It happens that due to inattention or non-observance of the rules of washing, clothes remain spoiled or decrease in size. The situation is unpleasant, but not so rare. What to do if a thing has sat down after washing? And is it possible to fix anything at all? You will find the answers in this publication.
What fabrics can be restored?
As a rule, natural materials are subject to shrinkage. Most often it is cotton, wool and their mixtures with the addition of synthetics. And if the first type of fabric easily takes its original form, then the rest will have to tinker with. Moreover, there is no guarantee that the product can be restored. But it’s always worth a try.
So what to do if a thing has sat down after washing? There are two ways to stretch the fabric to its previous shape. Mechanical (using hands) and chemical (using substances).
Mechanical stretching
This method is based on the physical properties of water and air. You can use one of the recipes.
1. Lower the sunken object for 15 minutes in cool water. Without squeezing, spread out on a horizontal surface on which to previously lay a microfiber towel. The thing is a little hand pull in different directions, giving the necessary shape. Leave to dry naturally.
2. As in the previous method, soak the product in cold water for 15 minutes. After it, straighten it on a horizontal surface and iron it in the steaming mode without pressing the fabric itself. Leave to dry naturally.
3. The thing should be sent to the washing machine and turned on the delicate mode (with a minimum temperature and without spinning). Add detergent is not necessary. Spread the material on a hanger or rope and leave to dry in an upright position. It is important to monitor the symmetry and straighten the fabric as necessary.
Chemical stretching
What to do if a thing has sat down after washing? You can use improvised household means, which include chemicals. But first you should try to apply the composition to an inconspicuous area. Some fluids spoil the texture and color of the fabric. What recipes are effective?
1. In a liter of water, dilute 10 grams of baking soda. Pour the product with a solution and leave for half a day. After washing, adding a little powder. Soak the shrunken object again, but already in a solution of vinegar (at the rate of 10 large spoons per 2 liters of water). It remains only to rinse thoroughly and dry naturally.
2. Dilute 3% hydrogen peroxide in cool water (at the rate of 10 liters per 6 small spoons). In the resulting solution, leave the material for an hour. Then send to the washing machine, turning on the gentle mode.
3. Pour 3 large spoons of ammonia, a large spoonful of vodka and the same amount of turpentine into 5 liters of water. Rinse the item in the solution and dry it in a suspended state.
It is worth noting that for each type of fabric there are methods of stretching. Therefore, it is better to use them if the composition of the material is known.
Wool
It often happens that after washing a woolen thing has sat down. What to do in this case? To return to their original appearance, it is better to use a safe way.
Put the product in a bowl, pour warm water. Add 2-3 caps of a special conditioner for wool. Leave to soak for about 15 minutes. Take out the object to glass water, and remove the remaining moisture with a bath towel. Put the product on another fabric, stretch to the desired size and fasten with buttons or pins. Leave to dry.
Perhaps this is the only right decision in a situation if, after washing, a piece of wool has sat down. What to do to prevent this from happening? Wash hands with lukewarm water using a non-aggressive detergent (it is better to take a special one for wool). Jackets and coats are recommended to be dry cleaned.
Cashmere
Cashmere is a thin but warm fabric obtained from the undercoat or down of high-mountain goats. A material like wool can also be reduced in size. But do not despair, this can be fixed. So what to do if, after washing, a cashmere item has sat down?
If the material is still wet, then it must be soaked again. After that, it remains to dry gently by spreading it on a towel.
If the product is already dry, then it should be soaked for 1.5-2 hours in water in which hydrogen peroxide is added. For 5 liters of warm water, a tablespoon is enough. Leave the raw product in a horizontal position on a terry towel.
To prevent cashmere from sitting, it must be washed in warm or cool water with maximum moisture removal.
Linen
Rinse linen cloth is recommended to rinse in slightly warm water. Without pressing, hang to dry. A slightly damp thing should be ironed with an iron, stretching in different directions.
It is better to wash linen material with your hands in soft warm water with gentle detergents. You can send it to the typewriter only if there is a permit icon on the label. The mode should be delicate.
Cotton
What to do if, after washing, a cotton item has sat down? The most effective way with vinegar. It is necessary to take it in an amount of 45 milliliters and dilute in 10 liters of water. Lower the tissue into the solution for 10 minutes. After you can wash in the machine on delicate mode. It remains to hang neatly and stretch from time to time.
So that the cotton does not shrink, it should be washed in water, the temperature of which is not higher than 60 degrees. It is better to clean very thin fabrics with your hands or in the machine in a gentle mode. If the product is new, then the water should be cool, you need to dry naturally.
Denim
There are several ways to recover it.
- Iron the shrunken thing with the steam iron.
- Clothing with the addition of elastane can be stretched directly to the body, if previously wet.
- In the case of jeans, you can use a special belt expander. It will help them stretch to the right size.
Denim is recommended to be washed by hand in warm water and dried not in the sun. Only under these conditions the material will not decrease in size.
Viscose
What to do if, after washing, a viscose item has sat down? This fabric is very delicate and rather capricious, therefore, you need to act accordingly. First, the product must be soaked in cool water. After a few minutes you need to suspend it to allow moisture to form. After the shrunken object can be left to dry naturally, spread out on a horizontal surface. Periodically, you should stretch your arms, giving a suitable shape.
When washing, you should follow the recommendations that are indicated on the label. Some things made of viscose can only be dry or dry cleaned.
Polyester
If the polyester product has decreased in size, then you can try to stretch it with your hands in the wet state or with the help of the iron in the steaming mode.
To prevent shrinkage, polyester is recommended to be washed only in cold water. High temperatures are detrimental to this fabric.
Knitwear
If the item has greatly decreased in size, it must again be soaked in water, and then squeezed out a bit, without resorting to twisting movements. Leave to dry only on a horizontal surface, periodically stretching with your hands.
If the knitwear has only slightly lost its shape, then you can use an iron. Cover the ironing board with wet gauze, lay the product on it and iron it.
These tips are guaranteed to help if, after washing, a knitwear item has sat down. What to do to prevent this? It is better to wash this material by hand in warm water, making sweeping movements. Detergent should be delicate or for woolen fabrics. The machine can be washed in a gentle mode (it includes low revs, cool water and no spin).
