The sweater sat down after washing: what to do to get your favorite thing back in shape. Restoring the previous size of a shrunken sweater after washing

14.09.2019

Are your items shrinking after washing? Do not rush to get rid of them, they can still return to their original appearance. This happens due to non-compliance with the temperature regime.

How to properly wash and iron each item is indicated on the clothing label. But if you thoughtlessly throw your mixed laundry into the drum and start the main mode, sooner or later the problem of a shrunken sweater or jacket will affect you. What to do in this case, read below.

If the clothes have shrunk after washing, this happened for a reason, but for certain reasons:

The spin speed is set too high. For example, delicate and woolen fabrics cannot be wrung out strongly as they lose their shape.
Inattentiveness of the user to the advice of the clothing manufacturer leads to an incorrect setting of the water temperature. Consequently, the dress or jeans shrink in size.

As a result of exposure to high temperatures, the fabric loses its properties. Therefore, it is important to know which fabrics shrink the most. These include silk products.

If you do not know how much the clothes will shrink and whether or not the clothes will shrink at all (if there is no tag on them), then choose a washing mode with a low temperature.

Cotton and wool items can also shrink after washing in a machine, but if the mode is chosen incorrectly, they can become several sizes smaller.

Many are subject to shrinkage, especially natural fabrics such as knitwear, calico, viscose, polyester, acrylic, cashmere, linen.

How to restore shrunken things

What to do if the clothes have sat down, and how to return them to their original appearance, worries most of those who are faced with a problem. There are several different options for how to get your clothes back to their original size. It all depends on the type of fabric.

How to stretch cotton items

Shirts, T-shirts, cotton curtains shrink due to inappropriate washing and drying temperatures. But, fortunately, it is possible to restore the laundry. Proceed consistently:

Fill the basin with lukewarm water. After collecting 10 liters of water, add 3 tablespoons of vinegar or hydrogen peroxide. Soak laundry for 30 minutes. You can also take a sponge and wipe the surface of the fabric for a while for better stretching.
Lay a towel on a flat surface and lay the laundry on it. Start manually stretching the garment in the problem areas. Leave it to dry like this.
There is another option, when, after getting wet, the clothes are sent to the wash at a low temperature. After that, drying is switched on for 30 minutes. This way, you can wash the item to make it stretch.

How to get woolen clothes back in shape

Sweaters, a dress, a coat made of wool - all this linen has the property of shrinkage if the washing mode is selected incorrectly. Also, a poor-quality, hard powder affects the fabric. Modern machines have programs for washing wool, where the spin is set to the minimum level.

Can woolen clothes be repaired? You can follow our recommendations.

Method 1... Add shampoo or conditioner to a bowl of warm water. Submerge the wool sweater in there for 30 minutes. After rinsing thoroughly in cool water, lay the item on a flat surface and stretch.

Method 2... Pour 3 tablespoons of ammonia and 1 tablespoon of vodka with turpentine into a container with water (5 liters). Leave the item to soak for an hour.

Method 3... After soaking in warm water, the clothes are wrapped in a towel. After the coat or jumper has released moisture, it is hung upright until it dries completely.

A dummy or flat surface can be used to dry wool garments. Start stretching the fabric from the top, gradually going down, so that the thing does not deform.

Save knitwear

Knitted trousers, shorts, T-shirt can also be restored.

Option 1. Immerse the jacket in warm water for 15 minutes, then load it into the washer and start the spin cycle. Drying should take place in an upright position with further ironing.

Option 2. Dip the item in warm water for 30 minutes. Lay on a towel, which then roll into a roll. Leave the rolled roll for 20-30 minutes. After taking out the clothes, iron with an iron until completely dry.

Pull clothes out of viscose

Practical and comfortable viscose is used for sewing blouses, dresses, coats. The way to restore it is similar to knitwear. You can also use the steam function on the iron, stretching the laundry in the right places. You can dry clothes on a mannequin or on yourself, so the clothes retain their shape better.

Resuscitate Polyester Jacket

Outerwear is often made from this fabric. If she suddenly sits down, stretching the damp thing on a towel or steaming with an iron will help fix the situation.

Preventing the problem

To avoid problems with losing shape, you need to adhere to simple rules:

Always pay attention to badges and labels on clothing. You can try to get things back in shape, but it doesn't always work out. Clothes can become deformed.

There is a special mode for washing delicate (satin, silk) and woolen products. Alternatively, use a manual program.
The water temperature should not exceed 30-40 degrees.
The spin should be absent or be at the minimum mark.
Use products for the specific fabric.

Follow some simple rules and you don't have to worry about the look and size of your clothes.

The dress may shrink after washing. This usually happens when the rules have not been followed. To prevent your clothes from deteriorating, you need to carefully study the information on the tag that is on any item. It contains information about the fabric and the acceptable washing method. If the dress shrinks after washing, it is possible to give it its original look. There are several options for this.

