Reasons for shrinkage
This is due to the characteristics of the fibers. Cotton is a light and fluffy material; after twisting, it produces loose threads that can stick together when exposed to moisture. The presence of synthetic fibers in the fabric also increases the likelihood of shrinkage.
To maintain the size of the item, you only need to observe the temperature regime. Items made from 100% cotton may shrink after washing on a boiling cycle. Drying in a machine drum is also detrimental to this material, because in this mode things are processed by a stream of hot air.
Machine washable
100% cotton items can be washed at different temperatures. More modern washing machines provide automatic temperature selection. This is possible thanks to the programs of the same name “Cotton”, “Heavily soiled cotton”, “Colored cotton”, etc.
However, sometimes you have to set the temperature manually. Here everything largely depends on the characteristics of the fabric. For example, exposure to hot water is strictly contraindicated for colored items. Otherwise, the dyes used to apply the design may fade. It is advisable to wash them separately, choosing a temperature of no more than 50 °C. White textiles are not in danger of losing color, so set the maximum values – 90 °C.
Pay attention to the density of the fabric. Durable cotton materials can be washed in water of any temperature, but for thin ones, choose no higher than 40 ° C. Compliance with this condition will help avoid fiber shrinkage.
Also, the temperature for washing cotton depends on the degree of soiling. The hotter the water, the better the clothes are washed. Accordingly, if you just need to refresh your clothes, select the quick wash mode and a temperature of 35-40 °C. True, it is not recommended to reduce rinsing: if particles of powder remain in the fibers, they will turn yellow under the influence of ultraviolet rays.
The nuances of the first wash
Most often, cotton shrinks after the first wash, when we forget to read the manufacturer's recommendations. But if you follow the recommendations, problems rarely arise in the future.
It is better to rinse new items in cool water before washing. This will prevent shedding and wash away the chemicals used on the fabric in the factory.
After rinsing, cotton can be washed either manually or in an automatic machine by setting a suitable program. Before washing, it is important to read the manufacturer's recommendations on the label.
The water temperature for the first treatment should not exceed 30 degrees. Spin and other functions (except drying) are set in normal mode.
In the future, you can use programs with water heating up to 60 degrees; at this temperature, cotton does not shrink.
Drying and ironing
Products made from cotton fabrics will retain their appearance longer if certain rules of drying and heat treatment are followed.
Peculiarities:
- You need to wring out the washed item carefully.
- Cotton items should be dried in a vertical position, preferably outside (not in the sun).
- Do not over-dry the laundry, otherwise it will be difficult to iron it.
- Iron from the wrong side.
Important: Do not leave cotton items in the drum of the machine for a long time, as they will become very wrinkled and the smoothing process will then be difficult.
Choice of product
Cotton cannot be called a delicate fabric; it can be washed with any detergent. Dry and liquid powders and gels are suitable. For hand washing, regular laundry soap is often used.
Liquid products are easy to rinse out of the material and do not cause allergic reactions. At the same time, the washing quality of gels is not very high; they are not suitable for heavily soiled items.
If there are stubborn stains on the fabric, use powders or special stain removers.
Preparation
It is not recommended to wash cotton items too often, especially colored ones. With each procedure they will lose color intensity. White items become yellow or gray when constantly exposed to detergents; it is almost impossible to bleach them afterwards. Therefore, washing must be done correctly, first study all the data on the label. The preparation of the procedure goes through the following stages:
- Sorting laundry. You need to choose white and colored items separately. If there are products with difficult stains, they should be processed separately, so they are set aside.
- Heavily soiled items are soaked in washing powder. It is not recommended to rub vigorously.
- The products must be turned inside out and the zippers must be closed.
Do not soak in hot water and leave for a long time, this will cause things to shrink.
Automatic wash
To wash cotton, use a special program, which is found in every machine. It involves intensive processing and thorough rinsing.
Before washing cotton in a washing machine, turn the clothes inside out, empty the pockets of debris and foreign objects, fasten the buttons and remove removable jewelry.
The prepared items are loaded into the machine drum so that it is no more than half full. Select the “cotton” (cotton) mode, if necessary, set the pre-soaking and additional rinsing function. Place the required amount of detergent and rinse aid into the cuvette and start the program.
To wash cotton, spin at maximum speed is acceptable.
After finishing washing, items are removed from the drum and hung to dry in a well-ventilated area.
How to “plant” a cotton product?
“Planting” cotton clothes is not difficult
In our daily life, a variety of situations happen. For example, you bought a cotton dress in a store that is one size larger than necessary. Or another situation: you have lost a lot of weight, and your old dress doesn’t look very nice on your figure. In such situations, it may be necessary to reduce the size of the product. And the property of cotton to “shrink” will be very useful here.
How to “plant” a cotton product? Experienced housewives will tell you that this is not a problem at all. Especially when you have a washer and dryer in your home.
The cotton item that needs to be “planted” is loaded into the drum of the washing unit, very little powder is poured into the compartment (to preserve the color of the product), the water temperature is set to 60 degrees and the washing process is started. Washing the product should be completed with a normal spin cycle, after which it is advisable to turn on the machine drying option. After this procedure, your dress will certainly fit and be your size!
