Do you have a Shrunk Horror story as well?
Did you have those “Oh! No!” moments when you spent hours purchasing the perfect party dress and after the first wash it downsizes! That’s a heart-breaking moment, no doubt.
Learning How to prevent shrinking clothes is no rocket science. It is easy to understand that what you thought. While you run your clothes in a dryer, it is important to understand that the dryer uses a combination of heat and rotation to remove the moisture from clothes. Different fabrics react in different ways to the heat. Some fabrics may shrink when exposed to high temperature and hence the garments shrink.
Know your Fabric:
The first tip is to understand your fabric. If you have an understanding of the type of fabric which might shrink, you can make a smart choice while washing or drying your lovely clothes. For instance, wool shrinks quick and does not like the amount of heat the dryer generates to remove the moisture. There are plentiful chances that ant cotton fabrics may also shrink in the dryer. Animal fibres like wool, cashmere and a few others shrink more than other fabrics.
ARS Appliance Repair Services simplifies the puzzle of your shrinking clothes. Follow these tips to avoid any shrinkage and keep loving those outfits of yours.
- Wash your clothes the right way
- Get used to setting the temperature on cold-washing
- The cold-water washing option requires less energy and saves money and utility bill
- Setting it to ‘delicate’ option is good as well because there is less movement preventing shrinkage
- Hand wash any cotton or silk garments to avoid shrinkage. Just fill a tub with warm soapy water, place the clothes in the tub and gently wash them. Squeeze them out and air-dry.
- Sort the clothes by fabric type before putting them to wash. This can be very beneficial while washing clothes the right way and avoiding any damage to the fabric.
- Use the Dryer Carefully
- Lesser the heat, lesser the shrinkage. Hot water usually shrinks clothes, especially cotton fabric. It is a better option to hand wash such fabrics especially the first wash.
- You may opt to remove clothes from the dryer while they are still damp which might also prevent shrinkage
- If there are multiple delicate clothes to wash, air-dry is also a good option
- Remove clothes from the dryer immediately after drying
- It also suggested that you fold the clothes immediately after removing it from the dryer.
- Keep your dryer serviced timely and if there are any washer or dryer repairs, try to figure them out quick before you put these fabrics in the dryer.
- Always Follow the direction written on the tags of your garments as these are material-specific. Care Instructions are also usually given on the tags
- Buy pre-shrunk clothes, which means that the label reads that the fabric of the clothing is already shrunk before it is finished. They might be a bit more expensive but this might avoid any disappointments after. Buy good quality stuff.
- If you are getting your clothes stitched/ sewed, it is suggested to prewash before using them for sewing especially in case of cotton or knit fabrics.
- Take your clothes to a dry-cleaner if necessary. They always have this special secret sauce which prevents shrinkage.
- If the horror is already there right in front of you, don’t give up! It is just time to try some stretching and try doing this when they are slightly damp. A tip would be to Iron clothes while they are still damp. This may bring length to the fibers and unshrink them.
How many best clothes of yours shrunk? Do you have any more tips on how to prevent shrinking clothes? Share your experiences with us in the box below.
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