissolves. You can also use a special product designed for natural fabrics.
Soak clothes in soapy water for 10-15 minutes, and then wash as usual.

Important!
To avoid damaging the fabric fibers, when washing, you need to use water at the same temperature as when soaking.

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 without shrinking clothes

The main thing in this matter is to trust the manufacturer. It seems that tags on clothes only get in the way and are completely unnecessary? - this is wrong. They contain all the detailed information about the specific composition of the item. The mode, power, temperature are indicated. Pay attention to this and you will not make mistakes. If it has already happened, then do not panic, there is an opportunity to fix everything. We wrote above exactly how to do this with various materials. Now check out the “useful benefits”:

Sneakers, shoes, boots should only be washed with a cloth. Remove all laces from your shoes, otherwise the drum will jam them. Place 2-3 pairs of sneakers in the washing machine. Place 1-2 rags there for dust and floors. This way you will kill two birds with one stone. Wash sneakers and rags, eliminate the noise of electrical appliances.
Wash the drum with baking soda. Machines that have been in service for years wear out. The soda will clear them of possible plaque, and after washing the clothes inside will become velvety and soft.
Pour gels and conditioners into beautiful jars for liquid soap. This will give an aesthetic look to your bathroom.
Don't wash baby clothes with a lot of powder, especially if it's cheap. These are chemicals that can cause skin allergies in children. Therefore, use baby products or add powders to a minimum.
Wash sports items separately from everything else. They stretch better and won't ruin other clothes. Because sports brands often produce very bright clothes that tend to fade.

Thank you for your interest in our articles. Wash your clothes correctly, using our material as a guide. Then you will definitely not make mistakes, and your favorite clothes will last for many years.

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How to dry and iron cotton so that it does not shrink?

It is important not only to wash cotton items correctly, but also to dry them in accordance with the following recommendations.

Hang products outdoors, away from sunlight.
Try not to use clothespins, which can leave noticeable marks, but use hangers. If we are talking about bedding, you can simply throw it over a rope, folding it in half.
When drying in a room, place cotton items away from radiators and heating devices.

You need to iron things made from natural fabrics as follows.

Remove the slightly damp product from the rope, and if it has already dried, moisten it with a spray bottle.
Lay out the clothes on a flat surface covered with thick bedding.
Set the heat of the iron from 200 to 220 degrees.
Iron the material by moving the device in the direction of the warp threads.
Use the steam function.

You can iron cotton while it is wet, but in this case the heating of the iron should not be too high, otherwise scorch marks will appear on the surface of the fabric.

What to do if things still shrink?

It happens that, despite all the efforts made, a cotton item still shrinks after washing. However, this is not a reason to part with your favorite shirt or T-shirt. Cotton, although slightly, stretches, and the problem can be solved in one of the following ways.

Soak the product in warm water for an hour, and then wash it at 30 degrees, and, taking it out of the drum, gently pull it to the sides. After this, send the clothes to dry and periodically repeat the stretching manipulations.
Soak a cotton item for 2 hours in a solution prepared in the proportion of 3 tablespoons of hydrogen peroxide per 10 liters of water, and then rinse thoroughly, stretching slightly, and dry in a horizontal position. You can replace peroxide with vinegar.
Iron the clothes with a hot iron, using the steam function and slightly stretching the fibers to the sides.

So, by following the listed recommendations, you can prevent cotton clothes from shrinking during the washing process, and if this happens, solve the problem quickly and easily. Otherwise, when you need to “shrink” the product a little, it is enough to do the opposite: wash it at high temperatures and dry it in a horizontal position, covering it with terry cloth.

Ways to help stretch clothes

Correcting the situation and returning the fabric to its original form is actually not as difficult as it might seem at first glance.

Clothes and shoes that have shrunk after improper washing can be restored using basic techniques.

Depending on how advanced your case is, you can try several rescue options, or you can use just one, and it will be a winner.

A shrunken dress or other wardrobe items can be stretched in eight ways.

When a wool T-shirt or shirt shrinks, it is wise to soak it in cold water after washing. It will take some time - about 15 minutes - for the thing to adapt. After this, remove it from the container, do not twist it - just shake it - and lay the item on a flat surface. Don't miss the moment! The dress can be stretched with your hands even before it begins to dry, thereby giving it the shape that you need. The silk can also be adjusted periodically to prevent it from returning to a shrunken position.
There is another option, which involves soaking in water, but in this case the woolen T-shirt will not fold out - you will need to put it on yourself when wet. If you want to stretch an item and can still afford to wear it wet until it dries, use this tip.
Silk and wool are quite finicky fabrics that can cause difficulties. In this case, you can use a folk remedy: add a few tablespoons of hydrogen peroxide to the water and place the item there for two hours. After this, curtains or clothes are not wrung out, but simply laid out on a towel.
A T-shirt made from combined fabrics or synthetics can also be easily restored. Here you can soak your clothes in cold water and then put them in the washing machine - choose a delicate wash and cold water. It will be possible to stretch the thing in this way if you do not add powder.
Cotton curtains will stretch if you prepare a vinegar solution for this procedure. Using this method, you will achieve the desired results. It's simple: soak a clean rag in vinegar and gently rub the fabric with it. When finished, hang the curtains by hanging them on one side to allow them to stretch.
Silk can be stretched using folk remedies. It’s still the same vinegar, but we change the technology: take 3 tablespoons of vinegar per 10 liters of water, mix and immerse things in it for about 20 minutes. Next, we take out the clothes: if they are curtains or outerwear, you can wring them out lightly, but while they are drying, do not forget to regularly adjust and shape the fabric that you need.
There is also an absolutely opposite option, when curtains or silk can be affected not by low temperature, but by high temperature. Of course, most people believe that heat is the main problem that causes our clothes to shrink, but if you do it right, you are guaranteed a positive result. What to do? We first soak the silk in cold water, and then iron it with a hot iron and stretch it as needed.
If your clothes cannot be ironed for some reason, use steam. Carry out all the steps with the precision described above, but do not iron the items, but treat them with steam.

Advice! Having carefully studied all the technologies that can be used to stretch items that have shrunk after washing, do not forget about preventive measures.

There are situations when it is better to prevent a problem than to deal with its consequences for a long time and painfully.