Clothes are much more likely to shrink when exposed to hot water or high dryer settings. Washing clothes in cold water goes a long way toward preserving the “off-the-rack” size. Avoiding heavy duty cycles, fast spins and high-heat drying can also prevent shrinkage.
Generally speaking, hot water (130°F) will shrink items to their maximum shrinkage capacity after one wash. On the other hand, warm water (80-100°F), gradually shrinks items over multiple washes.
Cold Water Washing – Unshrink a Dress
However, if you are looking for extra precautions, we recommend washing your clothing on a cold water setting. This is because cold water's gentle nature minimizes stress on the fibers, significantly decreasing the risk of shrinkage.
If shrinking is a concern, avoid particularly hot and aggressive options. For even more protection, place extra delicate items in garment bags that may act as a barrier. “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.
Machine washing clothes with warm water can offer several benefits: Effective Cleaning: Warm water helps to dissolve detergent more effectively, allowing it to penetrate fabrics and remove dirt, stains, and odors better than cold water.
Does Cold Water Shrink Clothes? Cold water helps reduce the risk of shrinking clothes. Fabric fibers shrink as a result of being exposed to heat, either in the washer or the dryer. Use cold water temperatures in your washing machine and don't use high heat drying cycles if you're trying to reduce shrinkage.
Con: Hot Water Can Damage or Discolor Clothing
Hot water can cause bright colors to run and fade, and can shrink certain types of fabric. Hot water can also damage certain synthetic fabrics like polyester, nylon, and vinyl. The heat breaks down the fibers and can ruin the fabric.
Clothes may shrink in the washer if they are washed in a hot water cycle with heavy agitation, as well as in a dryer in high-heat settings that may cause overdrying. As a rule of thumb, high temperatures increase the likelihood of clothes shrinking in your laundry routine.
The chance of cotton shrinking increases the warmer you wash. At 90 degrees, the fabric will shrink more than at 60 degrees. Do you want to prevent shrinkage? Then preferably wash lower than 60 degrees.
If you want your clothes to last longer, cold water is the best choice. Warm or hot water is more likely to fade, wrinkle, and even shrink your clothes than cold water. Regardless of your water temperature, washing clothes will break down the fabric fibers over time, but warm or hot water typically causes more damage.
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.
Avoid overloading the washing machine, allowing 100% cotton clothing to receive thorough yet gentle cleansing. 4. Delicate Drying Process: To prevent shrinkage, air-drying is preferable. If using a dryer, opt for the lowest heat setting or air-dry feature.
Delicate fabrics (lace and silk) and dark, colorful fabrics actually do best in cold water. Not all stains respond to warmer water. For example, blood and sweat can actually set into fabric in hot water. Also, hot water tends to shrink, fade, and wrinkle certain fabrics.
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. Opt for a mild detergent, especially one made specifically for dark clothes if your jeans are blue or black.
Does warm water shrink clothes? Both hot and warm water can cause certain items to shrink. Warm water will shrink them more gradually over multiple washes. Use cooler water to be safe and conserve energy.
It might be possible for hot water to shrink certain clothing items to their maximum shrinking capacity after just one wash. Besides shrinkage, washing your clothes with hot water can also damage items by permanently causing color fading.
In general, expect up to 3–4% shrinkage, which on a pair of jeans with a 32" inseam would mean shrinking about 1"–1¼" in the length. The width is much less prone to shrinkage because there is less applied tension in that direction during fabric construction. This can vary from brand to brand and style to style.
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.
Use the hot water setting on your washing machine.
Heat relaxes the fabric, causing the threads to unstretch and shorten, resulting in smaller, shrunken clothes. Clothes made with natural fibers (like cotton and denim) will shrink more easily than clothes made with synthetic fibers like polyester.
Generally, you should avoid leaving your clothes in the washing machine for more than 8 to 12 hours. Past this length of time, your clothes will become incredibly susceptible to bacteria and mould growth. This is what will cause them to smell slightly pungent and unpleasant.
There are still multiple reasons for clothes shrinking even after using cold water. The washing cycle of the washing machine and the temperature can cause such an effect. So, it's better to lower the temperature and set the gentle washing cycle for how to avoid clothes from shrinking.
Certain fabrics, especially delicate ones like silk, lace, Cashmere, or certain synthetics should avoid being washed in hot water at all costs. According to Dills, these materials can be damaged from the heat and cause them to lose their shape or texture.