Avoiding heavy duty cycles, fast spins and high-heat drying can also prevent shrinkage. Use delicate cycles instead, and place delicate clothes in a mesh laundry bag for added protection. When drying, consider a low-heat or air dry setting.
Not all dryers have a tumble or air dry option, but that doesn't mean you don't have options. Simply turn your dryer's temperature knob to “low heat.” If you can't find that setting, select “delicate” or “gentle” instead.
STEP 1: Consult the care guide on clothing tags
If your garment is missing the care tag, a good laundry tip to help prevent shrinking in general is to wash on cold, delicate cycles and dry with low or no heat.
On the other hand, condenser dryers are more likely to shrink or wear out your clothes due to their higher drying temperatures. Heat pump dryers are much better at preserving your clothes, since they avoid putting your laundry in close contact with high temperatures.
“A good general rule of thumb is to stick to cold and delicate cycles,” says LaLonde. “Cold cycles are the way to go to prevent shrinking. Most fabrics are much more susceptible to shrinking when exposed to high heats.”
Letting your clothes air dry is one of the best ways to prevent them from shrinking. However, if air drying isn't an option, use the lowest heat settings on the dryer. Try to remove your clothes while they're still slightly damp then air dry them to finish.
An ideal temperature would be 30ºC, which makes it not too hot when put in the dryer. In addition, make sure to dry your clothes on the lowest heat setting, as heat is the leading cause of clothes shrinking in the washer and dryer.
Delicates: Low heat, so drying time will be longer. It is best to use this setting to use for delicate fabrics. Permanent Press: Medium heat while drying and is best used for colored fabrics.
In most scenarios, all you need is a container full of warm water with a capful of liquid detergent. Next, make sure to add in your clothes and stir them into the solution until they are completely soaked. Gently wring out the clothing to expel excess liquid and gently stretch the clothing back to its original size.
Say goodbye to shrinking clothes
Heat pump tumble dryers significantly reduce the risk of this happening.
Heavy Duty
If you want to clean heavily soiled clothes or fabrics like towels, bedding, and linen, you should switch to the heavy-duty cycle. It runs for ~1 to 2 hours, depending on your washer. There's a speedy spin cycle at the end of the heavy-duty cycle that helps remove most of the water from heavy fabrics.
Gentle spins reduce stress on delicate items. Make the most of steam functions: Utilize the steam settings to refresh garments without the need for a full wash. Avoid overloading the machine: Ensure enough space for water and detergent to circulate properly, promoting effective cleaning and drying.
Cotton fibers loosen and swell as they're washed or heated, then absorb water and shrink as they dry, tightening the fabric. Hot water, agitation in the washer and dryer heat can all make shrinking worse.
As a general rule, higher temperatures are best used for heavy items, like towels, jeans and jackets. Low to medium heat settings are ideal for sheets, blouses and undergarments, while no-heat settings are designed for heat-sensitive fabrics or garments containing rubber or plastic.
Turn your garment inside out before washing. Dry it on high heat, too. Put the garment on high heat in the dryer. Synthetic materials can dry quickly so set the timer to a 30-minute cycle and check the progress every five minutes to monitor the garment.
Natural alternative to chemical-laden dryer sheets and liquid fabric softeners, which can cause shrinkage over time. Expertly softens fabrics by separating clothes and allowing efficient airflow, reducing heat exposure and agitation. Reduces drying time by efficiently circulating air, minimizing shrink-risking heat.
Avoiding heavy duty cycles, fast spins and high-heat drying can also prevent shrinkage. Use delicate cycles instead, and place delicate clothes in a mesh laundry bag for added protection. When drying, consider a low-heat or air dry setting. When in doubt, always follow the instructions on your garment's care tag.
Combine lukewarm water and 2 tablespoons of hair conditioner in your bowl or basin. A gentle shampoo, like baby shampoo, will also work instead of conditioner. Soak the shrunken garment in the mixture for about 30 minutes. Remove the garment and wring out any excess moisture.
Shrinking often occurs when a garment is exposed to excessive heat, either in the washing cycle or while tumble drying. Your label's drying instructions will indicate whether the garment can go through a regular dry cycle, if it should be tumble-dried, or if it requires other care like drying flat or line-drying.
Delicate or Gentle
On the other hand, delicate settings use the lowest amount of heat and tumbling action, explains Pozniak. This cycle is best for fragile fabrics or laundry pieces that may start to melt, fray, stretch, or fade in high-heat conditions.
The delicate wash cycle uses high levels of cold water and a low spin speed for carefully tending to undergarments and delicate fabrics that need to be handled with care, like lace, lingerie, or silk neckties.
Vary the heat levels: Not every fabric should be dried using a hot setting. Excessively high heat contributes to shrinkage and over-drying clothing causes damage to fabrics. Never overload the dryer: Your clothes need room to tumble freely for efficient drying and to prevent wrinkles.
Condenser dryers and heat pump condenser dryers take a little longer to dry a typical load of laundry because they use lower temperatures than a vented dryer, but this means they're gentler on your clothes.
If you are looking for extra softening effects and added fragrance, dryer sheets may be the better option; however, if you have allergies, dryer balls may help to spare irritations. For moisture-wicking fabrics such as activewear, microfiber and absorbent towels, dryer balls may work better than dryer sheets.
Use the Delicate or Gentle cycle
Denim may seem like a tough fabric, but that doesn't mean you should choose a Heavy Duty wash cycle. Instead, opt for the Delicate or Gentle cycle, and use cold water to help avoid shrinking or fading.