Proven methods for stretching a wool sweater

Reasons why a woolen item may shrink

There are a number of factors that influence the fact that blouses and other knitted wardrobe items shrink:

Wrong detergents chosen. Some powders are not suitable for wool. They change the structure of the yarn. As a result, clothes fall off. To avoid this, it is better to use special powders and gels.
Rapid temperature change. The wool threads that make up a sweater or pullover shrink not because they are exposed to high water temperatures, as such, but as a result of a sharp change during the transition from the washing process to rinsing. Therefore, you cannot set the temperature above 30 degrees.
Wrong mode selected. Automatic machines usually provide the ability to wash wool clothes. You can also choose a delicate wash option.
Rough pressing and drying. You should not squeeze woolen items at high speeds. They should also be dried in a special way, without resorting to the capabilities of the washing machine itself.
Poor quality material. If the sweater is made from a bad base, it is almost impossible to avoid losing its shape during the next cleaning.

Cause of deformation

Having found out the reason why the sweater was deformed, you can choose an effective method. Wool or cotton fibers are most susceptible to shrinkage. These materials tend to absorb moisture well. If you place the product in water, it will instantly absorb it. The swollen fiber weakens and becomes easy to damage.

Water is the main factor in the deformation of things. If you add chemical detergents to hot water and aggressive washing in a washing machine, the fiber will shrink and shrink, which means a change in the appearance of the product. If your sweater stretches after washing, you can solve the problem yourself.

The main reasons for sweater shrinkage include:

Washing in a washing machine using the wrong mode.
Incorrectly selected detergent.
Hot water.
Machine spin at high speed.

The basic rules for washing are to use special detergents and cool water. Carry out the procedure with your hands, lightly wringing out the item. Drying is carried out away from heating devices, spread out on a horizontal surface.

What to do at home if the sweater shrinks after machine washing? As a rule, a product made from pure wool is greatly reduced in size and the fiber rolls up. It is difficult to restore such a thing. If the jacket is deformed by one size, it is possible to restore the jacket yourself. It is necessary to use a method that will stretch the fiber to its original appearance. It is important to dry the products correctly, since often the vertical position causes deformation.

What to do if the sweater shrinks after washing

There are many ways to stretch a shrunken wool sweater.

You can return the product to its original size by placing the clothing in cold water for ten to twenty minutes. No powders or other detergents are required. After this, the sweater should be slightly wrung out and placed in a towel.

It is better to choose a terry towel

Lay the jacket flat. For this purpose, for example, a washboard or a stand laid across the bathtub is suitable.

You can even place a wet sweater on the floor by placing a folded sheet under it. Let it sit like this for half an hour.

Then, every twenty minutes, the item must be stretched so that it returns to its previous size in width and length. This must be done extremely delicately.

When returning the jacket's shape vertically, you need to grab it in the area of the seams - top and bottom. Particular care should be taken with the cuffs and neckline. Otherwise, they will lose their shape and the jacket will have to be thrown away.

An improved way to dry while stretching is to pin the sweater to the fabric on which it is lying. To ensure that the product does not warp after drying, you need to use a large number of pins.

If it shrinks vertically and becomes noticeably shorter, you can dry it on a hanger. To prevent the jacket from losing its normal shape when stretched in such a way in the places of contact with the hanger, you must first place a towel folded several times on the base for drying.

All you have to do is wait until the item dries naturally. As this happens, it should stretch under its own weight.

If the jacket is knitted by hand, it can even be recut. You will have to rip it apart at the seams, wet the individual parts and baste them wet to dry additional inserts. After this, dry and resew.

How to restore a wool sweater or dress

When you need to stretch a woolen item, you can use one of the following tips to resuscitate it:

