

Soak the cotton garment in the tub and gently agitate it with your hands.Prepare a clean sink or tub with warm water and soap made for washing clothes by hand.Here are a few basic steps to follow when handwashing your cotton garments: This method gives your cotton clothing the best opportunity to retain its shape and lengthen its life. The best option for maintaining your clothes' integrity is handwashing them. If you want to keep using your washer on cotton clothing, make sure to set your washer to the coldest setting on a delicate cycle. It takes extra work to ensure you're doing what's right for your cotton garment, but it's worth it to keep your clothes for longer. Sometimes it becomes too easy to throw all the laundry in together. It may take a little extra time and care, but it's worth it to preserve the shirts, undies, sweaters, and other cotton clothing you adore. There are other options you can try to reduce some of the shrinkage that comes along with cotton. You don't have to remain stuck in the cycle of washing cotton clothing, machine-drying it, and trying to stretch it out enough to wear it. When you wash your cotton shirt or underwear, these fibers shrink back down with agitation and heat. When these garments go through manufacturing, these fibers stretch out. So, how much does cotton usually shrink? The way cotton garments become smaller in size is because their fibers are shorter than other garments' fibers.

DOES COTTON SHRINK HOW TO
If you've found that your favorite cotton shirt or child's cotton underwear are shrinking, you might be wondering how much cotton is supposed to shrink and how to make it stop. Sometimes clothes that are supposed to be air-dried are accidentally thrown into the dryer with the durable garments. In addition, when considering clothing made with organic cotton, some items may be processed further and may include harsh chemicals and dyes.It's always a sad day when you pull an item out of the dryer, only to see that it's almost half the size it was when it went into the washer. What Are the Disadvantages of Organic Cotton?īecause it generally costs more to produce organic cotton products, they are likely to cost more than their non-organic counterparts. Don’t bleach the garment or use fabric softener or stain removers. If the clothes dryer must be used, set it on the lowest setting. As a general rule of thumb, organic cotton should be washed in cold or warm water with a delicate detergent and then line dried. How to Reduce Organic Cotton ShrinkageĪs with any fabric, your first line of defense to reduce organic cotton from shrinking is to read and follow the garment’s care label. Though most organic cotton is produced in India, in the United States, you will know if the organic cotton item you purchase meets this requirement if it has the certified USDA organic seal. Furthermore, the seed cannot be genetically engineered. It must be grown without the use of synthetic fertilizers or toxic and persistent pesticides. All the cotton sold as organic in the United States must meet strict federal regulations concerning how the cotton is grown. If you are purchasing a product made with organic cotton, it means that the cotton growers utilized farming methods that had a low impact on the environment. What Are the Disadvantages of Organic Cotton?.
