When do fabrics shrink in the drying process?

Question

If I put a cotton t-shirt in the dryer and set it on high for a while and then reduced it to low for the final 5 minutes (when it was still a little damp), then would the t-shirt shrink like it was dried on high for the entire time?????

Answer 1

Don't dry on high heat as the high temperature is what shrinks the cotton. Dry on low heat or perm press :)

Answer 2

If I were you and you have a cotton shirt that you don't want to shrink, I would 1- not dry it at all, either dry it flat or hanging from the bottom of the shirt on a clothes line or clipped to the bottom part of a hanger. 2 - wash it only in cold water. For a polished look iron your shirt when it is barely damp. The slight amount of moisture will help erase wrinkles.

Any heat at all, either in the dryer or in the washer will make cotton shrink. The shrinkage in the dryer usually happens with in the first 20 minutes of drying especially on high heat.

If you prefer to wash and dry with heat, I would buy all of your more than 60% cotton clothing in at least one size bigger than what you normally wear. If it's 100% cotton, I would buy it probably 2 sizes larger.

Answer 3

Yes, with some fabrics it will shrink even if air dried, but generally the hotter the drying temp...the more shrinkage you will get