Immerse the shriveled wardrobe item in cool water for 10-15 minutes. After this, remove from the water and place horizontally. Do not squeeze under any circumstances; the remaining water must drain on its own. You can place the wet item on a terry towel, first giving it the desired shape with your hands. In this case, it is necessary to regularly replace the wet towel with a dry one and periodically “stretch” the shrunken product with your hands.
Hydrogen peroxide added to water in proportions of 2 tbsp. spoons per 10 liters of water will simplify the procedure for stretching shrunken fabric fibers. The product should be soaked in this solution for 1-1.5 hours.
You can also soak woolen clothing that has shrunk in size for a few minutes in a solution of 5 liters of water at room temperature, 3 tbsp. l. ammonia, 1 tbsp. l. vodka (cologne) and 1 tbsp. l. turpentine. Be sure to dry in an upright position.
You can return the product to its original size by ironing it and placing it under a wet towel. The iron should operate in steam mode at a low temperature. While ironing, you need to stretch the clothes with your hands, giving them the desired shape. The method is suitable for products with a smooth texture containing synthetic fibers.
Not the most pleasant and not 100% effective way to stretch out a shrunken wool sweater or dress is to put the item on immediately after washing and not take it off until it is completely dry. A mannequin will help make this task easier, but in this case it is advisable to evenly hang weights on the bottom of the product.

But what to do if the item fades after washing? We suggest reading about recovery methods.

How to stretch a shrunken wool sweater using solutions

If your wool sweater has shrunk after washing, you can use one of the recipes for rinsing and soaking in special compounds that are prepared at home. The wool will become more elastic and soft. It will be easier to stretch it.

Soak the product for a couple of hours in two liters of water with tartaric acid added to it (10 tablespoons). Then rinse the jacket.

You can also take washing powder intended for wool, pour it into water, leave the sweater in it for half an hour, then rinse.

Squeeze carefully. Wrap in a waterproof bag and place in the freezer for a day. After waiting the required time, let it defrost and dry on a towel.

Another option: dissolve 20 grams of soda in two liters of water, soak the product in this mixture and let it lie there for twelve hours. Then wash with wool powder. It is better to use fabric softener while rinsing. It will give the sweater softness.

Hydrogen peroxide

Hydrogen peroxide will also help restore your sweater to its original size after washing.

Add two tablespoons of this product to a ten-liter bucket filled with cold water and stir properly.

Immerse a woolen item that has shrunk in the liquid for thirty minutes. Gently wring it out using a towel and then, while the item is drying, go over and stretch it into the correct shape.

Turpentine, alcohol and ammonia

If you have the necessary ingredients on hand, dissolve two tablespoons of turpentine, the same amount of vodka (cologne will also work) and six tablespoons of ammonia in five liters of water.

Soak a wool sweater or cashmere jumper in this liquid for an hour. Rinse under running water. The product will become elastic and will be easier to stretch.

Vinegar

Many people are wary of using vinegar. But it should be understood that weak acid solutions do not have a detrimental effect on woolen products.

Already in the production of wool, from which clothing is then made, such substances are used to clean it.

Therefore, you can safely use an acidic product to return the sweater to its previous shape and size.

Take room temperature water and vinegar in a 2:1 ratio, soak the clothes in this liquid for half an hour, and then carefully stretch them.

Hair conditioner

What else should you do if your wool jacket shrinks after washing? You can use completely original, at first glance, means. For example, hair conditioner.

Prepare water whose temperature does not exceed 30 degrees;
Rinse the item that has shrunk in it;
Remove from the water and place in a basin;
Apply hair conditioner evenly throughout the sweater;
After five minutes, stretch the jacket horizontally with your hands.

The product should increase in size by one and a half times.

It’s also good to use another recipe: add 50 ml of vinegar and conditioner to five liters of water. Soak the clothes in this mixture for ten minutes, then rinse and try to regain the lost shape.

It is also recommended to dilute one measuring cap of conditioner in a container with warm water and keep the sweater in this soapy solution for half an hour. Then rinse it well under running water and hang it on a hanger.

Re-wash

If the sweater is made by machine knitting in industrial conditions, and has deteriorated after washing in the washing machine, then use the method of repeating the procedure. Simply re-wash the item, but significantly change the cycle. Basic rules for restoring a shrunken jacket:

Buy a special bag for washing clothes in the washing machine, place the item in it and put it in the drum.
For care, use special products that are marked “for wool.”
If there is a mode for wool, set the settings to it. If there is no such mode, a regular quick wash is suitable.
The maximum water temperature is 30 degrees.
Do not spin; simply drain the water from the drum. Drying is strictly prohibited.
After the drum stops, the sweater must be removed from the bag and lightly wrung out.

It is important to remember that a sweater can only be machine washed if it is knitted in an industrial setting.

