“Tame” capricious material: how to wash viscose by hand and in a machine?
Clothing made from viscose has many advantages: it is light, pleasant to the body and wears well.
There are quite a few options for viscose fabric, differing in texture and density. But they are all delicate fabrics that need to be washed under a number of conditions.
Is it possible and how to wash viscose in a washing machine, at what temperature, does the fabric shrink or stretch after washing in hot water? You will find answers to these and other questions in the article.
Content
Is it possible?
Viscose is produced by processing natural cellulose. The fabric itself is not wrinkle-resistant, and when wet it also loses strength.
Industrial additional processing of the material significantly reduces such manifestations, but does not eliminate them completely.
Viscose can be included in mixed fabrics. Most items made from viscose are lightweight, wearable, and require regular washing. If not handled correctly, they are easily deformed. And when washed in hot water, they shrink.
Preparation for the process
At the stage of preparation for washing you should:
- study the product label;
- check your pockets and remove all unnecessary items from them;
- fasten all fasteners;
- turn the item inside out.
Mode and spin
Like other delicate materials, viscose erased in one of the modes:
- "delicate";
- "handwash".
At what temperature, by what means?
The fragility of viscose fabric imposes restrictions not only on the intensity of processing, but also on the heating temperature of the water. The maximum permissible is +30? C. If the water is hotter, things will shrink.
When choosing a laundry detergent, there are a number of factors to consider. These include restrictions on water temperature. This is important because some detergents only perform well at higher temperatures.
It is best to use those designed for processing delicate fabrics. Gel form is preferable to powder. The use of washing powders and gels that are not intended for delicate materials can lead to damage to items.
Using conditioner during the final rinse will make the item softer.
Handwash
Manual processing is the best option for caring for items made from delicate fabrics. If possible, using this method will significantly extend the life of things.
For completely manual processing, the washing order should be as follows:
- Pour water into the basin with a temperature no higher than +30? C.
- Dissolve the detergent.
- Immerse the clothes in the basin.
- Leave for 30 minutes.
- Wash carefully - not by rubbing, but by massaging movements.
- Rinse - in several changes of water or under a running stream.
Pre-soaking is not a mandatory washing step and can only be used if the clothing items are significantly soiled.
In the washing machine
Machine washing viscose allows you to tidy up and refresh your item without effort. To ensure that the product itself is not damaged and maintains its appearance, you need to carefully set all the settings.
Procedure:
- Prepare your own things.
- Place viscose products in the drum of the machine.
- Pour detergent into the special compartment on the machine.
- Set to “delicate” or “hand wash” mode.
- Make sure that the temperature is set no higher than +30?C.
- Disable spin.
- Start the wash.
After washing, all items must be immediately removed from the drum and sent to dry. If this is not done, the fabric will become very wrinkled and may acquire an unpleasant, stagnant odor.
This video will show you how to wash viscose in a washing machine:
Does the fabric shrink and how can I wash it to make it shrink?
You can try to wash viscose items specifically so that they shrink. But the results of such experiments are not guaranteed. This technique can be useful when washing items made from mixed fibers, which, on the contrary, tend to stretch when wet.
Using the property of viscose fabric to shrink in size when in contact with hot water, Large items can be washed in water at a temperature above +30? C. To do this, fill a basin with hot water (+50? C) and dip the clothes. If the goal is only to reduce the size of the item, then you do not need to add detergent.
When washing mixed fabrics in a machine to shrink the item, you should take into account the composition of the fabrics:
Fibers in the material that complement viscose | Procedure for reducing size |
Cotton | Wash on high temperature. Press at medium speed. Immerse in hot water with conditioner diluted in it for 10 minutes. Dry on a warm surface. |
Synthetics | Wash at high temperature. Spin at high speeds. Immersion in very cold water. Gently squeeze. |
Wool | Wash at high temperature (about +50? C or even +60? C). Spin at low speed. Rinse in cold water. Drying on a warm horizontal plane. |
How to stretch shrunken clothes?
The tendency to shrink makes things made from viscose very demanding to process. Clothing can easily shrink if one of the following conditions is met:
- exposure to high temperatures or contrasting temperatures;
- low quality of the product itself;
- a mixed fabric composition in which viscose is combined with other natural or artificial fibers that are prone to shrinkage;
- drying on a radiator;
- washing with alkaline powders.
If the item does shrink, you can try to stretch it in the following way:
- Pour water (3-5 liters) into a basin.
- Pour in 1 tbsp. l. hydrogen peroxide.
- Stir.
- Dip the shrunken item.
- Leave for a quarter of an hour.
- Take out and squeeze out the product.
- Put it on yourself.
- Do not remove until clothes are dry.
You can stretch the item a little by pulling it while it is still wet. Ironing a damp product will also help, slightly stretching the product in the desired direction using steam.
Rules for drying and ironing
It is prohibited to dry viscose in a washing machine. Also, do not hang products on heating devices or in the open sun.
You can speed up the drying process by placing another terry towel on top of the item of clothing. Gently press it with your palms so that excess moisture is absorbed into the towel. After this, it is removed, allowing the viscose to dry further.
During the ironing process, you must act very carefully so as not to spoil the item. Viscose should iron, guided by the following principles:
- at minimum heating temperature;
- from the wrong side;
- through additional fabric.
If not all wrinkled areas can be straightened out, the material needs to be moistened. Viscose cannot be steamed.
Recommendations
Keep viscose items in excellent condition The following recommendations will help:
- Sorting viscose products before washing is a prerequisite for successful processing.
- The best way to machine wash is using a mesh bag.
- To dye viscose, dyes designed for processing natural linen and cotton can be used.
- The use of home recipes for washing is possible with reservations, since the use of vinegar, ammonia, medical alcohol and a number of other substances for processing viscose is unacceptable.
- Placing items made of viscose in the drum of a washing machine together with items made of coarse fabric (jeans, jackets, etc.) is unacceptable.
- For bleaching, you can use oxygen-containing preparations approved for washing viscose.
- If the percentage of viscose in a mixed material is very small, care rules should be chosen in accordance with the type of base fabric.
You will find maximum useful information about washing clothes and various fabric products Here.
Conclusion
Viscose is not the most capricious material to process, but there are certain difficulties with washing it.
To deal with the problem quickly and effectively, while maintaining the appearance of the item, you should adhere to the agreed rules, and do not experiment with detergents that are unsuitable for delicate fabrics.