Clothes that have become too small

Short answer: Clothes rarely get smaller on their own. Shrinking is almost always caused by too high a temperature in the wash or the dryer, and it can be prevented entirely by sticking to forty degrees and skipping the tumble dryer.

Heat is the cause

Fibres contract at high heat, and the garment becomes shorter and narrower. It does not happen slowly over many washes but often all at once, when the temperature is too high. That is why it matters to wash at forty degrees, even soft layers you might be tempted to wash hotter, see bamboo sweatshirt for women.

The tumble dryer shrinks the most

Tumble drying on high heat shrinks more than the wash itself. The heat combined with the movement makes the fibres contract while the fabric is wet and most vulnerable. Hang your clothes on a rack or a hanger instead. It takes longer, but the garment keeps its size, see bamboo T-shirts for women.

Read the care label

The label in the garment tells you what temperature it can take. It is not a recommendation but a ceiling. If you wash several items together, choose the lowest temperature among them. That way no single piece shrinks just because the rest of the load could handle more heat.

Watch out for warm spots at home

It is not only the machine and dryer that shrink clothes. A wet garment hung directly on a hot radiator, or in full sun on a hot day, can also contract. Hang it somewhere airy at normal room temperature instead, where it can dry at a steady pace without getting hot.

Can you stretch it back

Partly. Soak the garment in lukewarm water so the fibres soften again. Press out the water gently without wringing and lay it on a towel. Then ease it back into shape, lengthwise and widthwise, and let it dry flat. You rarely get the original size back, but often enough to wear it, see bamboo tops for women.

Check the fit after the first wash

The first wash shows how a new garment behaves. Measure the length of a new top before and after if you are unsure how it handles washing. If it is the same, your routine is fine. If it has got shorter, the temperature needs to come down before it affects anything else.

Wash less often when you can

The fewer washes a garment gets, the fewer chances it has to shrink. Tops worn only briefly can often just be aired and hung aside. That applies especially to thick jumpers that rarely sit directly on the skin. Underwear and the innermost layer should still be washed after every wear.

When it cannot be saved

If a garment has shrunk a lot, it can be hard to get it back to its old size. It may still be useful in another way, such as a closer fitting layer under a looser jumper, or for wearing at home. And it is a good reminder to turn the heat down next time.

Frequently asked questions

Why do clothes shrink

Because the fibres contract at high heat. Both washing and drying above forty degrees can do it, and the tumble dryer is the worst culprit.

Can you get shrunken clothes back into shape

Partly. Soak them in lukewarm water, ease them gently into shape and let them dry flat on a towel rather than hanging.

How do you avoid shrinking

Wash at forty degrees and avoid the tumble dryer. Those are the only two things that really matter.