How to Shrink Cotton Fabrics

You should shrink 100% cotton before cutting and sewing it to prevent form shrinking in a way that will affect what you make. Likewise, when wearing cotton clothes, they should be bought a little large and shrunk prior to wearing. This way they don't shrink over time and become too small.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Wash the fabric in hot water. Cotton fibers swell when as they absorb water. This swelling causes the length to shrink.

2. Dry on the highest heat setting available on your dryer. The shrinking becomes permanent when you dry the cotton fabric quickly. Laying the fabric flat to dry or drying on low heat will allow the fiber to go back into their original form as they dry.

3. Some cottons, including cotton purchased by the yard, may need the process repeated once or twice to ensure that it shrunk completely.

Tips & Warnings

• Make sure to read the labels before you purchase any fabrics or clothing. If they are not 100% cotton, they will not shrink the same. They also must not be pre-shrunk; the label tells you if the fabric was pre-shrunk by the manufacturer.