The question of how to stretch a shrunken woolen item, albeit occasionally, is asked by almost every housewife. We all like warm, pleasant-to-touch knitted sweaters, jumpers, hats, and therefore we often encounter a problem and look for ways to more easily and better restore a slightly shrunken favorite item after hand or machine washing. Of course, it’s better not to allow this, but if trouble happens, there are techniques to correct the situation.
How to stretch a shrunken wool item. How to restore a shrunken woolen item
You can restore a woolen item that has shrunk after washing using ammonia or hydrogen peroxide, as well as by mechanical stretching and repeated exposure to high temperatures.
Ammonia
For minor deformations, ammonia will help cope with the problem. To restore the elasticity of wool fibers, you need 2-3 tbsp. l. Combine ammonia with 5 liters of cool water and immerse the item in the resulting solution for 1 hour. Then the product should be rinsed and dried, laid out on a flat surface.
For greater processing efficiency, you can add 1 tbsp to the mixture of water and ammonia. l. turpentine and cologne.
Hydrogen peroxide
An indispensable assistant in restoring the shape and size of a woolen product that has shrunk after washing is hydrogen peroxide. You must proceed as follows:
- pour 30 ml of peroxide into a container with 10 liters of cool water and mix thoroughly;
- immerse the affected item in the prepared solution and rinse, gently stretching it with your hands;
- leave the product in water for half an hour;
- Remove the clothes from the solution, dip them in a terry towel and lay them out on a horizontal surface to dry.
Until the product is completely dry, you need to stretch it in length and width with your hands from time to time.
Wool conditioner
Soaking the deformed product in cool water with the addition of conditioner helps restore its normal appearance.
A special wool conditioner or hair balm will help restore the original appearance of woolen clothes that have become matted during improper washing. Add 25-30 ml of the selected product to cool water, stir and immerse the item in the soap solution. Both hair balm and conditioner improve the elasticity of wool fibers, making them smooth and preventing shrinkage. After a quarter of an hour, the product can be removed, lightly squeezed and sent to dry.
Is there anything that can be done?
To avoid deformation of things, you must adhere to the basic rules for washing wool.
First of all, you should understand that it is not always possible to correct the situation. If a wool product has been heat-treated and shrunk by 3 sizes, it will be difficult to return it to its original size. If your shirt shrinks after washing, use only methods that will not damage its color. Therefore, you need to be careful when handling abrasives and always carry out a test check.
How to stretch a felted item. How to stretch an item that has shrunk after washing: what to do with cotton and wool
Hope is not lost! Clothes made from any fabric can be salvaged after washing. Let's figure out what to do if the item shrinks.
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You pull your favorite T-shirt or turtleneck out of the washing machine, and it now fits a lanky teenager more than an adult. This situation is familiar to each of us. But there are a few tricks that will save items that have shrunk after washing.
The item shrank after washing - what should I do?
Use baby soap
How to temporarily stretch an item that has shrunk after washing and return it to its original size? Take baby soap or shampoo and use your hands to knead wet clothes from any fabric to the desired condition. Afterwards, rinse the item gently, but do not wring it out. And remember, as soon as you wash your shrunken clothes in the machine again, they will return to their shrunken state.
Use hair conditioner and glass jars
We restore shirts, T-shirts and other small cotton items using conditioner and cans that you have not yet used for preservation. Shrunken items should be soaked for five minutes in a warm solution of three spoons of conditioner. Then rinse and lay the item on a flat surface until it reaches the desired size. Why banks? It's simple - they are needed to fix the item of clothing during the natural drying process.
Just wear jeans
First, put on your jeans and sit in a warm bath for about 15 minutes, then dry them without taking them off. The last step is to walk around in your jeans for an hour afterwards.
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How to return a shrunken item to its original state: cotton, wool, synthetics
An effective way to stretch a shrunken cotton item
Cotton items are the easiest to return to their original condition. After a gentle hand wash, allow the item to dry before placing it on a flat surface and a towel. Next, roll the product together with the towel into a tube and gently press the wrapped terry cloth. After most of the moisture from the T-shirt has been absorbed, unroll the towel. Finally, on the same surface, carefully stretch the cotton product to the ideal size.
What to do if woolen items shrink after washing?
1st method
We know how to safely stretch a shrunken woolen item. First, fill a bowl with warm water and add 1-2 tablespoons per liter of vinegar or sodium borate. Soak the item in the solution, and during the process periodically stretch the material under water. After 30 minutes, gently squeeze out excess water and wrap the sweater in a towel in the same way as you did with the cotton cloth.
