Cotton and linen clothing are made of natural fibers, and their most famous features are natural, breathable, comfortable and healthy. A piece of cotton and linen clothing will shrink a little after the first wash. This is expected and normal. The shrinkage of natural fiber clothing is mainly caused by factors such as temperature, humidity and mechanical movement. When washing cotton and linen clothes, it is inevitable that the clothes will shrink due to contact with water. The factors we can control are temperature and mechanical movement.
1. Temperature
When washing cotton and linen clothes, only cold water can be used, and the temperature should be controlled below 60°C, preferably around 40°C. Once you use warm water, even just once, it will cause the clothes to shrink. When washing clothes in cold water, the clothes will not shrink due to temperature factors.
2. Mechanical movement
When washing clothes, the clothes need to be kneaded, especially when washed in hot water. They are repeatedly squeezed and kneaded, and the fibers are entangled and felted with each other. The gaps between the fibers become smaller and become closer, and they can no longer return to their original state of dispersion. Shrink the fabric into a tight state. Therefore, when washing cotton and linen clothes, you should first wash away serious stains on the clothes by gently rubbing them, and then rub and rinse the clothes as a whole.
3. Drying
When washing clothes, you may have done a good job, but cotton and linen clothes will eventually shrink. So what is the problem? After the clothes are washed, incorrect drying methods can also cause the clothes to shrink. For example, in order to dry clothes quickly, placing clothes in the sun or using a hot hair dryer to dry clothes will increase the temperature of the clothes, causing the clothes to shrink due to higher temperature changes. The correct way to dry cotton and linen clothes is to place the clothes on a clean and flat surface and let them dry in a cool and ventilated place. If you want to dry clothes quickly, you can use multiple hangers to hang the clothes to dry, or use a fan to dry the clothes to avoid them being stretched and deformed by hanging as a whole.