It happens that due to inattention or non-observance of the washing rules, clothes remain damaged or decrease in size. The situation is unpleasant, but not so rare. What should I do if a thing has sat down after washing? And is it possible to fix anything at all? Find the answers in this post.
Which fabrics can be restored?
As a rule, natural materials are prone to shrinkage. Most often it is cotton, wool and their mixtures with the addition of synthetics. And if the first type of fabric easily takes its original shape, then you will have to tinker with the rest. Moreover, there is no guarantee that the product can be restored. But it's always worth a try.
So, what to do if a thing has sat down after washing? There are two ways to stretch the fabric to the previous shape. Mechanical (using hands) and chemical (using substances).
Mechanical stretching
This method is based on the physical properties of water and air. You can use one of the recipes.
1. Soak the shrunken item in cold water for 15 minutes. Without wringing out, decompose intoa horizontal surface on which to pre-lay a microfiber towel. Pull the thing a little with your hands in different directions, giving the necessary shape. Leave to dry naturally.
2. As in the previous method, soak the product in cold water for 15 minutes. After straightening on a horizontal surface and ironing with an iron in steam mode, without pressing on the fabric itself. Leave to dry naturally.
3. Send the item to the washing machine and turn on the delicate mode (with a minimum temperature and no spin). It is not necessary to add detergent. Spread the material on a hanger or rope and leave to dry in an upright position. It is important at the same time to follow the symmetry and straighten the fabric as needed.
Chemical stretching
What should I do if a thing has shrunk after washing? You can use improvised household products, which contain chemicals. But first you should try to apply the composition to an inconspicuous area. Some liquids spoil the structure and color of the fabric. What recipes work?
1. Dilute 10 grams of baking soda in a liter of water. Pour the product with a solution and leave for half a day. After washing, adding a little powder. Soak the shrunken object again, but already in a solution of vinegar (at the rate of 10 large spoons per 2 liters of water). It remains only to rinse thoroughly and dry naturally.
2. ATdilute 3% hydrogen peroxide with cool water (at the rate of 10 liters per 6 small spoons). Leave the material in the resulting solution for an hour. After sending to the washing machine, turning on the gentle mode.
3. Pour 3 large spoons of ammonia, a large spoon of vodka and the same amount of turpentine into 5 liters of water. Rinse the item in the solution and hang to dry.
It is worth noting that each type of fabric has its own stretching methods. Therefore, it is better to use them if the composition of the material is known.
Wool
It often happens that after washing a woolen item has sat down. What to do in this case? To restore the original appearance, it is better to use a safe method.
Put the product in a bowl, pour warm water. Add 2-3 capfuls of special wool conditioner. Leave to soak for 15 minutes. Remove the object to glass the water, and remove the remaining moisture with a terry towel. Put the product on another fabric, stretch it to the desired size and secure with buttons or pins. Leave to dry.
Perhaps, this is the only correct solution in a situation if, after washing, a woolen thing has sat down. What to do to prevent this from happening? Wash by hand in lukewarm water using a non-aggressive detergent (it is better to take a special one for wool). Jackets and coats are recommended to be dry-cleaned.
Cashmere
Cashmere is a thin but warm fabric obtained from the undercoat or down of high mountain goats. Suchmaterial, like wool, can also decrease in size. But don't despair, it can be fixed. So, what to do if the cashmere item has sat down after washing?
If the material is still wet, it must be re-soaked. After that, it will remain to dry gently, spreading it on a towel.
If the product is already dry, then it should be soaked for 1.5-2 hours in water to which hydrogen peroxide has been added. A tablespoon is enough for 5 liters of warm water. Leave the raw product in a horizontal position on a terry towel.
To prevent shrinkage, cashmere should be washed in warm or cool water with maximum moisture removal.
Linen
It is recommended to rinse the shrunken linen fabric in lukewarm water. Do not wring, hang to dry. A slightly damp item should be ironed, stretching in different directions.
Linen material is best washed by hand in soft warm water with gentle detergents. It can be sent to the machine, if only there is a permission icon on the label. The mode should be delicate.
Cotton
What should I do if a cotton thing has shrunk after washing? The most effective way is with vinegar. You need to take it in the amount of 45 milliliters and dilute it in 10 liters of water. Soak the cloth in the solution for 10 minutes. You can then wash it in the machine on a delicate cycle. It remains to carefully hang and stretch from time to time.
So that cotton does not shrink, it shouldwash in water, the temperature of which is not higher than 60 degrees. Very thin fabrics are best cleaned by hand or in a typewriter in a gentle mode. If the product is new, then the water should be cool, you need to dry naturally.
Denim
There are several ways to restore it.
- Iron the shrunken thing with an iron in steam mode.
- Clothes with elastane can be stretched directly over the torso if wetted first.
- In the case of jeans, you can use a special waist expander. It will help stretch them to the desired size.
Denim is recommended to wash by hand in warm water and dry out of the sun. Only under these conditions will the material not decrease in size.
Viscose
What should I do if a viscose item has shrunk after washing? This fabric is very delicate and quite capricious, so you need to act accordingly. First, the product must be soaked in cool water. After a few minutes, you need to hang it so that the glass moisture. After the shrunken item can be left to dry naturally, spread out on a horizontal surface. From time to time, stretch with your hands, giving a suitable shape.
When washing, follow the instructions on the label. Some viscose garments can only be dry-cleaned or dry-cleaned.
Polyester
If a polyester product has shrunk in size, you can try stretching it with your hands when wet or wheniron in steam mode.
To prevent shrinkage, polyester is recommended to be washed in cold water only. High temperatures are detrimental to this fabric.
Knitwear
If the object has greatly decreased in size, it must be soaked in water again, and then squeezed out a little, without resorting to twisting movements. Leave to dry only on a horizontal surface, periodically stretching with your hands.
If the jersey has only lost its shape a little, then you can use the iron here. Cover the ironing board with wet gauze, lay the product on it and iron it.
These tips are guaranteed to help if your knitwear has shrunk after washing. What can be done to prevent this? It is better to wash this material by hand in warm water, making squeezing movements. Detergent should be delicate or for woolen fabrics. Machine washable on gentle cycle (which includes low speed, cool water and no spin).
Mixed materials
If the composition includes wool, then ironing in the steam mode will help stretch the product. But first you need to soak the material in cold water for at least 20 minutes. Let the moisture drain and lay out the deformed object on the table. Now you can iron.
In other cases, you should use this method. Soak the shrunken fabric for 20 minutes in cold water. Can be machine washed on delicate or hand wash without spinning. Detergent is not required. After washing, do not wring out the water, but immediately hang the product over the basin. When it is just damp, shape it with your hands. The material should dry on a table in a ventilated place.
Now you know what to do if a thing has sat down after washing. As a rule, the situation can be corrected in most cases. But it's easier to prevent the problem, especially if the fabric is problematic to care for. Therefore, it is necessary to follow the recommendations left by manufacturers on product labels.
