How To Unshrink Your Clothes

Orlando FL

26 January, 2021

6:56 AM

Description

Most of us have experienced getting the washer settings wrong, taking the clothes out of the dryer only to realize they have shrunk! So frustrating! But before tossing them on a pile of clothes for donation or stuff to give away, try unshrinking them first. Who knows there may be hope for your favorite outfits after all! Why do clothes shrink anyway? The most common type of shrinkage is called consolidation. It usually happens when you use a washing machine or a tumble dryer. The process agitates the fibers because of the constant movement, heat, and moisture. Therefore. the material tension loosens up and causes the clothing to deform. This happens to cotton, wool, or linen. Another type of shrinkage that happens to cotton, linen, or silk is called relaxation. Highly absorbent fibers like the ones mentioned tend to relax and cause the clothing to change from its original state - it shrinks! Another is called felting, which happens with animal fibers, cashmere, and wool. These materials have a certain texture on the surface they call scales. When exposed to fluids and heat, these scales compress and cause the clothing to shrink.How do you unshrink clothing? Believe it or not, clothes that have shrunk can be stretched back to their original size so they can be wearable again. Follow these steps on how to unshrink your clothes: Fill the sink or bowl with lukewarm water. Make sure the water is enough to cover the clothing you want to unshrink.Add a tablespoon of hair conditioner or baby shampoo and mix. Don’t use regular shampoo, we need to use something that’s meant for softening.Soak the shrunken item in that solution for 30 minutes or so.Carefully squeeze out excess water from the clothing but make sure not to wring it. Do not rinse the fabric. You want to make sure the conditioner stays on the material.Place the clothing flat on a towel and roll it up to keep it damp. We don’t want soaking wet clothing, we only need it damp.Carefully unroll the towel with the clothing and stretch it out on all sides. You can use pins, paperweight, stones, etc to make sure your clothing is stretched out on all sides Air-dry the clothing while stretching it out. Make sure not to overstretch. How do you prevent shrinking? Take time to check and read your clothing labels. All instructions for washing and cleaning are there. Most of us ignore this tag, but it saves clothing lives. Washing with cold or warm water, not hot is less damaging. Air drying is still the best.Visit a full service laundromat if you’re not sure. Garden Grocer Laundry will take care of all your laundry needs, even when you’re on vacation. We make sure your clothes don’t shrink while they are under our care.