Things sit down for a variety of reasons. Some natural fabrics are prone to shrinkage. Therefore, it will be extremely difficult to avoid deformation. It should be read before starting to wash, which may cause deformation of the fabric. In most cases, this happens for the following reasons:

incorrect spin mode;
the temperature regime does not correspond to the characteristics of the material;
the peculiarities of the material and the fact that it can shrink after washing are not taken into account.

If, nevertheless, as a result of improper washing, the clothes have sat down, they can be restored. This should be done in one of several known ways.

Repair methods

If it is a coat or a jacket, it does not mean that the thing is irretrievably damaged. Knowing what to do, if a thing has sat down after washing, it can be restored to its proper condition.

You can stretch a thing that has shrunk after washing with one of the following options:

In some cases, you can restore clothes with regular milk. The product is soaked in it for half an hour. And then rinse well.

In order to stretch a thing, different means are used, from which solutions are prepared for soaking shrunken things. For this purpose, it may come in handy:

ammonia;
hydrogen peroxide;
vodka or alcohol-containing product;
soda;
vinegar or tartaric acid.

Clothes made from natural fabrics may shrink after being washed inappropriately. Knowing how to stretch a shrunken thing can save a damaged jacket or dress.

Restoring clothes is not easy. You need to know what to do if the item has sat down during washing.

How to prevent shrinkage

To prevent things from sitting down, you should follow a number of rules:

wool is not recommended to be washed in hot water, only cool water is suitable for this material;
when washing, temperature differences should be avoided, otherwise the thing will shrink;
things subject to shrinkage, it is better to wash by hand and dry them, spread out on a plane;
special washing powder is used for wool and silk;
when rinsing, use an air conditioner;
spinning delicate fabrics and wool should not be intense.

Compliance with these basic rules will allow you to keep things in their original form.

There are often situations when, as a result of ignoring the advice of the manufacturer on the clothing label, a thing seriously shrinks, loses its original shape and attractiveness. It would seem what to do if, after washing the jacket, the village - many people simply give up and throw away the spoiled thing, and it's good if in the future they no longer repeat their mistakes. However, if a thing has sat down after washing, this is not at all a reason to finally say goodbye to it, because the clothes can be restored at home. It doesn't matter if you have not encountered such a problem before and do not know how to stretch a shrunken woolen thing after washing - this guide will help you understand how to return the shape of woolen things after washing, as well as how to wash things so that they do not shrink. Get ready to memorize!

Rules for the correct restoration of clothes after shrinkage

Before restoring a woolen item after washing, you must familiarize yourself with the following rules:

Woolen items are better subject to recovery after shrinkage, if, in addition to wool, the material contains cotton or viscose. Without them, you can also stretch clothes, but this will be more difficult.
If a woolen thing has sat down after washing, it can be restored only in cool water, the temperature of which should not exceed 30 degrees. Wool is afraid of high temperatures, it can deteriorate from them.
During the processing of woolen items, the temperature of the water must not be changed, otherwise the fibers may fel.
How to restore a shrunken item after washing? To achieve a positive result, it is necessary to use only those detergents that are intended for the type of fabric, in this case for wool.
In no case should the woolen fabric be twisted, as this will greatly deform its fibers.
If the wool shrinks during washing, it should be wrung out after processing only with dry towels.
It is necessary to dry the woolen product processed after shrinkage only in a horizontal position.

Repeat these rules every time before stretching the sweater after washing to avoid big mistakes - they can lead to the fact that the thing really has to be thrown away. Now you need to figure out what to do if the woolen thing has sat down after washing, and what methods of restoring your favorite clothes can be used at home. Read on to find out what to do if your pants shrink after washing, and how to repair wool.

9 home-proven ways to stretch shrunken clothes after washing

I wonder how to restore a woolen thing that has shrunk after washing? You can choose one of nine methods, whichever you like. Each of them will allow the clothes to return to their original shape, choose:

