How to care for your clothing: Will it shrink?

If it's made of cotton, you are pretty much guaranteed it will shrink if you put it in the dryer.  Cotton doesn't shrink a great deal (if at all) in width; but can significantly shrink in length. 

For those of you who buy wide, baggy clothing with the idea you can shrink to fit, you are probably in for disappointment.  However, if you are hoping to lose an inch or two on the length, throw it in the dryer on high and there is a good chance your wishes will be granted.

If you love the length and fit of your pants or shirts, I don't recommend you dry them.  Wash them in cold water (if they are machine washable) and then hang them to dry.  However, remember that you may need to touch them up with an iron since the dryer is like a huge steam iron and you are missing this step when you hang dry.  See my previous post about how to prevent wrinkles.

One of the most common washing instructions is "Machine wash cold, tumble dry low."  Danger Will Robinson!  Danger!  I think many textile manufacturers believe, we as the consumer, know their fabric will shrink if we follow these washing instructions.  On the contrary, we as consumers blindly believe if we follow the washing instructions, our clothing will look exactly as it did when we first bought it.  I expect you all know by now, this is far from reality.

If you don't care if you lose an inch in length (or more depending on what it is), go ahead and tumble dry.  However, if you need every last millimeter of length, or love the fit as it is, ignore these instructions and wash on cold and hang dry.  Your clothing will last longer and look better for it.

Perhaps the washing instructions are a marketing ploy to get us to buy more clothing since we keep shrinking our favorite clothes when we "machine wash cold and tumble dry low."  Apparel Manufacturers, heed my advice: I don't know about you, but most men I know are aversive to shrinkage!

-Lisa Bruckner, Hendricks Park

Comments

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