Cotton shrinkage in laundry?
Question:I have a 100% cotton shirt and i was wonering how much it would shrink in the wash. I want it to shrink up just a little, because its a bit big for me, but I really really don't want it to be too small. How can i do this?
Any combonations of cold water/hot water and drying??
Answers:
First try a cold wash and hot drying. If you think it will shrink a lot in the dryer check on it every little bit to make sure it hasn't overshrunk. If that doesn't work try warm water/hot dry.
How much and in what way it shrinks depends on the quality of thecotton, whether it was prewashed, the weave, the maufacturer a lot of things. Sometimes 100% will shrink in length, sometimes in width. A softer, thinner fabric tends to draw up a bit in the width, and the coarse, heavier weave in the length. This is what I would do, since it's impossible to know just how something would shrink. Wash it in warm, rinse in cold, and hang it to dry. If it is still a bit large, next time you can try putting it in the dryer for just a very few minutes (like 5-10). The heat in the dryer will shrink it more than anything. Remember, repeated washings in warm may shrink it, too. What is the brand name?
Cotton won't shrink in a washer unless you have some really HOT hot water. Cotton will shrink in the dryer though. Try a quick wash and drying it on high heat once or twice.
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