About Cloth Shrinking

Reaction That Causes Shrinking

• Shrinking in the wash is caused by the effects of machine action, water and high temperature. Tumble dryers are even more likely to cause shrinking, particularly if garments are tumbled to complete dryness. The process of shrinking is caused by the fibers of the fabric reacting to the agitating water and heat. Manufacturing cloth puts fibers under pressure and stretches them. Washing and tumble-drying can reduce this pressure and allow the fibers to partly return to their natural spring-like shape, causing a garment to shrink and change shape.

Natural vs. Manmade Cloth

• There are many types of cloth, some natural and some artificial, and each responds differently to the factors that cause shrinking. Cotton, linen, denim and canvas are the easiest to shrink in the wash, while most manmade fibers shrink little or not at all. Among the natural materials, some are from animals and some from plants. Cotton and linen are plant fibers while silk and wool are animal products. The many synthetic fibers include nylon, acrylic and polyester. Natural and synthetic are often blended together in cloth, the mix proportions depending on what the cloth is to be used for. This is another factor to consider in cloth shrinking because the different fabrics will have different shrinkage characteristics.

Computerized Washers and Dryers

• For many people, shrinking is a problem and something they want to avoid. It can also be a mystery, because for no obvious reason a garment will shrink even at a low wash temperature. Computerized washing machines and dryers reduce the risk of shrinking because they offer a higher degree of control than conventional machines.

Difficulties in Purposeful Shrinking

• Deliberately shrinking cloth at home to make garments smaller is difficult to control, and once the cloth has been shrunk, there is no going back. Also, there is no certainty that the garment will shrink evenly.