Today, almost everyone wears knitwear. Warm and thin, elegant and baggy - it is equally adored by both fashionistas and people who are not very demanding when it comes to clothing. Admit it, can you also find a comfortable sweater or an elegant knitted dress in your closet? Therefore, many housewives will be interested in learning how to wash knitwear.
Why did this happen?
The most curious housewives will be interested to know why shrinkage occurs. Reducing a dress by several sizes can be caused by the following reasons:
- wash in very hot water;
- sudden temperature changes during the cycle;
- spinning too quickly in the washing machine or twisting too hard by hand;
- incorrect drying of the item. Often clothes “shrink” if they are dried on radiators, near heaters, or in the drying chamber.
A dress made from delicate fabric is most susceptible to shrinkage. Woolen, silk, linen, and cotton items can upset the owner with shrinkage, even if the recommended washing temperature is exceeded by several degrees.
There are a lot of popular advice that help in the fight for “full-size” things. The situation can be corrected by using vinegar, hydrogen peroxide, and in some cases a steamer will come to the rescue. Sometimes the freezer can be that lifesaver.
At what temperature should I wash?
Compliance with the temperature regime will prevent shrinkage and deformation. Acceptable values depend on the characteristics of the product. Thus, it is better to wash brightly colored items and those decorated with complex patterns at moderate temperatures, not exceeding 40 degrees: this will preserve the shade and prevent it from fading.
For dark things, higher values are acceptable - up to 60 degrees. As the temperature rises, products may shed. And white cotton can be washed at 100 degrees to make them white (but it’s still better to lower the temperature to 90 degrees). Modern mercerized cotton can withstand significant heat exposure.
We arm ourselves with peroxide and turpentine
What to do first? To begin with, you can try to restore the dress with ordinary hydrogen peroxide. It is with the help of a pharmaceutical solution that you can stretch a thing without harming it. The process goes like this:
- dissolve 1 tbsp in five liters of water. a spoonful of peroxide;
- for 40-50 minutes. Soak your clothes in the resulting solution.
While the dress is soaking, be sure to stretch the material with your hands every 5-10 minutes. After 40 minutes, you need to rinse the dress in clean water several times. Afterwards, the product is carefully squeezed out and laid out on a flat tabletop for further drying.
Hydrogen peroxide can only be used to stretch light-colored clothing.
You can also try to return the item to shape using turpentine. The algorithm of actions will be as follows:
- dissolve 4 tbsp. spoons of turpentine in five liters of cold water;
- soak the dress in the resulting solution for one hour;
- Rinse the sundress and dry.
Turpentine can help stretch almost any material. Great for both colored and white clothes. It can also be used to save dresses made of delicate fabric. However, this method has one significant drawback - the fabric absorbs a specific odor. Although it’s easy to fix the situation - just hang the dress in the fresh air for a couple of days.
What can I do to prevent the dress from being dyed?
To prevent fabric from dyeing, use products such as:
- Salt.
- Acetic acid.
- Powder for hand washing.
- Turpentine.
- Glycerol.
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Vinegar comes to the rescue
If the dress shrinks after cleaning, you can try to solve the problem using table vinegar. The method is folk and proven by more than one generation. The algorithm of actions will be as follows:
- Dilute a tablespoon of vinegar in a liter of water. The volume of liquid can be increased proportionally (for example, by 5 liters - five tablespoons of acetic acid);
- soak the item in the resulting solution for half an hour;
- rinse the item of clothing well in cold water;
- dry the product by straightening it on a flat tabletop.
When drying, it is best to stretch the dress to the desired shape and fix it in this position with small weights. They are placed along the edges, so the fabric fibers will not shrink back. When the moisture has completely evaporated, the weights can be removed.
Prevention of shrinkage
It is easier to prevent any disease than to treat it. Therefore, take precautions when caring for your belongings :
- study the product manufacturer’s recommendations and strictly follow them;
- purchase a special detergent for wool;
- Wash knitted and woolen items by hand in lukewarm water, rinse in cold. Squeeze very carefully, without twisting. Dry in a horizontal position, fully extended.
Following these simple rules will save you from many unnecessary problems in life.
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Soda or steam
If the fabric has slightly shrunk, baking soda can help save it. This method is quite safe. In addition to the fact that soda returns 0.5 of the size of a shrunken item, it effectively cleans fabric fibers and helps cope with unpleasant odors. The instructions for action will be as follows:
- Dilute 30 grams of baking soda in three liters of water;
- soak the wardrobe item in the solution for 10 hours;
- rinse the item and dry it.
When drying, it is necessary to periodically stretch the fabric, this is necessary to return the dress to its original appearance.