Important point! The higher the machine drying temperature, the more the cotton item will shrink.
As you can see, there is nothing super complicated about washing cotton products. The main thing is to know about all the intricacies and secrets of such washing.
Handwash
To do this, fill a basin with warm water and add washing powder to it. If you plan to treat with laundry soap, there is no need to use additional products.
The soiled items are immersed in the prepared water and left for 15-20 minutes. After soaking, the dirtiest areas are washed with a brush or hands, squeezing and releasing the fabric.
The lightest and least stained items are soaked first. After washing, the clothes are wrung out and transferred to another basin with clean water. Rinse several times until the water becomes completely clear. Wring out and hang out to dry.
Poorly rinsed cotton items may appear as white streaks after drying.
Features of washing white cotton
Light-colored cotton items can be washed using various bleaches, including chlorine-containing ones. It is not recommended to do this too often, as chlorine destroys the fibers and reduces the life of the fabric. However, if necessary, the procedure is carried out without much harm to the material.
The optimal temperature at which to wash cotton to prevent it from shrinking is 60 degrees. For white items, powders containing optical brighteners are actively used.
To remove yellowness from cotton items, add 2 tablespoons of hydrogen peroxide or 3 tablets of acetylsalicylic acid to the powder during washing.
Boiling
Boiling is used depending on the structure of the fabric. For thin materials it is better not to use high temperatures. At the same time, for terry towels or other cotton products with a dense structure, it is recommended to carry out the procedure when heavily soiled or for disinfection.
Cotton is boiled with the addition of powder for 1-2 hours. After this, leave it in the same container until the water cools down. The items are then wrung out and put into the washing machine or rinsed by hand.
The water temperature for the main wash and rinse should be the same.
How to avoid shrinkage
The main rule for preserving the original appearance of cotton fabric is the correct choice of temperature conditions. Of course, sheets and towels can be boiled, but this can only be done with items that have already been used; completely new fabric will quickly shrink from this method. It should be washed at lower temperatures.
For dense fabrics, 40-60 degrees is suitable. But some materials require more careful handling.
Methods for thin fabrics
Fill a basin with cold water and thoroughly dissolve 2-3 tablespoons of washing powder with enzymes in it. Place the material in the liquid and wait 15 minutes, then rinse thoroughly under the tap. Do not wring or twist the fabric too much, otherwise creases will remain on it.
Mix two tablespoons of table salt in 10 liters of water and soak the item in the resulting liquid for 2 hours. After finishing the procedure, rinse the fabric. It is forbidden to use iodized salt, but sea salt is suitable.
Dissolve 3 tablespoons of boric acid in 10 liters of water. Soak the material for 2 hours and rinse. The method is only suitable for white clothes that have turned gray over time or those that have suffered from previous poor-quality washing.
Method for things with embroidery
If you do not know what threads are used to apply the decor, you should wash cotton fabric as carefully as possible. First, dissolve one tablespoon of salt in half a liter of water and soak the material in the resulting liquid for 20 minutes.
Then hand wash it with a detergent designed for natural materials. Rinse the item with clean water, wrap it in a terry towel and wait a few minutes until excess moisture is absorbed. Let the material hang dry in the fresh air.
What to do if things shrink or stretch
As a rule, cotton shrinks quite slightly and returns to its original size after the first wear. If a major disaster occurs, you need to re-wet the fabric in warm or hot water, stretch it on an ironing board and iron it until completely dry.
You can wash cotton to make it shrink in hot water. It is best to use boiling. After completing the procedure, use special forceps to remove the tissue from the container and move it into a basin with cold water. Temperature changes cause fabric to shrink.
How to wash cotton without shrinking: preparatory stage
Cotton fabrics shrink easily, so do not wash it in hot water
How to properly prepare a cotton product for washing? First of all, you need to turn it inside out, empty everything from your pockets, fasten all the buttons, zippers and locks. In case of significant contamination, it is recommended to put the item in water for at least a day.
Important point! Products made from thin cotton fabric should be washed at a water temperature of up to 40 degrees.
Experienced housewives prepare the following solution for soaking cotton products. In five liters of warm water they dilute two spoons of washing powder and two spoons of turpentine. After soaking in this solution, the item washes off perfectly. Another recipe is also used: instead of turpentine, ammonia or hydrogen peroxide is added to the water. True, such solutions are very risky, because the fabric can lose its color. Therefore, it is recommended to first test it to see how it will react to a particular composition.
If you don’t want to take risks, then simply soak the cotton product in a regular powder solution. For this purpose, washing powder intended for heavy soiling is suitable. These days, such powder can be purchased at any hardware store. By the way, turpentine is much more difficult to find.
To wash items made from fine cotton, it is best to use powder that contains so-called enzymes. These are special biological components designed to remove stubborn stains and dirt from fabric fibers. True, you shouldn’t soak clothes in such powder for a long time.