Pour warm water with a temperature of up to 30 degrees into a spacious container, then immerse the product to be stretched into it. Leave it on for 10 minutes, squeeze it out gently, lay it out on a flat horizontal surface and cover with a terry cloth on top. This method of how to fix a shrunken thing after washing is suitable not only for wool, but also for other fabrics, therefore it is considered universal. This method is also useful if the trousers have sat down after washing.
How to stretch wool after washing to avoid damaging delicate fabrics? Pour into a container about 5 liters of warm water not hotter than 30 degrees, add 3 tablespoons of ammonia, 1 tablespoon of ordinary alcohol and the same amount of turpentine to it, stir thoroughly until a homogeneous solution is obtained. Put your item in the prepared solution and leave it in it for 40 minutes. When time has passed, rinse the item in water of the same temperature and lay out horizontally to dry, cover with a terry towel.
How to stretch a garment that has shrunk after washing if there is no alcohol at hand? You can use hydrogen peroxide, which is easy to find in your medicine cabinet. To do this, dilute a couple of tablespoons of peroxide in 10 liters of water and dissolve it thoroughly. Next, lower the stretched clothing into a container with the solution and rinse it gently, while stretching it evenly into different shapes, thereby giving the garment the correct size. When finished, leave the garment in the solution for 2 hours and then dry as described above.
What to do if the coat is dry after washing, but there is no peroxide? You can prepare a special solution that will work just as well. To do this, you need to dissolve the powder intended for washing wool in water. Then the product is soaked in this solution for 15-30 minutes, rinsed in clean water over time, gently wrung out, put in a bag and left in the freezer for a day. When 24 hours have passed, the item must be removed and dried at room temperature. The product will be restored in size.
If the woolen garment shrinks after washing, and the scale of the problem is not very large, the use of ammonia can solve the problem. To do this, you need to dissolve ammonia in water, while the components must be in equal amounts. The stretched product should be immersed in the solution for 120 minutes, after the indicated time has passed, rinse in water of the same temperature. It will resize for sure.
What to do if the wool shrinks after washing, and the clothes are white? Milk can be used to restore its original size and shape. Simply soak the stretched item in milk for 30 minutes, then rinse thoroughly in water that does not exceed 30 degrees Celsius.
So, the jacket has sat down after washing, what if nothing helps, but you really want to keep the thing? There is a proven recipe that is quite simple to use - dissolve 20 grams of baking soda in 2 liters of cold water, stir thoroughly and immerse the stretched product in the solution for 12 hours. When time has passed, the item must be washed and immersed in a new solution, which includes 10 tablespoons of tartaric acid in 2 liters of water. In the second solution, the clothes must be turned over regularly so that the liquid covers them evenly. When 2 hours have passed, the item should be removed, rinsed and dried thoroughly.
Wool shrinks after washing what to do? First, turn the garment inside out, place it on a flat, horizontal surface (ideally on an ironing board), then iron it with a warm iron in the steaming mode. In this case, it is necessary to simultaneously stretch the thing in the right directions.
There is another unusual way to cope with a disaster if, after washing, the jacket has sat down. It is necessary to wet the thing spoiled during the wash in cold water, wring it out and put it on. You need to wear cut clothes until they are completely dry. After that, it must be hung vertically and wait 2 hours.

If the jacket has sat down while washing, you will not panic and think about throwing it away. You also know what to do if the jeans have sat down after washing, since the above tips are suitable not only for woolen clothes, but also for other fabrics, except that the maximum water temperature may change slightly upwards.

Washed woolen clothing will shrink frequently, even if all the label recommendations are followed.

It is quite possible to return the shape of woolen things after washing on your own without dry cleaning, using some folk methods.

To restore shrunken clothes to their previous size, soak them in a shampoo used for hair with increased stiffness. The tool effectively softens tough fibers, helping to painlessly stretch them. After soaking and rinsing, the item is blotted with a towel to remove excess water.

Next, it must be spread out on the floor or on any horizontal surface, spreading a cloth that absorbs moisture, and giving the required shape and size. Secure the result with needles, paper clips, clothespins and leave to dry.

A conditioner rinse can also do the trick by helping to restore shrunken wool to its size. In addition, it will give the product a light water-repellent effect, protect it from dirt for a longer period and remove static, and this is important for frequently electrifying products.

Hydrogen peroxide

A product available in every home will help a lot if a woolen thing shrinks after an improper wash. In 10 liters of water, 30 ml of peroxide is diluted. The solution should be abundantly moisten the item of clothing, giving the desired size, then leave to soak for 2 hours. After the expiration of the period, wring out with a towel and rely on drying.

Until the product is completely dry, it is advisable to periodically tighten the problem areas.

Stretching compound

Experienced housewives know how to restore a shrunken woolen thing with the help of a rather unpleasant-smelling composition. It includes:

5 liters of lukewarm water;
3 tbsp ammonia;
1 tbsp vodka or cologne;
1 tbsp turpentine.

The garment should be left in the composition for about an hour, then rinsed with cold water. The fibers will acquire high elasticity, so it will not be difficult to stretch the item to the required size. Drying is carried out in a horizontal position with periodic shaking and tightening.

Washing powder

This method will demonstrate how to correct the shape of a sweater that has shrunk after washing. A special powder is required for woolen things, it must be diluted with water and put in the solution for half an hour.

After rinsing and wringing, the product should be kept in the freezer for 24 hours, previously wrapped in a plastic bag. After pulling it out, let it thaw on its own, then unfold and dry, stretching to the desired size.