You can also stretch clothes by steaming them. What to do in such a situation?
- Wet the dress.
- Straighten the product on the ironing iron.
- Treat the seams and surface of the item using a steamer.
- In the most problematic areas, stretch the sundress with your hands.
The ideal option is to steam a shrunken dress on a larger mannequin. So the effectiveness of the procedure will be many times higher. This method will be ideal for wool and synthetic products.
How to stretch a T-shirt that has shrunk after washing
The universal method of stretching a T-shirt in length comes down to the following steps.
- Soaking the T-shirt in a bowl of warm water up to 40ºС for 10 – 15 minutes.
- Spinning and shaking things. If there is an inscription, then - spin only.
- Steaming the T-shirt on both sides with an iron using gauze, slightly stretching the product - not until completely dry. If there is an inscription, skip this step.
- Fixing the T-shirt with clothespins, neck down, on a drying line.
Let's use the freezer
Freezing it can help restore your favorite dress. Water, transforming into ice, expands. In such a situation, the fabric fibers will also stretch. The freezer can help bring items back to size 0.5–1. You need to do this:
- wet the item of clothing, wring it out so that the water does not drain from the fabric;
- put the dress in a plastic bag;
- place the “bag” in the freezer for a day;
- remove the bag and let the items melt completely;
- dry the product.
Fabric is too fragile after freezing, so you should handle it carefully. One careless movement can damage the integrity of the material. This is why it is so important to wait until the dress is completely thawed.
Entrust the item to professionals
If your favorite dress is made from expensive materials, and you are afraid of ruining it while trying to stretch it, hand it over to the professionals. Modern dry cleaners willingly provide this service. Specialists have special compounds at their disposal that can return clothes to their original appearance, add 1-2 sizes, without harming the fabric. Drying in dry cleaners is carried out using steam units, which enhances the effect of the procedure.
Before submitting your dress for processing, be sure to clarify what results to expect. It is worth paying for the service provided only when the goal has been achieved. The price for such work can vary greatly. Minimum cost – 600 rubles. For this amount, specialists will not only stretch the clothes, but also clean them and smooth them perfectly.
Tools for the procedure
Staple is a delicate fabric, so clothes made from it should only be washed with specialized household chemicals. Experts recommend using only liquid laundry detergents for hygiene procedures. Here are a few effective store-bought products:
- Nika Lux;
- CHIRTON;
- Synergic;
- Duo Colors;
- Frosch.
The listed household chemicals are absolutely safe for staple products, but only when used correctly. When using any laundry detergent, you must carefully study the instructions for use. Otherwise, you can simply ruin your favorite things.
Useful tips
There are a number of rules, following which, you can reduce the risk of things shrinking. Then you won’t have to think about how to save your favorite dress. The recommendations are quite simple:
- follow the temperature regime recommended by the manufacturer. A label with the necessary information is on each product;
- do not allow sudden temperature changes;
- Choose a washing mode suitable for the type of fabric. A woolen or silk dress will not tolerate intense spinning in the drum;
- Avoid machine drying at high speeds. In almost one hundred percent of cases, it provokes shrinkage of things. In addition to losing size, the dress is easily deformed;
- Do not immerse dark or colored clothing in the peroxide solution. Although this method will help restore shape, it will lead to fading of the fabrics;
- If one method does not help you return to your previous appearance, try further. Different tissues may be more sensitive to one substance or another;
- When restoring things, pay special attention to the connecting seams.
It is necessary to stretch clothes when drying. You need to return the size until the item is completely dry. Be sure to ensure that the halves of the dress are straightened symmetrically.
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Preparing to wash cotton
In order for things to be clean after washing and retain their original qualities, they need to be prepared. Preparation includes several steps:
- To prevent cotton from fading, all items should be sorted by color before washing. White items are washed separately, since bleaches that are not suitable for other shades are often used to remove stains and maintain whiteness. Brightly colored items should also be separated as they may fade and stain other materials. It is also better to wash black items separately.
- Sorting is carried out according to the degree of contamination: if it is insignificant, then a quick light wash will be enough, but stubborn stains require careful removal and the use of effective products.
- Carefully inspect the pockets of all products to remove forgotten documents, money and other items that may be damaged during washing or spoil the items.
- Now all products should be turned inside out: this stage of preparation will avoid damage to the fittings and decorative elements fixed to the material, and will also protect the drum, which can be damaged due to exposure to solid parts of things. You should also fasten zippers or buttons.
- It is important to carefully read the label before washing: it should contain information regarding care and washing. Particular attention is paid to such instructions as the method of cleaning (wet or exclusively dry), permissible water temperature, and the possibility of ironing.
