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

foto11961-1Cotton is a fiber of plant origin. Due to its strength and low cost, it is in great demand.

However, it is important to handle it correctly. Indeed, like many other natural fabrics, cotton (it is also called "cotton" in English) tends to deform when exposed to water and heating.

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

Shrinkage and its causes

With an inattention to the processing of cotton fabrics (for example, chintz, cambric, satin and others), they can:

  • sit down (be deformed);
  • turn yellow;
  • molt.
The material sits down, both in length and in width. In order to properly care for such fabrics, you need to understand why their size changes.

Why does 100% cotton shrink?

foto11961-2The decrease in the original size of the cotton is largely due to the structure of the fibers. The raw material for the production of material is a 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 dry, they change their length (shrink).

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

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

Is it not 100% deformed?

Artificial fabrics are generally not prone to shrinkage, which is why adding them to the composition of cotton makes it more stable, elastic. Cotton with elastane (satin, stretch-cotton, bengaline, gabardine, polyester) has increased elasticity.

When the fibers are combined, the texture of the fabric acquires elasticity, elasticity, and shrinks to a lesser extent. However, one should not forget about the temperature correspondence during washing and ironing, determined by the product labels.

How to wash, at what temperature?

foto11961-3The first wash of 100% cotton products is especially important. New thing first wash by hand in warm (30 ° C) waterafter soaking for 10-20 minutes.

Further on, the water temperature should not exceed 60 ° C (40 ° C for delicate wash).

The study of the label gives valuable information about the rules of washing cotton products.... From the label, you can understand which temperature regime is optimal, how to dry cotton products, which products are best used. 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 clothes one size larger and wear them with pleasure after washing.

Read more about washing cotton. here.

In a typewriter

After reading the label allowing the washing of the cotton item in the washing machine, the following actions are performed:

  • sorting by fabric type and color to avoid shedding;
  • sorting by contamination (the cleaner the fabric, the more gentle the regime is provided);
  • early removal of contaminants manually;
  • turning out products;
  • button fastening;
  • laying small things in nets;
  • selection of the optimal temperature regime (no higher than 60 ° C, and for thin fabrics - 40 ° C).
The likelihood of shrinkage decreases as the speed decreases during the drying process (up to 400). Thin cotton fabric should be washed in a delicate program without drying or spinning at all.

In modern machines, special modes have been developed, for example: "Cotton: intensive wash", "Colored cotton", etc.

By hands

foto11961-4You need to wash it manually if:

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

For washing without using a machine you need to prepare a soapy 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, soaking for 10-20 minutes will not be superfluous. In this case, the water temperature should not exceed 40 ° C, as well as during the subsequent washing process.
  4. It is not necessary to squeeze the thing strongly, because the fibers can be damaged.

The rinse at the end of the hand wash must be thorough until the soap disappears completely.

Drying and ironing rules

It is important to follow a few helpful guidelines:

  1. You need to carefully read the product label. It contains a drying guide.
  2. Drying cotton items in a washing machine is not recommended. Moreover, the higher the temperature, the more the fabric shrinks.
  3. foto11961-5To maintain shape and prevent kinks, hang cotton clothes immediately after washing.
  4. It is recommended to dry products in a leveled position. Better to hang them on a hanger. This also makes subsequent ironing easier.
  5. Drying should be done out of direct sunlight.
  6. If things are being dried indoors, there should be no heaters 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 in a slightly damp state from the wrong side, gently pulling on the fabric to give the desired size.
  10. If the clothes are dry, moisten them using the special function on the iron. In its absence, you can simply spray the products with water.
After the end of the ironing process, the clothes must be completely dry to avoid re-shrinkage.

What if the item has sat down?

There are a number of ways to return a cotton item to its original size. Here are some of them:

1 way

foto11961-6Prepare water. It should not be hot, about 30 ° C. Soak the "shrunken" thing for an hour and a half. Wash it in the machine at the same temperature in the “delicate wash” mode.

After removing the product, slightly squeeze out and gently manually stretch to the required size... The stretching process can be repeated several times.

During drying, if required, continue stretching the fabric to shape and achieve the desired dimensions.

2 way

Steam ironing is another option for stretching the product. (you can use thin wet gauze). During ironing, stretch the fabric with your hands in the desired direction. Cotton is thermoplastic, so fabrics made from it "remember" the given shapes when ironing.

3 way

Rinse shrinking cotton products in water, which is diluted with hydrogen peroxide (2-4 tablespoons per 10 liters of water). Continuously stretch the garment during rinsing. Alternatively, you can use vinegar. The effect is enhanced by repeated soaking and drying.

It happens that shrinkage of clothes, on the contrary, is necessary. In this case, you need to act the other way around: wash at a high temperature, use the machine to dry the product or dry it horizontally.

Conclusion

foto11961-7Products made of natural cotton are lightweight, breathable. but if handled improperly, such fabrics are deformed, 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 the means and mode for washing in accordance with the recommendations. Maintain water temperature no higher than 60 ° C.

Hand wash delicate fabrics... During the drying process, prevent exposure to sunlight and gently stretch damp items to the desired size.

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