Cool water

Even schoolchildren know the next way how to stretch shrunken woolen clothes. It will be effective for items that have not yet dried after being washed. Shrinkage noticed in time can be reversed by sending the damp wardrobe item back into cold water for 10-15 minutes to swell the fibers of the fabric.

Then the thing, without straightening, is wrung out and laid out to dry on a dry cloth, which must be replaced as it gets wet. Stretched edges must be secured. When the sweater or dress is only slightly damp, hang it on a hanger and wait until it dries completely.

Vinegar

A good result is usually obtained with vinegar mixed with water in the following proportions:

2 liters of water;
1 liter of vinegar;

Having immersed clothes that require stretching in such a solution for half an hour, then it is advisable to rinse them with cool water with the addition of a conditioner-rinse and dry them, pressing the edges so that the shape is not lost.

Steam or ironing

The most popular way to save a wardrobe item is to steam it off with a warm iron or hold it over boiling water. In this case, you should carefully stretch the necessary places until you get the desired shape or size. You can also use the trousers ironing method and iron the item through wet gauze.

It should be borne in mind that the method will be effective only for things without relief, having a mixed composition.

Thus, it will not be possible to stretch wool without impurities; moreover, the fabric can shrink even more and finally deteriorate.

Milk

Few know what to do if white woolen clothing has severe shrinkage. And you need to soak it in milk for 1-2 hours, then rinse it thoroughly with cold water with a spoonful of vinegar or rinse aid, getting rid of the smell of milk.

Extreme measures

If the product has greatly decreased in size, then it is recommended to prepare the following mixture:

cold water 2 l;
baking soda 1 tbsp;

cold water 2 l;
tartaric acid 10 tbsp;

Within 2 hours, the damaged item must be kept in the solution, sometimes turning it over to evenly saturate the fabric. The wool is then rinsed with cold water and dried as usual.

Before the first wash, you must carefully study the rules indicated on the clothing label.
Hydrogen peroxide and milk are used only for white items.
Wringing woolen items should only be wrapped in a towel, without twisting.
Warm and hot water will harm the wool - the maximum processing temperature is 30 degrees.
During the stretching process, be sure to keep the edges and sleeves the same length.

Instructions

Most likely, it will not be possible to restore a shrunken woolen thing. It is no longer possible to return it to its former state, because woolen threads, and any other threads, do not stretch. Items made from, or mixed (natural and) fibers can be salvaged. Soak the item for 10-15 minutes to get it thoroughly wet.

Now put it in the washing machine, pour the powder into the container, set the gentle wash program, set the temperature (no more than 30 degrees) and start washing. During the spinning phase of the washing machine, the garment should stretch. It is important here that the fabric becomes slightly damp as a result of washing, and not wet.

After completing the cycle, take out the item, gently pull it a little more until you need it and hang it on the hanger. Further drying should take place in an upright position. Watch it periodically and shake it.

note

Never dry damaged clothes in a horizontal position after washing, as they will shrink even more. Pay close attention to the temperature of the water, it should be either cold or slightly warm.

Helpful advice

When shopping for woollens, keep in mind that they can shrink, so choose one size larger than your actual size. Sometimes shrunken sweaters and jeans are dried damp on themselves to restore their original appearance. The procedure is not pleasant, but what can you do if you really want to return a shrunken item.

Sources:

stretch dress

It so happens that by chance in a washing machine with laundry that must be washed at a high temperature, there is a loved one, for whom hot water is "death". Spoiled thing some housewives just throw it away, but you can restore it.

Instructions

If thing was knitted, you can try to save it as follows. Soak it in warm water for 10 minutes. It should get wet properly so that you can put it in the centrifuge and squeeze it out later. This is a prerequisite, so you can only wet thing rather than wet. As soon as you take it out of the centrifuge, start stretching it to the desired size. After such a stretch, you can not put thing to dry on some flat surface, otherwise you risk getting your shrunk back thing... Further drying should take place in a suspended state. To do this, you need to put thing on a hanger and leave to dry further, shaking it occasionally. When it dries, you need to stroke it and evaluate the resulting result.

If thing woolen, then it is unlikely that you will be able to do something, since the threads do not have to be pulled. However, if your favorite object is not made of wool, but for example, you can try to restore it to its previous appearance by stretching. For this wet thing you need to try with your hands in different directions. It is also desirable to dry in a hanging position, because lying on the surface of the dryer, it can easily "sit" back.

You can also try to restore shrunken thing with an iron. Iron and steam and at the same time stretch over the ironing board to the desired size.

Alternatively, try this method. The thing should be soaked in cold vinegar water and put on a towel. To make it dry properly, you first need to give it the necessary shape with your hands, and then pin it to the towel with needles along the contour.

Another option is to dissolve, wind up the threads and tie a new one thing the same model as it was. But this is a radical step that can be performed only if you know how to knit or you have a familiar craftsman who can restore you in this way.