If a woolen sweater or jacket has shrunk after washing, proper drying will help restore it to its original appearance:

Choose a flat horizontal surface, cover it with a towel and evenly distribute the product.
The sweater should be in the position that will be the final result during the drying process. For example, stretch out the sleeves, waist, etc. You must act carefully, starting to stretch the fabric from the seams.
After complete drying, the product will remain in the form that you gave it in a wet state. Therefore, it is important to act carefully, paying attention to every element of the item.

The material on which the product is dried must be periodically replaced, otherwise the sweater will become moldy and an unpleasant odor will appear.

If the sweater is knitted by hand, then you need to soak it in a bowl of cold water for 10-20 minutes so that the fiber absorbs more liquid. Then take out the product and squeeze it lightly. Next, you need to apply the drying method, as for a machine knitted product. Gently apply pressure to the cuffs and neckline; excessive tension will cause irreversible stretching. It is convenient to secure the product with pins to prevent the appearance of folds and waves.

If the sweater has shrunk in length, it should be dried on hangers. Place the fabric under the shoulders to prevent unnatural stretching of the material.

You can also wash the jacket again and put on a T-shirt, and then a wet item. A T-shirt will make the process comfortable; periodic changes will speed up the drying process. Wear the item indoors until completely dry. The most accurate and effective method of stretching a sweater, but it takes a lot of time and effort.

How to stretch a wool sweater with steam

Ordinary steam will help stretch a wool sweater after washing.

The sweater needs to be soaked, wait until it is saturated with water. Then let the moisture drain. Lightly squeeze the product and place it on a flat surface.

Using a steam iron, iron the garment through gauze or a piece of white cotton fabric, stretching it occasionally. All this must be done until the sweater is dry.

Just keep in mind that this stretching method is suitable for things woven from half-woolen threads. If we are talking about 100% wool, the product cannot be effectively stretched.

Iron and vinegar

You can try a combined method of influencing clothes that have shrunk.

Wet the sweater or jacket so that the collar and shoulder area remain dry;
Remove excess water with a towel;
Leave to dry on a hanger;
Wet it again and place it on a flat surface, repeating the stretch every ten minutes;
Pour two tablespoons of vinegar into a glass of water, fill a spray bottle with this liquid;
After placing the sweater on the hangers, thoroughly spray it with the spray solution;
Turn on the steam function on the iron and, without touching the product, thoroughly spray it with steam on all sides.

How to wash a pullover so that it shrinks

Sometimes sheep's wool clothing can wear out during wear and it becomes necessary to shrink it. This must be done carefully and carefully so as not to damage the product. In any case, you should read the instructions on the label before washing. Let's look at how to do this correctly:

The stretched jumper should be soaked for half an hour in water that is 200C warmer than recommended.
It is necessary to rinse the product in cool water. The greater the effect you need to achieve, the greater the temperature difference between washing and rinsing should be.
You should not wring out or twist the washed item, as this can deform it. Excess water is removed with a towel, and drying occurs in a horizontal position on it.

Using a special bag

Dry cleaning

If home remedies do not help or you are hesitant to use them, you can stretch a sweater that has shrunk after washing by resorting to dry cleaning. Although, as practice shows, not every such service undertakes this. But in any case, no one will forbid you to talk to the receptionist.

A justified refusal of such work can be obtained if the sweater or jacket contains silk thread. As well as decorative elements made from materials that can deteriorate as a result of exposure to chemical stretching.

If possible, it is better to remove beaded decorations, appliqués and stripes from the item. You can return them to their place after the dry cleaning specialists have done their job.

If the wool has not shrunk much or needs to be stretched a little

You can stretch a shrunken woolen jacket that has only slightly lost its previous size by putting it on a mannequin after a gentle spin, if the clothing should fit its, and therefore your, shape.

But, as a rule, there are not mannequins lying around in every attic or balcony, so you will probably have to pull a wet sweater over yourself.

To avoid discomfort when wearing it, it is better to periodically change clothes that come into direct contact with the skin. In four hours your favorite thing will be the same.

What things can be restored

Fabrics made from slightly twisted threads with long fibers shrink the most. Unfortunately, such things cannot be returned to their original size. You can give them a second life by altering them, giving them to a friend or making a cozy sofa cushion.

In the following cases, you can try to restore the sweater:

If the knitwear has a mixed composition.
When a thing is knitted from tightly twisted threads.
If the pile in the threads is short.