How to wash a woolen item so that it shrinks?

Everyone has had a situation where their favorite knitted sweater has stretched out. As soon as you pull the collar unsuccessfully or dry things in the wrong position, it doesn’t fit your figure the way you would like. And it happens that after losing weight there is not a single thing that fits in size. Do not despair - products made from natural wool can be slightly adjusted in size by washing. So, how to wash a sweater, hat or jacket so that the item shrinks?

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.

Washing rules to make woolen items shrink

In order to “plant” a knitted item, you need to pay attention to several parameters. If you follow all of them, you will be able to carry out the procedure without incident, as a result of which you will have a sweater of the ideal size.

Temperature

First, pay attention to the label on your item, as the temperature at which it should be washed is always written above it. Since we are pursuing slightly different goals and want the product to change slightly, we should “conjure” with the temperature regime. Usually The optimal temperature for washing wool is 30–40 °C, we need to increase it by 20 °C to make the clothes smaller.

Mode

The most The best option is to wash the item by hand. However, if you are lazy or simply don’t have enough time, use a washing machine. To do this, set it to one of the following modes:

• "wool". Its settings are usually set to a small number of revolutions. This is a good feature because at high speeds a wool sweater can change from adult to child size;
• “hand wash”, “children’s mode”. These programs are also quite delicate, so they are suitable for washing.

Hand knitted item

The problem with hand-knitted items is often that there may not be a tag on it indicating the specific material and the required washing temperature. If you are sure that the hat you bought from a craftswoman is truly completely natural, then you can try reducing its size by steaming. Do this through a cloth so as not to damage the delicate texture. If you do not have accurate information about the composition of the yarn, then it is better to wait with steaming. Try reducing it using the washing method.

Machine knitted item

An important feature of wool products is that they will retain the shape in which they dry. Therefore, if dried incorrectly, even machine knitting can suffer and stretch. This can be corrected by drying the sweater again. For this:

• wash the sweater or just soak it well in water. It must be completely saturated. If you are afraid that it will shrink very much in the water, then use a contrasting method: do not immediately soak the item in too hot water;
• After this, remove the clothing, but do not wring or twist it - this will damage the fibers again. It is better to place it on a flat surface (for example, in a bathtub, basin or on a special board) in a free position and allow excess water to drain;
• wrap it in a thick cloth or terry towel that will absorb unnecessary moisture. This method will replace traditional squeezing;
• change the fabric or towel, spread it on a flat surface, and place your sweater on top. Give it the desired shape, for example, lay a collar or adjust it in length. This is the form the product will be in when it dries.

Important! Wool takes a long time to dry; at room temperature it can dry for 2–3 days. Make sure that it does not acquire an unpleasant musty smell, so if necessary, change the towel on which it lies.

How to reduce size by washing?

If you chose the washing method to change the size, then do the following:

• wash the product at a temperature of about 50–60 °C manually or in a washing machine on a delicate cycle;
• You can put the item in cold water and rinse it. This step can be skipped;
• let the excess water drain, do not twist the woolen fabric - it will become deformed;
• Dry on a flat surface, place a cloth underneath to absorb excess moisture.

What can I do to make the item fit only in width?

If your wool blouse or skirt suits you completely in length, but is clearly stretched in width, there is a way out. To do this, you also need to wet or wash it, also dry it in a thick towel and lay it out on a flat surface. Perform some manipulations:

• pin the item to the towel at the top and bottom so that it cannot decrease in length;
• As for the width, during the drying process, shape it as you wish.

How to wash so that only the sleeves shrink?

If you are not satisfied with only the sleeves in a knitted product (for example, you pulled them unsuccessfully when putting on a sweater), then you can try to reduce only their length or width. For this:

• spray the sleeves with water from a special spray bottle or simply wet them carefully without touching other areas;
• lay the item horizontally again, straighten the sleeves and give them the required shape in length or width;
• wait for it to dry.

Advice! You can also try simply steaming only the sleeves. The main thing is that hot steam does not get on the main part of the blouse.

How to wash something made from several different materials?

If the product contains both natural and synthetic materials, pay attention to the specific composition and recommended temperature conditions. Unfortunately, synthetic things are quite difficult to revive.

For example, it is almost impossible to shrink polyester. However, we advise you to try reducing the size of the item first only in those areas that have stretched. Also, do not immediately use extremely high temperatures - the wool contained in the composition may still shrink to child size. It is better to use the contrast wash method.

Ways to prevent woolen items from stretching after washing

In order to avoid the not-so-pleasant procedure of shrinking your favorite sweater, follow some rules during and after washing it:

• If possible, wash it in warm water by hand or use a delicate machine wash cycle;
• do not twist it when squeezing, let the water drain in its natural position;
• Do not dry the item in a vertical position: always lay it out on a flat surface;
• do not dry it on a hot radiator or in the open sun, as it will not only lose its shape, but may also fade;
• it must be ironed either through a cloth or by steaming without contact with the hairs;
• Do not dry or store knitted sweaters on hangers - they will definitely stretch out. It's better to keep them folded in the closet.