Has your hat stretched out after washing? What to do and how to reduce it so that it sits down?

How to stretch a shrunken wool hat

There are several ways to increase shrinkage in woolen hats:

1. Wet the cap well or leave in cool water for 10 minutes. Pull it onto a three-liter jar, after moistening the neck. Secure the product so that it does not slip (with pins, clothespins, etc.). Wait for it to dry.
2. Rinse the desired item in a solution of water (30C) and a tablespoon of vinegar or two tablespoons of hydrogen peroxide. Leave to dry on a three-liter jar or on a special stand for hats.
3. Treat the material with steam: cover the wet cap with gauze and run the iron over it at a distance of 10 cm. In the intervals of steam supply, pull the edges of the material in all directions. Place the headdress on a three-liter jar or a special stand. Wait for the fabric to dry.

Do you unplug the washing machine? Oh yes! No

Washing a cotton hat

Children's caps and hats are mainly made from cotton. Note that it deforms very well, so the material can be stretched or reduced in size if desired. With prolonged wear, cotton stretches, resulting in the headdress becoming too large.

A new cotton item that is small can be ironed with an iron with maximum heating temperature and steam function. In other cases, it is recommended to wash the items in hot water.

To reduce a cotton item by one size, place a clean item in boiling water and keep it in the water for five minutes. To make the hat fit 1.5-2 sizes, leave the headdress there for 10-15 minutes. But be careful with colored items, as they can fade a lot in boiling water. In addition, after normal washing, you can dry the cotton in an electric dryer, which will cause it to shrink.

If you are afraid that after boiling water the hat will fade or fade, use machine wash. To do this, use a temperature setting 20 degrees higher than indicated on the label, but not more than 60 degrees. In addition, you need to increase the number of revolutions by 150-200. Washing in a washing machine in hot water and with maximum spin helps cotton items shrink well.

After normal washing, light and dark cotton items can be immersed in boiling water with the addition of fabric softener. Then cover the container with boiling water with plastic wrap and wait five to seven minutes. During this time, the hat will have time to fit to size.

After the manipulations, the cotton cap is left to dry. To do this, the product is first laid out on a flat wooden surface. The material should be blotted with a cotton or mohair cloth. Then the product is dried in the fresh air in the sun until completely dry.

Useful tips

Before washing, you need to consider the following basic features of caring for hats:

1. Processing technology varies significantly depending on the type of material.
2. An incorrect regime can lead not only to loss of volume, but also to the formation of pills, shrinkage and shedding.
3. The use of hot water and prolonged soaking are prohibited.
4. It is better to wash hats by hand.
5. It is important to clean knitted items in soft water, so you can add a little baking soda when washing.

We recommend reading: Baking soda: beneficial properties, uses, how to take

It is necessary to use only liquid detergents; if there are none, then the powder must first be dissolved in water and then the headdress should be lowered into it.

Washing silk

Such things cannot be washed in the washing machine. They shed and lose their shine. The procedure is carried out manually.

1. First rinse in warm water.
2. Then they are hung out to dry on an open balcony or outside.

Products made from silk fabric require a special approach. An automatic machine is clearly not a help here. To shrink something made from such a delicate fabric, only manual mode and low temperature are suitable. It is better to dry silk in the open air to avoid deformation.

If this method does not bring the desired result, the shirt and other items can be placed in warm soapy water for 20-30 minutes, washed, and then dried in a draft.

How to reduce your denim size by washing

How to wash a jacket or pants made from real jeans so that they become a couple of sizes smaller? Such products become slightly shorter and are already machine washed using the highest possible water temperature (90°C). Automatic twisting should also be set to maximum (1000 rpm or more).

But this should not be done if the trousers or jacket are stretchy (contain stretch).

What can you do with stretchy jeans to make them shrink a little? Wash them using the maximum permissible water temperature (according to the label) and wring them well. Place to dry vertically in a well-ventilated place.

What clothes will shrink after washing?

Before starting clothing resuscitation procedures, you need to decide on the type of fabric. This can be done according to the label where the composition is indicated, or experimentally. After pulling out the thread, set it on fire and watch how it burns - if it melts, it means your item contains a lot of synthetics. This means that it will either not be possible to reduce clothing, or the result will be small. The fact is that synthetic fabrics practically do not shrink.

Products made from natural fabrics shrink most easily, but they also stretch faster. Although, high-quality natural products, which contain a small addition of synthetics, are almost not deformed.

When does the wool “shrink”?

A material such as wool, due to its naturalness and natural characteristics, can easily be modified under the influence of various sources. First of all, woolen items shrink when washed at high temperatures . Natural hairs curl, compact and “fall off”, which makes the product warmer, but significantly reduces its size.

Important! Items containing both real wool and artificial fibers can behave completely differently. Some things containing synthetics do not shrink at all, some only stretch. Therefore, for products with a mixed composition, methods typical for natural woolen items may not always be suitable.

