Why Clothes Shrink in a Dryer
Many theories circulate as to why clothes are smaller when you pull them out of the dryer. In an attempt to debunk some of the myths, Whirlpool, a leading appliance company, conducted a test to determine where in the laundering process the clothes actually shrink, and the results are quite surprising. Does this Spark an idea?
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Manufacturing
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The primary reason that new clothes shrink in the dryer is due to the manufacturing processes. During manufacturing, fabric is stretched with increasing pressure to artificially increase its woven size. While this does save money for the manufacturers, it results in the fabric's fibers shrinking back to the natural size upon the first washing. In this case, it is the water that causes the shrinking, not the heat of the dryer.
Hot Wash Cycle
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While water itself will cause some shrinking, hot water causes the most fabric shrinking. According to the Whirlpool study, the warmer the washing water, the greater the shrinking that will occur. To avoid over-shrinking your clothes, wash them in cold water with a liquid detergent.
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Dryer's Spinning Action
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The other shocking result of the Whirlpool study was the fact that the dryer's heat was not at fault for shrinking rather it was the dryer's spinning action. In the study, the heating element was removed from one dryer and identical pieces of cotton fabric placed into one with a heating element and one without. Both fabrics shrunk by 20 percent. The only difference was that the heating element caused the shrinking and drying to happen faster.
Not Following Directions
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Another common reason for clothes shrinking in the dryer is the lack of proper care. Many garments, even some with natural fibers, cannot be placed into the washing machine or the dryer. When they are, the fibers undergo stress and shrink. Always read your clothing care labels before washing the garments to avoid unnecessary shrinking.
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References
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