i never did understand why clothes shrink if they have a lot of cotton in them
I have an offset smoker and done what you are talking about using a 3'x3' welding blanket draped over the smoking chamber onlyNOT over the firebox section and NOT over the chimney My blanket was made by a company called Tillman and said it was 'heavy duty' and would not melt below 1200 degreesI use it mostly to smoke Canadian Bacon and Pastrami in December for Christmas presentsUsing it cuts down on the fuel used and number of trips to monitor temperature.
Why do cotton and wool shrink when you wash them? There are two kinds of shrinkageProgressive shrinkage occurs when the fiber itself shrinksWool fiber shrinks a little more each time it is washed, which is why wool is usually dry cleanedRelaxation shrinkage is when the fabric shrinksIt is caused by the tension applied to yarns and fabrics during constructionThe tension is released when the fabric is washed or steam pressed, causing it to shrink to its natural sizeMost cotton fabric shrinkage occurs during the first wash.