How to dry properly

After washing, place the hat on a towel for 15-20 minutes. During this time, most of the excess moisture will go into its pile. Then place the hat on a three-liter jar or a special stand, waiting until it dries completely. Or change the towels periodically until the entire fabric is dry.

ATTENTION. Unless shrinkage is required, do not dry on or near a radiator. Otherwise, this may lead to “compression” of the fibers.

Drying knitted items

Felt

Now the fashion for felt hats is returning and you can find them here and there. It is not possible to make such a thing smaller using the wool method. Felt is a capricious material and after washing it will become rough with a hard texture. You can make such a hat smaller using thread, foam tape and a needle.

The outer seam of the grosgrain ribbon (located at the junction of the crown and the brim) is torn off, a foam ring is inserted around the circumference and the seam is sewn up. It is this foam rubber tape of the required thickness that will prevent the hat from falling on your head.

Reasons why a hat may stretch

Like any woolen item, a hat can stretch and take on a shapeless, sloppy appearance. The reasons why this may happen are:

• automatic washing. The knitting of hats is usually weaker than other woolen items and this can cause both shrinkage and stretching of the product. It is advisable to hand wash such items;
• time factor. After some time of wear, the garment may well wear down one or even two sizes;
• improper storage. Some people, after the winter period, in order to maintain the desired shape, pull the hat onto a jar or mannequin, which over time will cause stretching.

Is it possible to make a felt or velor hat smaller?

Over time, a felt or velor headdress stretches, but it can be restored to its original appearance and parameters. If you need to revive a felt hat, the following method will help:

• First you need to prepare a mold in which the product should fit. This could be a saucepan or a flower pot.
• Fill a container with water and bring it to a boil. Hold the hat over the steam to warm it up.
• Place the product on the prepared form. Level it on all sides, adjust the margins. It is necessary to take into account that the hat will take on the shape it will have when it dries, so it is necessary to level the item before it hardens.
• Correct the product periodically. When it is completely dry, remove it.

How to wash things without shrinking

Wool

1. Before any washing, turn the item inside out. And don't forget to follow the recommendations on the label.
2. Wash woolen fabrics separately from other fabrics. It is advisable to separate them by color.
3. Follow the cleaning temperature specified by the manufacturer.
4. Give preference to detergents designed specifically for wool.
5. If the fabric is “fluffy”, be sure to comb the surface of the product before cleaning.

AcrylicAcrylic likes to be washed in water at room temperature (this applies to 100% acrylic). If a stain appears on the acrylic cap, pre-soak it in a soapy solution for 15 minutes. When cleaning, use water softeners. It is recommended to wash acrylic fabrics once or twice once a week to keep the item fresh and clean at moderate temperatures.

Are you using citric acid? Oh yes! No

Cotton

1. It is also recommended to clean cotton textiles separately from other types of fabrics, separating them by color.
   ATTENTION. Do not wash cotton with synthetics as this can cause the fibers to ruffle and cause pilling.
2. Colored items that are prone to shedding are best washed at a temperature no higher than 40C. In this case, use products for colored products.
3. Before washing, place the cotton material, turning it inside out, in a special bag.

Washing in SMA

Cotton products

Hats are not only made of wool, but also lighter ones, made of thick cotton fabric. In cool times in spring and autumn, they keep you warm, but do not burden your head with excess volume. However, cotton can change its shape and stretch especially quickly. Therefore, it is necessary to return a product made from such material to its original shape as soon as possible. You can reduce your headgear in the following ways:

1. Place a clean cotton hat in boiling water and leave there for 5 minutes. This way you can reduce the product by one size. To make a hat 1.5-2 sizes smaller, keep it in boiling water for 10 minutes. It is better to resort to such processing if the product is painted with high-quality pigment, otherwise the item may fade.
2. Lightly wring out the headdress and place it on a horizontal surface covered with mohair, cotton cloth or a regular bag. If you have an electric dryer, then use it. This will make the hat shrink even more. Drying in direct sunlight is also recommended.
3. If you are afraid that the color of the item will fade after exposure to boiling water, then wash the hat in the washing machine. Set the temperature 20 degrees higher than indicated on the product label. The upper limit is 60 degrees. Increase the normal number of revolutions by 200 units.

Important! If you want the hat to dry faster, do not stretch it over a three-liter jar, as our mothers and grandmothers did. This way you will achieve the opposite effect - the product will stretch even more than it was. Hats should only be dried in a horizontal position.

Determination of cap material

Before you begin the shrinkage procedure, you need to understand the material of the headdress. Different fibers have their own rules, if they are not followed, you can worsen the problem. Usually knitted items made from woolen threads, knitwear, and some synthetic items lose their shape.

Factory-made garments have sewn-in labels that contain information on composition and care: permissible washing temperature, drying method, etc. Many consumers do not pay attention to these instructions, which in turn leads to deformation of the item, loss of color and other troubles.

