Why does cotton shrink after washing and can it be avoided?

Cotton is a fiber of plant origin. Due to its durability and low cost, it is in great demand.

However, it is important to handle it correctly. After all, like many other fabrics of natural origin, cotton (it is also called “cotton” in English) is prone to deformation when interacting with water and heating.

Does cotton shrink after washing and why does this happen, how to prevent shrinkage and correct the situation if the item does shrink? You will find answers to questions in the article.

Shrinkage and its causes

If you are not careful when processing cotton fabrics (for example, chintz, cambric, satin and others), they can:

• sit down (be subject to deformation);
• turn yellow;
• shed.

Why does 100 percent cotton shrink?

The reduction in the original size of cotton is largely due to the structure of the fibers. The raw material for the production of the material is the fluffy mass of cotton fruits.

Textile threads are thoroughly stretched during the manufacturing process. When in contact with water and heat treatment, cotton fabrics swell, and when dried, they change length (shrink).

If decating was carried out correctly during production, the scale of shrinkage is much less. Decatation is the processing of textiles (wet-thermal) during the production process.Its purpose is to pre-shrink fabrics before cutting them.

The reason for shrinkage of cotton fabrics is often the incorrectly chosen washing (ironing) temperature.

Is it not 100% deformable?

Artificial fabrics, as a rule, are not prone to shrinkage, which is why adding them to cotton makes it more stable and elastic. Cotton with elastane (satin, stretch cotton, bengalene, gabardine, polyester) has increased stretchability.

How to wash, at what temperature?

The first wash of 100% cotton products is especially important. New thing For the first time, wash by hand in warm (30°C) water, pre-soaking for 10-20 minutes.

In the future, the water temperature should not exceed 60°C (40°C for delicate washing).

Studying the label provides valuable information about the rules for washing cotton products.. From the label you can understand what temperature conditions are optimal, how to dry cotton products, and what products are best to use. The tag also contains information about which wash is preferable: hand or machine.

To save themselves from unpleasant surprises with cotton products, some people buy items one size larger and wear them with pleasure after washing.

Learn more about washing cotton Here.

In the typewriter

After reading the label that allows you to wash your cotton product in a washing machine, the following actions are performed:

• sorting by fabric type and color to eliminate shedding;
• sorting by contamination (the cleaner the fabric, the more gentle the treatment is provided);
• early removal of contaminants manually;
• turning products inside out;
• fastening buttons;
• putting small things in nets;
• selection of the optimal temperature regime (not higher than 60°C, and for thin fabrics - 40°C).

Modern machines have special modes, for example: “Cotton: intensive wash”, “Colored cotton”, etc.

Hands

You need to wash by hand if:

• new clothes;
• the product is thin, delicate (muslin, chintz, etc.), contains decorative elements;
• fabric is prone to shedding.

For washing without using a machine you need to prepare a soap solution and meet several requirements:

1. It is preferable to use grated laundry soap.
2. It is better to use special detergents (powders, capsules, gels) for natural materials.
3. Before the manual washing process, it will not be superfluous to soak for 10-20 minutes. The water temperature should not exceed 40°C, as well as during the subsequent washing process.
4. There is no need to wring out the item too much, as the fibers may be damaged.

Rinsing at the end of hand washing should be thorough, until the soap completely disappears.

Rules for drying and ironing

It is important to follow several useful recommendations:

1. You need to carefully read the product label. It contains a guide to drying rules.
2. Drying cotton items in a washing machine is not recommended. Moreover, the fabric shrinks the more, the higher the temperature is set.
3. To maintain their shape and prevent kinking, cotton clothes should be hung out immediately after washing.
4. It is recommended to dry the products in a leveled position. It's better to hang them on hangers. This also makes subsequent ironing easier.
5. Drying should be done out of direct sunlight.
6. If things are dried indoors, there should be no heating devices nearby.
7. If possible, do not use clothespins to avoid leaving marks (dents).
8. It is important not to overdry the products.
9. It is preferable to iron things slightly damp on the reverse side, gently stretching the fabric to give the desired size.
10. If things are still dry, moisten them using the special function on the iron. If it is not available, you can simply spray the products with water.

What to do if the item shrinks?

There are a number of ways to return cotton items to their original sizes. Here are some of them:

1 way

Prepare water. It should not be hot, about 30°C. Soak the “shrunken” item for an hour and a half. Wash it in a machine at the same temperature in the “delicate wash” mode.

After removal, gently squeeze the product and carefully manually stretch it to the required size.. The stretching process can be repeated several times.

During drying, if necessary, continue stretching the fabric to give it the desired shape and achieve the desired size.

Method 2

Another option for stretching a product is ironing with steam. (you can use thin damp gauze). During the ironing process, you should stretch the fabric with your hands in the desired direction. Cotton is thermoplastic, so fabrics made from it “remember” the shape they are given when ironed.

3 way

Rinse shrinked cotton products in water, which is diluted with hydrogen peroxide (2-4 spoons per 10 liters of water). While rinsing, constantly stretch the product. As an alternative, you can use vinegar. The effect is enhanced by repeated soaking and drying.

Conclusion

Products made from natural cotton are lightweight and breathable. However If handled improperly, such fabrics are subject to deformation and shrink..

Therefore, it is important to wash and iron them as required. And before the washing process, carefully sort things.

To prevent shrinkage, you need to select washing products and mode in accordance with the recommendations. Maintain the water temperature no higher than 60°C.

Wash thin fabrics by hand. During the drying process, prevent exposure to sunlight and carefully stretch wet items to the desired size.