Some tips on how to wash something so that it shrinks

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?

Limit of shrinkage of things

If you need to make something smaller, you should take into account the composition of the fabric and the model of the product.

In most cases, the product shrinks in all directions, becoming not only, for example, narrower, but also shorter. Proper tailoring of things is also important, when the threads of the material have the appropriate weave.

Reducing products by one size or two can be achieved quite simply. But if you need to make an item smaller by more than 2 sizes, not every method will work, and this can not be done with all wardrobe items.

The easiest way to plant cotton fabric. It reacts quite quickly and actively to high temperatures. When immersed in boiling water for just 5 minutes, the item of clothing may shrink down to size.

Keeping in boiling water for a quarter of an hour allows the item to shrink 2-3 sizes. But this method is only suitable for white cotton.When exposed to intense heat, colored cotton may fade and lose the brightness of its colors.

The role of water temperature for shrinkage of different fabrics

High temperature exposure, as well as changing hot water to cold are the most effective methods reduction of products. The practical application of each method must take into account the type of material.

Cotton

Natural cotton white color can not only be processed in hot water, but also boiled.

If the fabric is colored, contains a printed pattern or decorative elements, such processing is unacceptable.

What you can do:

• increase the temperature indicated on the product tag by 15? C;
• add 150-200 units to the usual spin rates.

Synthetics

Polyester, spandex and others synthetics it will be difficult to significantly reduce using any washing techniques. You can try washing it on a normal cycle for synthetics and spinning it at medium speed.

If a synthetic product does not shrink, you will have to either throw it away or send it to a workshop for alteration.

Silk

Natural silk should not be exposed to high temperatures: wash in hot water, dry with hot air, treat with hot steam. Silk requires careful handling, otherwise the item may be damaged.

Clothes are soaked in warm water for half an hour. After this, rinse, wring out and hang in a draft.

Jeans

Cotton jeans, made from non-lycra material, can be made a little smaller if washed in hot water.It should be taken into account that the shade of the trousers will lighten.

For machine washing the following is installed:

• temperature from +60?С to +90?С;
• spin – to maximum;
• automatic drying possible.

This method is not suitable for processing stretch denim fabric, since the lycra included in its composition is not allowed to overheat.

Linen

When processed in hot water linen clothing may fit one size. For these purposes, it is possible to use a washing machine or carry out manual processing.

Wool

Natural wool fits very well. Under the influence of hot temperature, a thing can shrink greatly - literally by 2 times. The water temperature for reducing clothing should be chosen approximately 15? C higher than usual.

To achieve the effect, the product is soaked for a short time. After this, wash in cold water. When soaked for a long time, wool tends to stretch rather than shrink.

Knitwear

It is very easy to spoil a knitted item, so It’s better to do it manually, very carefully:

1. Pour water into the basin at a temperature slightly (10? C) higher than indicated on the tag.
2. Immerse the item for a quarter of an hour.
3. Wring out the item through a towel.
4. Dry horizontally on a towel.

Washing options

For the purpose of shrinkage, it is possible to use machine washing or hand processing. If you choose the hand wash option, you can monitor the process and, if necessary, take action. Intervention may be required, for example, when tissue is shedding.

In the washing machine

Using a washing machine to shrink stretched clothes is a popular and easy option. To reduce size You will have to break a number of machine washing rules, namely:

• set the temperature 20? C higher than recommended by the manufacturer;
• drying - at high temperature;
• use spin.

The higher the temperature, the higher the likelihood of shrinkage. As a rule, this is 1-2 sizes.

Manually

When washing items by hand, as when washing them by machine, it is possible to ensure treatment in sufficiently hot water - as much as your hands can handle.

Another option is using the contrasting temperature technique. The most convenient way to implement it is manually.

Maximum shrinkage is up to 2 sizes for most fabrics. For wool – even more.

What will the temperature contrast do?

Alternating contrasting temperatures is “shock” therapy for tissues. If the product only needs to be reduced, then detergents may not be used at all.

It is convenient to carry out this procedure with the item manually. Allowing the size to go down by 1 or 2.

Work order:

1. Prepare one bowl of very hot water.
2. Prepare a second basin with very cold water, to which you can even add ice.
3. First place the item in hot water.
4. After a quarter of an hour, squeeze it out.
5. Transfer the product to a second bowl of cold water.
6. Repeat the process of exposure to contrasting temperatures several times.
7. After a quarter of an hour, wring out the item and lay it out to dry.

This method cannot be used for synthetic and silk fabrics.

Boiling

Not every thing can be boiled.This method is acceptable only for cotton and linen items that do not contain synthetic fibers or decor.

Air conditioner

Material that can withstand high temperatures can be treated with a fabric softener solution:

1. In a separate container, put a bucket of boiling water if the item is cotton or just hot water if it is wool.
2. Pour in 1 cap of conditioner.
3. Dip the item into the solution.
4. Place polyethylene on top.
5. After 5-10 minutes, take out the item. As a result, the shrinkage should be about 1 size.
6. Place the item in an automatic dryer if you need to further reduce it by 1 size.

It is important not to use conditioner when washing synthetics, so as not to spoil the item.

Drying with or without rules

When using drying to change an item by one size, it is necessary, even breaking the usual rules of processing, to ensure that the item does not lose its visual appeal.

Shrinkage can be promoted by:

• drying things on a heating radiator, previously covered with a towel;
• The not completely dry product is ironed, trying to give the item the desired size;
• use a hot air stream from a hair dryer to speed up the process.

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:

1. Water is poured into an iron with a steam generator.
2. Set to maximum heat.
3. 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.

Failure of all attempts: what to do?

Making things smaller, and only in the necessary places, is not just a difficult task, but often impossible. Synthetic and mixed fabrics are the most difficult to shrink.

If a product made of cotton, linen or wool does not shrink properly, the processing process can be repeated. But in cases where the methods of influence are ineffective, you will have to either say goodbye to the thing or give it away for rework.

9 recommendations

When shrinking an item, you have to act taking into account the risk that the item of clothing may be damaged.

The following points should be taken into account:

1. The type of treatment for shrinkage directly depends on the type of material.
2. White cotton fabrics can be exposed to higher temperatures than colored ones.
3. For fabrics that are not hand and machine washable, methods of reducing size using wet processing are excluded.
4. If washing is carried out not only to reduce the size, but also to clean the item, the detergent must be selected in accordance with the type of fabric.
5. There is no universal temperature for a thing to shrink; in each case, this indicator must take into account the composition and color of the fabric.
6. Hanging wet clothes on hangers to dry can have the opposite effect - the item will stretch. This applies most of all to knitwear and wool.
7. We must not forget about the safety of washing for the item itself. Too active aggressive action can not only lead to a decrease in parameters, but also render the material unusable.
8. While the item is wet, it should not be vigorously twisted. This rule is especially important for delicate fabrics - knitwear, silk, wool.
9. It is better not to experiment with shrinkage on a heavily worn, old item.

You will find maximum useful information about washing clothes and various fabric products Here.

Conclusion

Washing items to shrink them usually reduces clothing by one or a couple sizes. But in order to prevent the product from becoming deformed and becoming larger in the future, it should be properly cared for by washing, drying, ironing and storing in accordance with established rules.