How come, when I am at my house, my clothes are fine after a 1 hour dryer cyclebut, when I go and visit my mother and do my laundry at her place, my clothes ALWAYS shrink in hers for the same amount of time?What causes clothes to shrink and is it preventable?
I'm waiting for more replies before I post my opinion
That's the result of the weave pattern chosen by the manufacturer, the fiber initially being a woven cloth before curing: No doubt the weave pattern is one that is shown to give good performanceedit Excellent explanation by tomsing98-
You must understand your clothes and what material they areI have discovered the washing in cooler waters and drying on cooler settings seem to work best if you don't want something to shrinkYour Mom's dryer may be hotter then yoursI never leave clothes in the dryer that might shrink due to heatI will put on special hangers and dry them until almost dry hanging in the bathroom, then iron if needed thenIt seems to work best that wayThere 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(Especially if using really hot water!)
