When you put on pants that normally fit you well, they seem to get a little tighter, which makes you nervous, especially if they are your favourite pants. But don’t worry, it could be caused by denim shrinkage rather than you getting wider. Is it true that the dryer shrinks them, or was it made up by a group of people who refuse to admit they gained weight?
Does the dryer shrink pants?
When you put on the pants you took out of the dryer and they are tight and difficult to put on, it is not a figment of your imagination; they may have shrunk in the dryer. This rumour is true. You can also get the same effect by ironing them at a high temperature.
Why do pants shrink?
Denim shrinks in size because heat causes the fibres to tighten and shrink. When you put wet pants in the dryer at high temperatures, they will dry, but their size will change, resulting in a smaller pair of pants.
How to Shrink Pants?
If you’ve lost weight or simply bought the wrong size of pants, you can use this technique to shrink them. Fill your washing machine with hot water and place your pants inside. Close the washer and leave your pants to wash for a few hours. Put them in the dryer on high heat and you’re done (you’ll get slightly smaller pants). Soak them in boiling water for about 30 minutes before putting them in the dryer to shrink them significantly.
How do you avoid shrinkage?
If you like your pants just the way they are, you can prevent them from shrinking. Wash your pants in cold or regular water, then air dry. Since the air is not hot, it will not shrink the fibres of your pants. However, leave them for a long time as they take a long time to dry this way.
How much does denim shrink when washed and dried?
Denim shrinks when washed and dried. Reduce shrinkage by controlling the process by lowering the water and dryer temperatures. Machine washing and drying causes fabric shrinkage. The amount that a specific denim shrinks depends in part on whether the manufacturer took steps to control fabric shrinkage during the manufacturing process.
What exactly is relaxation shrinkage?
The yarns and fabric are kept under tension during the processes of spinning fibres into yarn and weaving yarns into fabric. When the fabric is wet, this tension is released, causing the yarns and weave to “relax” and the fabric dimensions to shrink.
If you’ve ever noticed that your blue denim fits tighter in the waist when you first put them on after washing, but then loosens up after about an hour, it’s because the relaxation shrinkage was reversed when tension was reintroduced, resulting in denim waistband stretching. More washing can cause progressive shrinkage. The first wash cycle usually causes most of the shrinkage a garment will experience through relaxation. The additional shrinkage in subsequent wash cycles is called progressive shrinkage. Usually, after 5 wash cycles, the shrinkage is complete and the garment will no longer shrink over time.
How much shrinkage does denim experience?
Expect up to 4% shrinkage in general, which means that denim with a 32′′ inseam will shrink 1 to 1¼” in length. Because there is less tension applied in that direction during fabric construction, the width is much less prone to shrinkage. This varies depending on the brand and the style. The apparel industry considers shrinkage of more than 5% to be unacceptable.
How to decrease shrinkage?
- Using cold water reduces shrinkage.
Changing your washing habits can help to limit or prevent normal fabric shrinkage.
Lower the wash temperature. Washing in hot water can cause fabric shrinkage, so use cold water instead to help preserve fabric length. - Reduce the drying temperature. Higher drying temperatures can cause shrinkage in the same way that higher wash temperatures can.Allow to air dry. Instead of putting your jeans in the dryer, air dry them. Look for denim that has been pre-shrunk.
If the fabric manufacturer includes any process that reduces future shrinkage of the fabric, or if the denim manufacturer pre-washes the fabric to relax it before sewing the denim, those items should be labelled “Preshrunk.” When washed and dried at home, a garment that has been preshrunk may shrink slightly. Preshrunk processes generally aim to keep shrinkage to less than 1%.
What about “shrink-to-fit” denim?
Some denim is designed to fit you after washing and drying, and they need to shrink slightly for this to work. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions, including the size you should buy, so that the denim fits true to size once it has shrunk.
Reintroducing tension in the fabric lengthwise to stretch the denim legs is more difficult, though hanging them by the ankles to air dry (rather than the waist) may help a little as the weight of the wet fabric applies some tension on the legs, allowing them to stretch.
