What to do if your clothes shrink after washing: ways to restore size and shape

Even if you follow all the instructions for caring for your fabrics, shrinkage can still occur. Items made of wool and other natural fabrics are particularly vulnerable to this. As a rule, this happens due to improper temperature conditions, but it can also happen without any obvious reasons. In this case, it's good to know at least one way to save your clothes.

Luckily, there are several methods at once - purely physical and with the help of treatment with improvised chemicals. OBOZREVATEL tells you about the most effective and proven methods.

Physical methods

Repeated soaking in water

Things shrink after contact with water, but water can mostly restore them to their previous state. To do this, soak the item in cool water for 10-15 minutes, then wring it out with a dry towel - do not twist it - and lay it out on a horizontal surface. Put a towel under the item and stretch it with your hands during the drying process. The towel should be replaced with a dry one from time to time.

Stretching with steam

Caution - not suitable for woollen items

Firstly, the item is soaked in water so that it is completely saturated with it, and the excess water is allowed to drain off without twisting. Then lay it out on a horizontal surface, heat the iron and switch it to steam mode or use a steam generator. Gauze or just a thin cotton cloth is placed on the object to be reanimated. The iron or steam generator is used to smooth it out, while stretching it evenly in different directions. The treatment is completed when the item is completely dry.

Stretching with the help of cold

Pre-soak in soapy water. The product should be selected according to the type of material and the item should be kept in it for at least 30 minutes. After that, roll it up, put it in a bag and put it in the freezer for a day. Finally, the item is removed, thawed and air-dried.

Stretching with an iron

Caution - not suitable for all knitted items

The treatment also starts with a cold soak. Then the garment is laid out on an ironing board and stretched in the desired direction, and the iron is heated to a low or medium temperature - high temperatures are not suitable for resuscitation after shrinkage, as this can only worsen the problem. When the iron is ready for use, it is used to iron the fabric, while stretching it to the sides. First, the front side is treated in this way, then the wrong side. The still damp item is laid out on a fabric - a sheet or towel - and pressed down on the edges with something heavy. In this state, it should dry.

Chemical methods

Stretching with hydrogen peroxide

Warning - can discolour dark items, it is better to conduct a paint fastness test for them.

To prepare a solution for treating a shrunken item, dissolve 4 tablespoons of pharmacy-grade peroxide in 5 litres of water and soak the item in question for 30 minutes. Then it is wringed out with a towel without twisting and hung to air dry. Sometimes the fabric needs to be gently stretched.

Stretching with vinegar

Caution - before use, check the solution for interaction with the fabric dye.

For soaking before stretching, white vinegar should be diluted with water in a ratio of 1:2. The solution should be at room temperature. The garment is immersed in it for 30 minutes, and then wringed out with a towel, stretched in the right direction and dried naturally.

Earlier, OBOZREVATEL told what things should not be dried in the washing machine.

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