2nd method
Wet the top of the sweater with cold water using a dispenser and place it on a towel. Then pull your shoulders up and secure them with a book. Leave the structure in a cool place and do not touch it all night. The next day, an expensive wool item will return to your wardrobe.
We restore shrunken synthetic fiber items
What to do if things made of viscose or polyester shrink? The shrinkage process is similar to the cotton recovery process. Add a tablespoon of shampoo or conditioner to 1 liter of warm water in a deep container. Synthetic fabric should be soaked for no more than 15-20 minutes. Then remove the item from the water, but under no circumstances squeeze it out - the fabric is very sensitive. Start the stretching process while the clothes are still quite damp. Repeat the operation with rolling in a towel until the fabric is completely dry.
How to wash things correctly so that they do not shrink?
It is enough to follow the basic rules so that you do not have to restore shrunken items.
Rule 1: Read the labels
Obviously, but not everyone follows this rule. But in vain. It is the label that will tell you how to properly care for each individual item.
2nd rule - do not wash in hot water
New clothes, especially bright ones, which you wash in hot water, even if they don’t shrink, will definitely lose their shade saturation. If you don't want to stretch your favorite item, just lower the washing temperature.
3rd rule - do not overload the washing machine
By loading your washing machine to capacity, you not only save resources, but also damage your clothes. Overloading the washing machine can seriously harm your clothes, including deforming them.
4th rule - use the correct washing mode
Different modes were invented for a reason - what is good for sneakers is disastrous for silk blouses. Follow the instructions on the inside label and set the correct wash cycle, otherwise you will end up with shrunken items.
Rule 5: Avoid tumble drying
Dry clothes outdoors in the shade. To avoid deformation, use horizontal drying with shape control. You must understand that an item can suffer not only from improper washing, but also drying.
Why things can shrink
An item may lose its original size for several reasons:
- The user has selected the wrong wash temperature. The fiber structure of the fabric may change if the temperature is set far from the recommended values. The rotating drum also makes its contribution and aggravates the situation.
- The user selected the spin incorrectly. It is necessary to select the optimal values for the speed and nature of the spin cycle so as not to spoil the item. For some products, using a spin cycle is completely prohibited: if you don’t know this, you can inadvertently damage your clothes.
If an item shrinks after washing despite the fact that you followed all the recommendations, most likely it is because it is made of natural fabric. They shrink much more than synthetics, so it is recommended to wash these clothes by hand.
How to stretch a shrunken viscose item. Let's act tougher
If following the simplest tips you cannot save a viscose item, you will have to resort to “improved” methods. Experienced housewives advise not to get upset, but to adopt backup options.
A solution of soda, table vinegar, a hair dryer, or a weight suspended from the hem can help return the shape of a shrunken viscose item.
You can try to return the product to its original appearance.
- Prepare a solution of soda (in proportions of 1 tsp per glass of water), moisten a piece of gauze in it. Then you should put a gauze cloth on your clothes and run an iron over it with a steam generator setting.
- Moisten the item in clean water, then treat it with a similar soda solution. Next, you need to roll a viscose blouse or dress into a tube and carefully pull its edges. Then the thing unfolds and twists again, but in the opposite direction. The stretching procedure is repeated. At the end of the manipulations, the product should be rinsed and dried.
- Take a cotton sheet and wet it with a soda solution (one teaspoon of soda per 300 ml of water). The sheet is placed on a horizontal surface and straightened out. The shrunken viscose item should be placed on the canvas and covered with the free edge of the sheet. Wait two hours, then rinse the clothes and dry them.
- Stretch the completely dampened viscose sweater over the back of a chair, box, and dry with a hairdryer.
- Use a weight. This method is suitable when the item has decreased in length. If the hem is shortened, the bottom of the underwear is “grabbed” with an elastic band, where a light weight (400 grams) is then hung. Similar actions can be performed with shrunken sleeves or shorter trousers. In this position, the item can hang for a maximum of an hour, otherwise the bottom will stretch too much and be uneven.
- Moisten the viscose with a vinegar solution (100 ml of vinegar and half a liter of water). The item should be stretched out on a hard surface and secured on four sides with heavy objects. After 30 minutes, you need to rinse the product.
