How to Avoid Stretching and Shrinking of your Clothes after a Wash

All clothes shrink and stretch after a laundry wash. The way clothes react when washed has a lot to do with how they are manufactured, the fibers used, and their weave. For instance, natural fibers like wool, cotton, and bamboo stretch more than synthetic fibers such as polyester, nylon, and acrylic. In terms of fabric weaves, if they’re loose, they tend to stretch more, and if they’re tightly bound, then they don’t.

Our professional launderers at Imperial Valet have brought some laundry techniques for you to save your clothes from unnecessary shrink and stretch after a laundry wash.

Read labels Before Purchase

A picture of a clothing label

When purchasing clothes check their labels first. If you buy clothes made from natural fibers, purchase ones with a preshrunk label. Some clothing brands stretch and shrink their material before stitching it into garments, allowing them to save a little money on the side. Secondly, if the fabric is shrunk before being made into the final product, it will neither shrink nor stretch.

Read Care Labels After Purchase

Some garments aren’t washer and dryer-friendly. Some clothes are delicate, and they’re most likely to shrink when put in a drying while others end up stretching a lot more than usual. It’s better to play it safe and follow the clothing brand’s care guidelines when home-washing all such fabrics.
Use Cold Water

When home-washing, it’s better to use cold water unless you are washing towels, bedsheets, and blankets, as these need to be washed with hot water to kill bacteria and germs. While there will still be a little bit of shrinking, it wouldn’t be as bad as hot water.

Air Dry

Don’t tumble dry your clothes and other linen if you have time at your disposal. Allow them to air dry to avoid shrinking and stretching. If, for some reason, it isn’t possible for you to air dry your clothes, then use a dryer instead. Remove the clothes before they’re completely dry, and then air dry. In short, just like excessive heat is bad for hair, in the same way, extreme heat is terrible for your fabric as well.

Try to Go for a Regular Wash

Have you ever noticed how some of your clothes end up stretching more than others? To avoid such situations, avoid irregular washing techniques as an irregular wash makes the fibers in a garment relax and become looser. So once all such clothes are washed, they stretch. To avoid this from happening, wash those types of garments more frequently.

Still Not Sure? Get in Touch with a Professional

Get in touch with us at Imperial Valet for professional dry-cleaning, wash and fold service, and laundry pick and drop services. You can also call us at (202) 785-1444 for emergency service.