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by deuce101 on November 9th, 2005

deuce101

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Do clothes shrink in the washer or the dryer?

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Answers. 11 helpful answers below.

  • by Jodie44 on November 27th, 2005

    Jodie44

    I agree with David. Heat does a number on anything, including laundry. It's been my experience that the hot air in a dryer causes more shrinkage than hot water in the washer, but hot water still shrinks anything susceptible to getting shrunk, like cotton. Washing in warm (not hot) water, then skipping the dryer and hanging the clothes out to air dry has always worked pretty well. Again, I agree with David - cold water/air is your best bet for no shrinking at all, and it's probably easier on the clothes. Drying on a low heat setting, like permanent press, for only five or ten minutes shouldn't cause much shrinking, depending on the specific fabric. Good luck!

    To mb: it's so nice that your pup has a coat in cold weather.You have to watch those canines, though. My golden retriever used to sneak into my closet and take my dry cleaning. She'd get dressed up and go shopping while I was at work. I only caught on when she forgot to brush all that blonde-red hair off a black sweater. What a bitch:)

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  • by Galeanda on January 16th, 2008

    Galeanda

    Either can do a great job of making your clothes one size or 5 sizes smaller:-)

    But only with hot water and high heat. Cold will not shrink most fibers.

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  • by david askari on November 14th, 2005

    david askari

    No, clothes do not shrink in a dryer or washer if you use cold water and air only for the dryer. But heats things up, some might. Heat also does weird stuff to everything as a general rule.

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  • by Harry Balzac on October 20th, 2008

    Harry Balzac

    Clothes washed in hot or warm water then rinsed in cold water will shrink when dried. It will even shrink if it is line-dried. The only way to lessen shrinkage is to wash and rinse in cold/cold or warm/warm.

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  • by Dirty D on November 11th, 2009

    Dirty D

    I think the washer. Especially if it's set too hot. That's why I prefer to use the warm instead of hot setting. If the shirt's printed or decorated I let it line dry though because a long time ago I had a decoration or whatever you want to call it get messed up in the dryer.

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  • by Eltinwe has a life Swan - DYOH on January 16th, 2008

    Eltinwe has a life Swan - DYOH

    Fabric shrinks with heat, regardless of the source. If you're washing in warm or hot water, they'll shrink in the washer. If you're drying with heat, they'll shrink in the dryer. If you're doing both, they'll shrink in both.

    When in doubt, read the tags. ALL store-bought garments have tags in them with care instructions. MOST clothing does better washed in cold and dried in air, whether hung, laid or tumbled, but without heat. Also, even when things can be dried in heat, it is often best to dry them only to damp and then hang them until they dry the rest of the way. In any case, ALWAYS follow the tag directions. If it says hand wash cold or dry clean only, don't EVER put them in the washing machine.

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  • by RedJohn on November 28th, 2005

    RedJohn

    Most of the shrinkage occurs during the first couple of times an article of clothing is washed. Almost all fabrics, particularly natural ones such as cotton and wool, will shrink after washing and drying. Some products are pre-shrunk, so the amount of shrinkage that you experience may be quite minimal. Cotton fabrics that have not been prewashed and are loosely woven (e.g., homespun) may shrink by up to 10% during their first wash / dry cycle. These fabrics are not commonly used these days during industrial manufacture of clothing, but may be found in clothes made from homemade fabrics. Washing in cold water results in less shrinkage, generally, and hanging to dry less than using a heated dryer. Many fabrics will shrink slightly during a wash / dry cycle, but will then stretch back out to size during wear.

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  • by lincoln on January 19th, 2006

    lincoln

    I agree with red john, clothes will shrink the first time they are put through the dryer

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  • by Anonymous on July 30th, 2007

    Anonymous

    does vinyl shrink in a wash/dry cycle?

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  • by Anonymous on January 13th, 2008

    Anonymous

    We went to buy a new washer and dryer because our clothes were shrinking every time we washed them. No matter how many times they had been washed. Shrinking to the point that we would wash never before worn clothes and we couldn't wear them because they shrunk WAY to much.

    We got tired of spending money on clothes only to never be able to wear them. So we went to buy new ones.

    We told the sales person what the problem was and he said that it is actually usually the washer that shrinks the clothes. Not the dryer. I can not remember the exact reason he gave for it. But it's a misconception that only the dryer shrinks clothes. It is usually the washer.
    After he told us this, I did a load of laundry and took a look at the clothes before putting them in the dryer and sure enough, they had shrunk.

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  • by miranda.syscomm@gmail.com on February 22nd, 2010

    miranda.syscomm@gmail.com

    It is possible for clothes to shrink in the dryer, especially some fabrics that are dried at high temperatures. Another solution is to use a free standing clothes dryers, they can be easily assembled and put away when not in use. Have a look:
    http://www.caraselledirect.com/_/3_tier_chrome_folding_clothes_dryer.1566-1.php?Referrer=SLI&View_Type=Search

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