Cotton is in high demand because it is a natural fabric. When buying things from natural fiber, many people think about how this product will behave. Does cotton shrink after washing? Maybe he'll shrink, maybe he won't. Also, not everyone knows how to properly wash cotton so that it does not warp. This fabric has its own characteristics, so you need to know how to properly care for it.
In the hot season, cotton products are very popular and practical. Pleasantly adjoin to a body, pass air, lungs. Another advantage is that a cotton product can keep you warm in case of a sharp temperature drop.
Properties of cotton fabrics
Before talking about whether cotton shrinks in hot water, it is worth talking about the properties of this material. This fabric is very durable andwears for a long time. Air penetrates well through the fabric due to the naturalness of the fiber. You can wash things from this material at temperatures up to 40 degrees, but there are still disadvantages of this fabric:
- she wrinkles a lot;
- takes a long time to dry;
- may take on a yellowish tint when exposed to sunlight;
- shrinks during washing.
Such are the main disadvantages of cotton. Therefore, despite its lightness and good quality, not every woman decides to buy a product from this material. It's not very practical to use. It is precisely because of such disadvantages that many consider cotton products to be capricious and refuse to purchase them. The main question when buying - does cotton shrink after washing? Since the main reason for not purchasing is the deformation of the product during this process.
Preparation
Preparation for washing takes place as follows:
- Before the procedure, it is necessary to turn the product inside out.
- If the thing is heavily soiled, it should be pre-soaked, otherwise it may not be washed off. The washing temperature is too low to remove serious soiling.
- Another option for removing stains is soaking things, as in the old days. To do this, you need to pour a lot of water into a bowl, add detergent or detergent (you can ammonia with peroxide) and leave it all for half an hour. Then you need to rinse the thing, and the stains should be washed off. When hand washed, the deformation and shrinkage of the item is nothappen.
Does cotton shrink when washed?
Material made from natural resources can change its size, decreasing in size. Therefore, do not wash it at temperatures above 60 degrees.
You should always study the tag on the product. There, as a rule, the maximum temperature of the water for washing, the ironing mode and how to properly dry cotton items are indicated. If you neglect these rules, you can spoil the thing. It may fade or turn yellow if the material of the product was white.
Does 100% cotton shrink after washing? Yes. Therefore, new things should be washed carefully, preferably in cool water. And better, of course, manually. When washing in the machine and automatic drying, the thing will sit down in any case. To avoid this, it is best to let the product dry naturally. So the answer to the question of whether cotton shrinks after the first wash is obvious.
How to avoid?
We already know that cotton shrinks. But what to do? How to avoid deformation of things? Follow further guidelines:
- It is mandatory to read the inscriptions on the label.
- Light items should be washed separately from colored items. There is a high probability of molting.
- If the clothes are not heavily soiled, they can be washed by hand or at a low temperature in the washing machine.
- Any stains on the fabric must be removed first. When washing in hot water, stains may eat intoeven more, which will add extra work.
- Before the procedure, all clothes should be turned inside out and fasten existing zippers and buttons.
- Small items should be washed in a special bag. Otherwise, they may become deformed and torn.
- Washing should take place in the recommended thermal conditions - no more than 60 ° C. The manufacturer of things warns about this.
- Loose cotton items are best washed by hand or at temperatures up to 45 °C. Pre-soak these things in soapy liquid.
- It's easier with white underwear. It can be washed with powder at temperatures up to 60 ° C, you can add bleaching components. Thanks to them, stains will be removed.
- Products with drawings are best washed with a special gentle powder. It will preserve the color and brightness of the fabric.
- After using powders, be sure to rinse things so that no detergent components remain on the fabric.
- If the material is dense, with a well-fixed pattern, then when washing, you can set a strong mode and dry. And if the fabric, on the contrary, is loose, then after washing it is better not to spin and do not dry it automatically.
- After washing, things are taken out and dried in the usual way. This should be done by turning them inside out, you can hang them on a rope or a dryer in a straightened form. Do not hang things in the sun, and the place should be well ventilated, otherwise yellow spots may appear.
Manually wash things
Does cotton shrink after washing by hand? Fine fabrics are best washedmanually. When washing for the first time, it is necessary to do this in order to know whether the item will shed or not. Even gentle washing in the machine can cause it to warp, which hand washing will not.
The ideal washing option is a soap solution and water with a temperature not exceeding 40 ° C. Laundry soap will suffice. It washes well, does not cause allergic reactions. You can, of course, use washing powder, but only one that is suitable for cotton.
Complex pollution
If there are stains or complex contamination, the thing should be soaked for a quarter of an hour. After that, you can start hand washing. The water temperature should correspond to that which will be during washing. You can rinse things with vinegar, this will give brightness to the color, and you can use a small amount of conditioner to smell. When washing handkerchiefs, soak them for 3 hours with the addition of s alt. After soaking, you can wash them with soap or detergent.
Washing whites
When washing white items, such as towels, it is worth soaking them for a day with the addition of turpentine. Also, washing powder should be added to the solution. After soaking, clothes should be washed and rinsed. Dry as you would for all cotton items.
Yellow spot removal
To eliminate yellow spots or a yellowish tint, you need to soak things in a solution of water, ammonia and hydrogen peroxide. After 20 minutes, cotton products should be washed with powder. Another way to whitenis a solution of boric acid. A few spoons in a bucket of water - and the solution is ready. Things need to be soaked for two hours, then washed, rinsed and dried.
Tips
Do cottons shrink? Yes, they sit down. But there are options how to fix it:
- It is necessary to soak the shrunken thing for 45 minutes in warm water.
- You can also wash the garment on a light wash cycle up to 30°C.
- Still wet, the thing needs to be pulled a little in different directions, but you should do it carefully so as not to deform the fabric.
- While drying, periodically stretch cotton items to the desired size.
- Another option for stretching the product is steaming. Use an iron and thin gauze to steam the garment and then stretch it while it is still warm.
- To increase a shrunken item, you can soak it in a solution with peroxide, then stretch it a little and dry it on a horizontal surface.
Conclusion
Now you know the answer to the exciting question - does cotton shrink after washing. To prevent this fabric from shrinking, you need to follow the simple rules on the label and follow the tips outlined above.
