What to do if a dress shrinks after washing: tips and ways to restore your favorite thing

If after washing the dress became smaller by 1-2 sizes, then the basic rules for caring for the product were violated.

You don't need to rush to send it to the trash can. You can return things to their original size using the means at hand.

What to do if the dress shrinks after washing, what can be done to return it to its previous size, how to increase it back? Look for answers to questions in the article.

What caused it?

The following factors can lead to shrinkage of the product:

1. Washing in hot water, or a sharp temperature drop.
2. Spin too fast in an automatic machine.
3. Improper drying of the product. Often, shrinkage is caused by placing things near heat sources, for example, on a heating radiator.

The more delicate the fabric, the more it shrinks... Products from:

• wool,
• silks,
• flax,
• cotton

may become smaller by 1-2 sizes even if the recommended washing temperature is slightly exceeded. And about how to properly wash dresses, read here.

What can be done: how to return the previous size and increase it back?

There are many ways to get things back to their original size.... For this purpose, available tools are used, for example, vinegar and hydrogen peroxide. A steamer and even a freezer can come to the rescue.

Hydrogen peroxide

With hydrogen peroxide, a dress can be stretched quickly and safely without harming it. It is used as follows:

1. Dissolve in 5 liters of water 1 tbsp. l. peroxide.
2. The product is soaked in the prepared composition.
3. Leave to act for 40 minutes. At this time, you need to periodically approach the pelvis and stretch the dress with your hands.
4. Rinse the item in clean water, squeeze it slightly and send it to dry on a flat horizontal surface.

Peroxide is used only for processing light colored items.

Turpentine

To return the dress to its original size, you can use turpentine. It is used as follows:

• in 5 liters of cool water dissolve 4 tbsp. l. turpentine;
• soak the product for 60 minutes;
• rinse the thing and send it to dry.

The only drawback of this method is the unpleasant odor that appears after washing. To get rid of it, it is enough to leave the dress in the fresh air for 1-2 days.

Vinegar

You can stretch the dress with vinegar.

Use it like this:

1. In 1 liter of water, dilute 1 tbsp. l. vinegar. If more fluid is required, then the proportions are increased.
2. The product is soaked in the solution for 30 minutes.
3. Rinse the thing in cool water and send it to dry.

Having spread the dress on a flat surface, they give it the desired shape.

To prevent the fibers of the fabric from shrinking during the drying process, you can use small weights. They are spread around the edges of the product and left until the moisture has completely evaporated.

Soda

The baking soda helps slightly stretch shrunken fabric. Instructions for use:

• dilute 30 g of soda in 3 liters of water;
• soak the dress in the prepared composition for the night;
• Rinse it thoroughly in the morning, squeeze it through a towel and send to dry.

While drying, you need to stretch the fabric with your hands to achieve maximum effect.

Steam treatment

To stretch a shrunken dress, you can steam it. This effective procedure is carried out as follows:

1. The dress is washed or slightly moistened.
2. They lay it on an ironing board, systematically process the seams and the surface of the fabric using a steamer.
3. In problem areas you need to help yourself with your hands. This will stretch the piece evenly.

If possible, the dress is steamed on a large mannequin. This improves the efficiency of the procedure. This method is especially effective for woolen and synthetic items.

Freezing

To restore the dress to its original size, you can freeze it. Water, turning into ice crystals, tends to expand. The fibers of the fabric will stretch along with it. This is an effective way to cope with shrinkage in 0.5-1 sizes.

The algorithm of actions is as follows:

• wet and slightly wring out the dress so that water does not drain from it;
• put it in a plastic bag;
• put the thing in the freezer;
• leave for a day;
• get the dress, let it thaw completely;
• hang the product to dry.

Will dry cleaning help?

If an expensive dress underwent shrinkage, and you could not cope with the problem on your own, you can use the services of dry cleaning.

Professionals have at their disposal specialized formulations that are capable of stretching a thing. 1-2 sizes without harm to the fabric. Drying is carried out on steam installations, which allow to achieve maximum effect.

Before handing over a thing for processing, you need to check with the masters what result to expect. It is necessary to pay for the service only upon its provision. The cost of such work varies greatly.

The minimum price is 600 rubles. For this money, the dry-cleaner will not only stretch the dress, but also rid it of dirt, as well as smooth out the folds.

How to avoid possible shrinkage in the future?

To prevent the product from shrinking again during washing, the following recommendations must be observed:

1. Do not wash it in boiling water.
2. Avoid temperature extremes. Do not alternately rinse the dress in hot and cold water.
3. Use a suitable wash cycle. Delicate fabrics do not tolerate intensive machine processing, therefore they often change their shape.

Important recommendations

So that the dress is not damaged during the restoration of the size, you need to heed the following tips:

1. Read the information on the product label before processing. It is located on the seamy side.
2. Do not soak colored and dark items in aggressive compounds such as hydrogen peroxide. Such products can restore size, but often cause color loss.
3. If it was not possible to stretch the product using the selected method, you can resort to another method. Different types of tissue react differently to substances.
4. When stretching things, special attention should be paid to the seams.
5. The product needs to be stretched during drying. This is done until the moisture has completely evaporated. In this case, you need to ensure that both halves of the dress remain symmetrical.

When working with caustic substances, you must remember the rules of your own safety. Gloves should be worn on hands, and respiratory organs should be protected with a mask.

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Conclusion

Shrinkage of the dress indicates improper care of the item. There are several ways to deal with the problem. Each of them has its own advantages and disadvantages, so you need to resort to them only as needed.