Bringing coats back to life
Washing outerwear always causes a lot of trouble, and cleaning a woolen coat is doubly problematic. High temperature or too intense spinning and the item is damaged.
You can correct the situation if you use an iron with a steam function. How to do it:
- Lay a blanket on an ironing board or large table, depending on the size of the product.
- Place a cotton cloth or diaper on top of the blanket.
- Moisten the coat with a spray bottle. If you restore it immediately after stripping, then you need to let it dry a little.
- Cover the product with a thin cotton cloth on top.
- Iron the coat and at the same time stretch it in the desired direction.
- Try to use more steam.
How to stretch a wool sweater after shrinking. How to stretch a shrunken wool sweater
Many of their owners face the problem of shrinkage of woolen products. This happens if things are washed in too hot water, the washing powder, the washing and rinsing mode in the washing machine are selected incorrectly. The drying method also matters. Therefore, the question of how to stretch a shrunken wool sweater is quite relevant.
You will need
- - hangers;
- - iron;
- - gauze;
- - hydrogen peroxide;
- - vinegar;
- - ammonia;
- - vodka;
- - turpentine.
Instructions
1
Wet the entire sweater except the neck and shoulders. Wrap it in a towel for 5-10 minutes to absorb moisture. Under no circumstances should you twist the item. After this, try to stretch it down and to the sides and hang it on the trempel to dry. But first wrap the hangers with something soft so that the item does not become deformed.
2
Wet the sweater in cool water, wring it lightly in a towel, and then leave it to dry flat. From time to time you should come up and stretch the sweater with your hands in width, incl. and his sleeves. When almost dry, hang it on a hanger for airing.
3
Turn on the iron and add more steam water. Separately, fill a spray bottle with water and vinegar. Spray the sweater and begin treating it with hot steam without touching the wool itself. While it is hot, quickly stretch it and, in a stretched state, without letting go of your hands, cool it.
4
You can try to stretch the sweater by steaming it with an iron through a damp cloth - gauze or a cotton sheet. But remember that this should be done at a low temperature so that the item does not “shrink” even more.
5
Rinse the sweater in cool water with added hydrogen peroxide (2 tbsp per bucket of water). Stretch it when rinsing. Then leave the item in this water for an hour or an hour and a half. Then take it out, squeeze it lightly and dry it on a towel, stretching it periodically.
6
Try soaking a shrunken sweater in a vinegar solution (1:2), and after an hour, boil it. In some cases, the wool item stretches.
7
If you place the sweater for an hour in this solution: 5 liters of water with the addition of ammonia (3 tbsp), vodka (1 tbsp) and turpentine (1 tbsp), and then rinse in cool water, then maybe , you will also be able to stretch it. In this case, the wool becomes more elastic, and you can try pulling it out.
8
A not entirely pleasant, but in many cases an effective way to stretch a thing is to put it on yourself while wet and dry it that way. If possible, you can use a mannequin. Just remember to tie the weights evenly across the sleeves and hem.
9
Also, a very good way to stretch your favorite sweater is to first draw its pattern on a stiff material (for example, a blanket) and baste the wet item to this pattern. You will succeed especially well if the sweater is knitted or crocheted at home and can be ripped apart by drying each piece separately on a blanket.
note
If a woolen item has shrunk or become matted, you will not be able to return it to its original appearance. This is the nature of wool. You have a chance to correct something only if the material from which the sweater is knitted contains synthetic fibers or if the percentage of shrinkage was small.
Mechanical and thermal recovery method
You can restore shrunken clothing by mechanically stretching it with your hands or by attaching it to a mannequin of a suitable size.
- You need to start working by soaking the deformed product in warm water for 15-20 minutes.
- After this time, the woolen item is removed from the container and laid out on a wire rack located above the bathtub or basin.
- When the excess liquid has drained, the product is dried a little, wrapped in a terry towel, and then pulled onto the prepared mannequin.
- While the sweater is drying, you need to periodically come up and pull the sleeves and fronts down.
To stretch a wool hat, just soak it in warm water, add a little shampoo or conditioner, and stretch it onto a 3-liter jar. The product will dry and acquire the desired size.
Sometimes the problem can be solved by steaming with an iron. The ironing board is covered with damp gauze. A woolen product is laid out on it, covered with another layer of wet fabric and steamed with an iron. When wet material is heated, a powerful stream of steam is formed, which passes through the wool, slightly pushing the fibers apart.
