“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.”
As a general rule, washing clothes in cold, gentle cycles with low-heat drying can help prevent your garments from shrinking.
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.
Opt for cold water instead of hot water when washing garments prone to shrinkage. Cold water is less likely to cause fibers to shrink. Use the gentle cycle of the washer and reduce the spin speed to reduce friction and stress on the fibers. If you decide to use a tumble dryer, choose a low or delicate setting.
In short, fabrics that will not shrink include: Cotton: This natural plant fiber includes denim as well as everyday clothing. Linen: Made from the flax plant, this fabric is great for bedding, but clothing often requires dry cleaning.
In general, fabrics made from natural plant or animal fibers (wool, mohair, cotton, linen, silk, etc.) will be most likely to shrink, which will be exaggerated when a garment is washed and dried at high temperatures.
Avoid hot water.
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.
“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.”
It's absolutely normal for clothes made from 100% cotton to shrink, especially if they haven't been pre-shrunk. Pre-shrunk cotton will generally only shrink 2-5%. Non pre-shrunk cotton, on the other hand, can shrink as much 20% if you're not careful. This is only true for 100% cotton, however.
It's important to understand your fibers before tossing your clothes in the wash to ensure that they stay in the best shape possible. Natural fabrics that are made from plants or animal coats are highly susceptible to shrinkage, while synthetic fabrics do not shrink at all.
For example, both cotton shirts and denim jeans will shrink more in a warm or hot wash, followed by a high heat drying cycle. Steam heat will effectively shrink wool clothes, and some fabrics will even shrink when soaked for long periods in warm water.
“Delicate” or “Hand Wash” machine settings when used with a gentle laundry detergent can protect and prolong the life of your delicate items.
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.
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.
On some washing machine models, the delicate cycle may be marked as "Gentle," but the setting functions the same: both the delicate cycle and gentle wash cycles are characterized by colder water temperatures and low agitation or tumbling speeds.
A low-heat dryer setting will slowly shrink the garment with less risk of damage than high heat. Aggressively agitating wet wool on high heat can also lead to felting. Set the machine to a 30-minute timer. Check the garment every five minutes to monitor how much it shrinks.
If the temperature of the water is above 130 Fahrenheit, the cotton fabric will shrink up to 20%, but this depends on the temperature of the water. On the other hand, if you use lukewarm water, the shrinkage percentage falls to 8-10%, which is a comparatively good washing technique than using hot water.
Synthetic materials such as nylon, polyester, and spandex aren't just convenient because they don't shrink, but they also provide other practical benefits that can make your life easier. Materials such as polyester are very durable and strong and are less likely to tear and rip.
Additional shrinkage in the next few wash cycles is called progressive shrinkage. Usually after 5 wash cycles, shrinkage is complete and clothing won't shrink anymore over time.
So as long as you follow the CustomInk Care instructions, the Gildan 5000 will hold up nicely after repeated washing. However, when it comes to 100% cotton, despite the pre-shrinking, one should still expect 2% shrinkage.
You're Washing Them in Hot Water
Washing dress shirts in hot water may also cause them to shrink. Assuming a dress shirt is made of an organic fabric like cotton, linen or wool, it will shrink to some degree when exposed to hot water. You may not notice any difference after washing a dress shirt just once in hot water.
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. Excessive heat is damaging to fabrics.
Using a Washing Machine If you don't have time to hand wash, it's fine to use the washing machine. To prevent the clothing from shrinking, wash your cotton clothing on a delicate cycle and in cold water.
Delicate Dry Cycle
A dryer Delicate cycle is typically a tumble dry cycle that uses low heat. Low heat helps protect heat-sensitive fabrics from fraying, fading, shrinking, stretching and warping. Depending on the make and model of your dryer, the cycle may be labeled Delicate, Gentle or Tumble Dry Low.
So here's the palm trick you could try every time to check if you're machine is overloaded: Just place your hand into the drum—it's easy as that. If your hand fits between your clothes and the wall of the drum, then you have the perfect load size. If not, it's best to take something out.