Product bleaching

Sometimes white wardrobe items fade in color, turn gray or yellow. But this situation can be corrected at home. For example, in one of the following ways.

Components:

• cool water (~300C) – 8/9 parts;
• hydrogen peroxide – 1/9 part.

Instructions:

1. Dilute the solution from the indicated ingredients (you can add a little soda to enhance the effect).
2. Soak the material in it for 2 hours, occasionally stirring the contents to uniformly lighten the fibers.
3. Rinse thoroughly and dry, avoiding direct sunlight.

Expert opinion

Irina. Housewife.

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REFERENCE. It is advisable to dry in a horizontal position to avoid deformation of the shape.

Reducing the size of the hat so that it fits

The methods depend on the material. You can find out what the hat is made of on the tag.

Woolen

To reduce the size of a knitted wool hat, you will need:

• the hat itself;
• pelvis;
• water;
• ice;
• terry towel;
• wool detergent.

Pour hot water into a basin (temperature 20 degrees higher than indicated on the label) and soak the headdress for half an hour. If there is a special product intended for woolen fabrics, add it in a small amount.

After 30 minutes, the water in the basin will cool down. Now the hat can be gently washed. Do not apply too much force, do not rub or twist it.

Next, drain the water and fill the basin with cold water, you can additionally add ice. Leave for 20 minutes.

Rinse gently. Wrap your hat in a terry towel to remove excess moisture. Leave to dry on a flat horizontal surface.

After this, the headdress should become smaller than it was when stretched.

High temperature leads to compression of the fibers, which causes some shrinkage of the product, while cold water fixes and consolidates the result.

There are two more options for how to reduce the size of a wool hat that has stretched after washing:

1. If there is no lining inside, then sew it in. The best option would be to use fleece. The hat will fit tighter on your head and will become even warmer. The product will not stretch during subsequent washes.
2. Sew an elastic band along the edge of the hat, about 2-3 cm from the edge. It will help keep the shape, but will not put pressure on your head.

Fur

In this case, downsizing is mainly necessary for the following reasons:

1. Deformation.
2. We didn't guess the size when purchasing.

Some manufacturers allow you to adjust the size of your fur hat using elastic bands inside.

But you don’t have such rubber bands, then there are two options left:

1. Sew in the hat. The lining fabric is carefully ripped open with a sharp knife or razor. Then you need to rip open the fur trim and the seam on the back that connects all the parts. Then the area required for reduction is removed from both sides. Don't forget to take into account the seam allowance.
2. Use additional insulation from batting or padding polyester. You will need to prepare a new lining fabric, since the new piece may not fit under the old material. After removing the old lining, the prepared material is hemmed. A new lining is then sewn on top. This is a labor-intensive option, but it will allow you to further insulate the hat and return it to its original size.

Cotton

Cotton changes shape very well, making it quite easy to size down.

You can iron it with an iron at maximum temperature using the steam function, or use the washing option, similar to wool.

Synthetic

To make a hat made of synthetic fabric shrink, you can wash it in a washing machine at a temperature 10 degrees higher than indicated on the tag, using a spin cycle at maximum speed.

Drying under the influence of direct sunlight or heating devices also contributes to shrinkage.

Acrylic

Unfortunately, it is almost impossible for stretched acrylic items to return to their previous appearance, so it would be more advisable to replace the item with a new one.

Felt

Felt is a very finicky material, and after washing its texture becomes rough and hard. You can make a hat or cap made of this material smaller using a thread, a needle and foam tape. You can also use batting or padding polyester.

The outer seam of the tape, which is located at the border of the brim and the crown, needs to be unscrewed. Next, you should insert a foam ring around the circumference of the hat, and then sew up the seam.

A foam tape of the required thickness will prevent the hat from slipping off your head.

Denim

If you wash a stretched denim hat in a machine at a temperature of 80-90 degrees, it will become smaller.

If hand washing, soak the hat for 30 minutes in cold water and then place in boiling water. When the water has cooled, the headdress should be transferred again to cold water and rinsed.

You can dry it on a radiator, in an electric dryer or in a washing machine.

Please note that denim may change color after hot water.

How to make a leather or fur product one size smaller?

It is not easy to make a fur hat or leather cap smaller. These materials do not shrink. To change the size of a headdress made of natural fur, you need to use the following methods:

• Suturing. To do this, you need to rip the lining of the hat, then the fur trim and the seams on the back of the product. Cut off the parts that determine the size of the product. Sew them again.
• Sewn in an additional layer of insulation. First you need to make such a part to the required dimensions. Then tear apart the lining of the headgear, install the insulation on the old insulating cap and sew up the lining.

A leather cap is more difficult to fit. These types of hats usually have a piece that allows you to adjust their size. If this does not help, you need to try to shrink the item. To do this, spray a water-repellent spray over the entire surface, and then soak the product in warm water. The cap should be air dried under natural conditions.