How to Wash Cotton Without Shrinking

Cotton fabric is cool, soft, and comfortable. They absorb and release perspiration quickly. As well as durable.

One of the best benefits of cotton fabric is that it’s breathable. Wearing cotton can keep you cool during hot weather.

It is also the perfect material to make working out wear. Since it absorbs sweat. Also, cotton doesn’t retain odor. Making it an ideal choice for those with sensitive skin.

While washing, don’t use bleach on cotton not unless it’s white. Because over bleaching can cause damage.

The laundry cycle takes a serious toll on cotton t-shirts. Frequent washing and drying cause fabric to break down easily.

Before throwing a cotton t-shirt in the dryer, turn it inside out. This is especially important if its screen is printed or decorated.

This will prevent the images from being damaged during the wash. As well as keep the dark and bright colors from fading.

In addition, when washed inside out. The potential fading will occur on the inner part of the shirt. While the outer remains in perfect condition.

So what causes shrinkage in cotton t-shirts? Putting clothes in a too hot cycle. All it takes is washing with hot water or drying with hot air. Energy from the heat acts like a stress reliever.

Fibers in the fabric are made of polymers, which are stretched and stressed to make clothes, despite the fiber’s natural state, which is much shorter.

Heat relieves stress on the polymers. Hence making the fibers shrink. This is because the fabric swells. Hence reducing the size by 1%.

The mechanical bouncing action of your washer and dryer beats up the fibers. Thus curling them back in.

Keep in mind that 100% cotton is going to shrink. Therefore, always buy a bigger size.

Cotton blends easily and beautifully maintain its size and shape. As well as being better at repelling stains.

Usually, cotton just shrinks once. Then it remains that size until it wears out. So be sure to stretch it out after a wash.

So how can you avoid unwanted shrinkage? First, check the fabric. Cotton and wool absorb a lot of water. More water means more fiber contact and shrinkage.

Always wash cotton and cool with cold water. It can’t be compared to Nylon and polyester, which absorb less water.  This makes them more heat resistant.

You can also purchase shrink-proof or pre-shrunk clothes, which are usually indicated on the label.

Preshrunk t-shirt means it has been put through the machine. That pushes and compacts the fibers tightly together.

This process condenses the fabric. Through removing the spaces in between the stitches. By replicating the shrinking process.

In doing this, the garment has been pre-shrunk. Hence will shrink less when being put through the traditional washing and drying process.

Having a preshrunk shirt doesn’t mean it will not shrink further. Most fabric will shrink on average 5-7%. So you will not typically notice.

Therefore, there will always be an additional minimal shrinkage.

When washing multiple cotton t-shirts. Begin by arranging them in their different colors. The most important thing to do is to check their care tag.

Which mostly says wash in cold water. When washing in a machine. Use a small load size, set it on light or delicate, and use cold water.

Doing multiple loads will take more time. But it will help protect your cotton shirts from damage without worrying about rewashing those not washed properly.

Moreover, too much fabric softener on clothing. It can make it stiff, dull, and uncomfortable. Try using half as much detergent as possible.

Hand washing with cold water will not cause any shrinkage. So you will not lose the quality of the t-shirt.

So don’t overdry your clothes. As well as, try not to tumble dry your clothes too often. To further prevent shrinkage, always steer clear of the dryer.

If you really must put them in the dryer. Use the lowest heat possible to prevent shrinking.

Especially if you love the fit of that perfect t-shirt, a great way to dry them would be using a hanging rack. Then let it air dry.

Always keep your whites separate from the colored t-shirts. This is because sometimes color can transfer from one garment to another.

Before washing, check for stains if you see any spray a  pretreatment. Wait about 5 minutes. Or as instructed in the bottle. Then you can wash your whites. 

Did you know there is a way to unshrink clothes? All you need is some warm water. Either in a bucket or a sink. The cloth that was shrunk. And some baby shampoo.

There is no specific baby shampoo. The one you have will suffice. Fill a cap full to roughly a sink full of warm water.

What this does once you mix it up and put your garment in it. It is going to relax the fibers. Get the garment fully wet.

You don’t even have to soak it per se. Make sure a little bit of that shampoo gets in all the fibers. Cause this is what will help relax the fibers.

Moreover, the fact that you are getting it wet. You are relaxing the fibers also, which will allow you to stretch the item of clothing back to its original form.

A word of warning, this process will not work on wool sweaters once you dry the wool sweater. It is toast. But you can make something cool with it, like a craft.

Wool sweaters are mostly made of air. Therefore can shrink up to 30%.

Now squeeze out as much of the water as possible. Make sure you leave some of the baby shampoo water in it.

You will need to have two towels ready. The first towel you lay out the item you are trying to unshrink. It is usually for drying purposes. Trying to get most of the moisture out. 

Roll it up and give it a little squeeze. To get the moisture out. Then put the cloth on the second towel. 

Since it is still wet, you have used a little bit of baby shampoo. It should be able to stretch. So do it gently at first because you wouldn’t want to overstretch it.

Then it’s way bigger than you intended it to be. Just do it until you see its length is as it should be. Then leave it air dry.

You can also repeat the same process using a hair conditioner. The only different thing is you have to let it soak for 30 minutes.

Lastly, everyone does laundry differently. The water temperature, time, detergent used, and even the machine manufacturers.

The best way to love your clothes is to remember to follow the instructions on the tag. The people who made the clothes know how to clean them.

Moreover, when in doubt, don’t add heat or mechanical energy. Use cold water and avoid the dryer. Always give the t-shirts a pre-stretch when they come out of the wash.

Folding your cotton t-shirt is better than hanging them. This is because gravity usually pulls down on the shirts. Causing them to stretch out slowly.

Remember that natural fibers are made from living things, which are not meant to last forever. Or are we?