When your favorite dress or shirt shrinks in the wash, it can be devastating, especially if you followed the instructions closely.
Unfortunately, some fabrics just seem to be more prone to shrinking than others—but why?
Understanding more about the science of textile fibers can not only help you prevent the shrinkage of clothing, but also might help you “rescue” the occasional garment after a laundry accident.
It’s all down to the fibers
To know more about clothing shrinkage, we first need to understand a little about how textiles are made.
Common textile fibers, such as cotton and linen, are made from plants. These fibers are irregular and crinkled in their natural form. If you zoom deeper inside them, you’ll see millions of tiny, long-chain cellulose molecules that naturally exist in coiled or convoluted shapes.
During textile manufacturing, these fibers are mechanically pulled, stretched and twisted to straighten and align these cellulose chains together. This creates smooth, long threads.
On a chemical level, there are also links between the chains called hydrogen bonds. These strengthen the fiber and the thread and make it more cohesive.
Threads are woven or knitted into fabrics, which locks in the tension that holds those fibers side by side.
However, these fibers have good “memory.” Whenever they’re exposed to heat, moisture or mechanical action (such as agitation in your washing machine), they tend to relax and return to their original crinkled state.
This fiber memory is why some fabrics wrinkle so easily and why some of them may even shrink after washing.
How does washing shrink the fabric?
To understand shrinkage, we again need to zoom down to the molecular level. During laundering, hot water helps to increase the energy level of fibers—this means they shake more rapidly which disrupts the hydrogen bonds holding them in place.
The way a fabric is knitted or woven also plays a role. Loosely knitted fabrics have more open spaces and loops, making them more susceptible to shrinkage. Tightly woven fabrics are more resistant because the threads are locked into place with less room to move.
Additionally, cellulose is hydrophilic—it attracts water. Water molecules penetrate inside the fibers, causing swelling and making them more flexible and mobile. Adding to all this is the tumble and twist action inside the washing machine.
The whole process makes the fibers relax and recoil back to their natural, less stretched, crinkled state. As a result, the garment shrinks.
It’s not just hot water—here’s why
This doesn’t just happen with hot water, as you may have experienced yourself with clothes made of rayon, for example.
Cold water can still penetrate into fibers, making them swell, along with the mechanical action of the tumbling in the washing machine. The effect is less dramatic with cold water, but it can happen.
To minimize shrinkage, you may use cold water, the lowest spin speed or the gentlest cycle available, especially for cotton and rayon. Machine labels don’t always fully explain the impact of spin speed and agitation. When in doubt, choose a “delicate” setting.
What about wool?
Different fibers shrink in different ways; there is no single mechanism that fits all.
While cellulose-based fabrics shrink as described above, wool is an animal-derived fiber made of keratin proteins. Its surface is covered in tiny, overlapping scales called cuticle cells.
During washing, these cuticles open up and interlock with neighboring fibers causing fiber entanglement or “felting.” This makes the clothing feel denser and smaller—in other words, it shrinks.
Why don’t synthetics shrink as much?
Synthetic fibers such as polyester or nylon are made from petroleum-based polymers, engineered for stability and durability.
These polymers contain more crystalline regions that are highly ordered and act as an internal “skeleton,” preventing the fibers from crinkling.
Textile scientists and engineers are also working on fabrics that resist shrinkage through advanced material design. Among promising innovations are blended yarns that combine natural and synthetic fibers.
Some researchers are working on shape-memory polymers that can change shape—or return to a previous shape—in response to temperature or water, for example. This is different to stretch fabrics (such as those used in activewear) that are made up of highly elastic fibers which “bounce back” to their original state after stretching.
How can I unshrink a piece of clothing?
If a favorite garment has shrunk in the wash, you can try to rescue it with this simple method.
Gently soak the item in lukewarm water mixed with hair conditioner or baby shampoo (approximately one tablespoon per liter). Then, carefully stretch the fabric back into shape and dry it flat or under gentle tension—for example, by pegging the garment to a drying rack.
The reason this works is because conditioners have chemicals known as cationic surfactants. These will temporarily lubricate the fibers, making them more flexible and allowing you to gently pull everything back into place.
This process can’t completely reverse extreme shrinkage but it can help recover some of the lost size, making the clothes wearable again.
Written by Nisa Salim, The Conversation.
