You have got the 100% cotton t-shirt, but fear of its shrinking nature, especially after washing. We have a few ways to prevent it from happening.
1. Buying pre-shrunk:
Shrinking causes fitting issues after wash. So, buying a preshrunk fabric checks this issue right from the beginning.
Here’s a simple explanation in two paragraphs:
Cotton clothes that are made with high-quality cotton and have been pre-shrunk last much longer and stay in better shape, even after being washed many times.
How the pre-shrunk fabric is made?
Most companies make clothes and then wash them. But pre-shrunk t shirts are made differently.
The the cotton fabric is washed, then cut and sewn it into clothes.
This means the fabric has already gotten used to being washed before it becomes a shirt or pants. When you buy pre shrunk shirts, they’re already comfortable and won’t change shape much when you wash them at home.
2. Heat is the culprit:
Do you know why cotton clothes shirk? The answer is heat.
To keep your cotton clothes in great shape, try not to use the dryer. The heat from dryers can make cotton clothes shrink or lose their shape. Instead, let your clothes dry naturally.
You can hang them on a special rack indoors or outside on a clothesline, but keep them out of direct sunlight. If you really need to use a dryer, choose a setting that doesn’t use heat.
This way, your cotton clothes will last longer and keep their original size and shape.
3. Handwash, no machine:
When you get a new cotton item, it’s a good idea to wash it by hand the first couple of times. This helps the cotton fibers get used to being washed, so they’re less likely to change shape or shrink later.
Use cool water and a gentle soap made for hand washing. Softly squeeze the clothes in the soapy water to clean them. If they’re very dirty, let them soak for up to 30 minutes. For normal cleaning, 5-10 minutes is enough.
After washing, rinse the clothes with cool water to get all the soap out. Then, gently squeeze out the extra water. Don’t twist or wring the clothes, as this can stretch them.
Finally, lay the clothes flat or hang them up to dry in the air. This careful washing at the start helps your new cotton clothes keep their original fit for longer.
4. If Machine wash, make it ‘gentle’ mode(as per the configuration of your machine):
If you don’t want to wash by hand, you can still be gentle on your cotton clothes when using a washing machine.
Choose the gentle or delicate cycle, especially for the first few washes. This cycle moves the clothes around less, which means they rub against each other less.
This helps keep your cotton clothes looking new for longer, with fewer little balls of fuzz (called pills) forming on the fabric.
Always use cold water when washing cotton clothes in the machine. Cold water is kinder to the fabric and helps prevent shrinking.
Don’t worry about the clothes not getting clean – most modern detergents work just as well in cold water as they do in hot. As a bonus, using cold water also saves energy and can lower your electricity bill.
5. You can unshrink a shrunk shirt:
If you accidentally shrink your cotton clothes in the dryer, don’t worry – there’s a way to fix it. First, soak the shrunken item in cool water.
Then, gently stretch it back to its original shape. Lay it flat on a surface or drying rack and let it dry in the air. To keep it in the right shape while drying, you can use heavy items like canned food (wrapped in plastic bags) to hold down the edges.
Be careful when stretching the clothes back to size. Don’t pull too hard or you might make them too big instead of too small. This trick can help save your favorite cotton shirts or pants if they’ve shrunk.
It’s like having an “undo” button for laundry mistakes. Remember, it’s always better to be careful when washing and drying cotton clothes to avoid shrinking them in the first place.