How to stretch a woolen sweater that has shrunk after washing

The woolen sweater sat down after washing - such a nuisance is by no means uncommon. At first glance, it seems that the only way to save the thing is to try to pull the sweater over yourself and wear it in the hope that it will stretch back. But there are more reliable ways to make a shrunken item wearable again.

Reasons why a wool sweater shrinks after washing

Washing woolen fabrics correctly is considered almost an art; few people manage to wash woolen clothes without shrinking. Shrinking of sweaters and sweaters usually occurs for several reasons:

1. Hot wash. The temperature regime in the machine must be set no higher than 30-40 ° C, otherwise shrinkage of woolen fibers will inevitably occur.
2. Unsuitable powder. For wool items, it is recommended to use special cleaning agents designed for sensitive fabrics. Regular powder has a negative effect on the structure of the yarn, and as a result, the sweater turns out to have sat down and needs to be stretched back.
3. Wrong spin. Load the woolen sweater into the machine so as to avoid shrinkage, it is best to separate it from cotton and synthetic fabrics, this will make it possible to set not only a low temperature, but also a low spin speed. You cannot squeeze the wool at high speeds, it shrinks, and then you have to think about how to stretch it.
4. Fast drying - in the built-in dryer of the washing machine, on the heating radiator, using a hair dryer. You can dry a sweater made of natural wool only naturally, at normal room temperature, otherwise after drying it will turn out that it has noticeably sat down.

The main reason for wool shrinkage is not hot water, but temperature difference during rinsing

After a high-temperature wash, the sweater will instantly be in cool water when going to rinsing, which is why the wool fibers will shrink and it will turn out that the thing needs to be stretched.

How to restore a wool sweater after washing

If, according to the results of the washing, it turned out that the jacket has shrunk badly, and it is almost impossible to put it on, it makes sense to use home methods of stretching the clothes. In most cases, the sweater manages to return to its normal size, especially if you try to save it right away.

How to stretch a woolen sweater that has become stuck after washing by rewashing

Sometimes it is possible to notice that the sweater has sat down immediately after washing - at the first attempt to put on the washed item. In this case, the best way to return the clothes to their normal sizes is to wash them again. Wool fibers have not yet had time to gain a foothold in a new state, so they can usually be easily stretched back.

So that the sweater does not shrink even more after the second treatment, it is necessary to load it into the machine this time according to all the rules, separately from synthetic and cotton items, in the delicate wash mode.

The temperature in the machine is set at 30 ° C, the most gentle spin mode is chosen - at the minimum number of revolutions.

It is better to add a liquid detergent with a mild composition to the powder drawer, it will have a more gentle effect on the wool fibers.

You can stretch the product back if you soften the shrunken wool fibers

After correct repeated washing, the item is removed from the drum, straightened and hung in a warm room to dry, while slightly stretching the fabric with your hands. You cannot try to speed up the process in any way, so that the sweater does not get hooked again, it must dry naturally, even if it takes longer.

How to stretch a wool sweater after washing with hydrogen peroxide

If the sweater has become smaller, then you can improve the situation with the help of hydrogen peroxide. This tool is in every home first aid kit, so it will not be difficult to prepare the desired solution.

Peroxide is used as follows:

• 10 liters of cold water are collected in a large basin or bucket;
• dissolve 2 large tablespoons of peroxide in them;
• the solution is stirred, and then the sweater that has sat down is immersed in the liquid and left for half an hour.

After this time, the sweater must be removed, gently wrung out with a towel, straightened and hung to dry. While the thing is drying, you need to come up to it from time to time and gently pull the jacket with your hands in different directions, returning it to its usual sizes.

How to stretch a shrunken woolen jacket after washing with turpentine

An effective way to stretch a jacket that has sat down suggests using turpentine, ammonia and ordinary vodka for this purpose. As in the previous case, in a spacious container you need to collect a basin of lukewarm water and add 2 large spoons of vodka and turpentine, as well as 6 tablespoons of ammonia.

Turpentine, ammonia and alcohol are helpful in stretching.

It is not necessary to keep wool clothes in such a solution for long - only 10 minutes. The garment is then dried naturally by stretching the damp cloth with your hands in the process so that the sweater does not shrink again.

How to stretch a shrunken wool sweater after washing with vinegar

Vinegar is considered a proven sweater treatment, although many are wary of using it. But, despite the fact that vinegar is a strong food acid, its composition is quite safe for wool, provided that the correct proportions are observed.

If the sweater has sat down, then in order to stretch it to its normal size, it is necessary to mix cool water and vinegar in a 2 to 1 ratio in a basin, and then immerse the clothes in the solution and leave for half an hour. After processing, the item is removed from the vinegar solution, gently wrung out, trying not to twist the fabric, and dried, not forgetting to try to stretch the wet sweater with your hands.

How to recover a shrunken wool sweater after washing with alcohol

Return the sweater if it has sat down; alcohol or high-quality vodka as a substitute helps. Alcohol is usually used in combination with ammonia and turpentine - in 10 liters of water you need to stir 2 large tablespoons of alcohol, the same amount of turpentine and as many as 6 tablespoons of ammonia.

So that the mixture does not harm the woolen fabric, the sweater is immersed in the liquid for only 10 minutes. A wet thing is wrung out in a standard way without twisting and trying to stretch to its original size during drying.

You can treat a shrunken jacket with hair conditioner.

How to stretch a wool sweater after washing with hair conditioner

If the jacket is down, you can soften the woolen fibers and stretch the item to its original state with a hair conditioner. The procedure looks like this:

• slightly warm water is collected in the basin, the temperature of the liquid should not exceed 30 ° C;
• a jacket that has suffered from a previous wash is soaked in this water and rinsed thoroughly so that the wool is completely wet;
• then the jacket is removed and transferred to another basin or into an empty bath;
• the conditioner is generously poured onto the palm and evenly lubricated the entire sweater, trying not to miss individual areas;
• the thing is left for 5 minutes, after which it is gently stretched by hands.

The advantage of this method is that the air conditioner demonstrates high efficiency, even if the jacket is very tight, it can be stretched almost 2 times. The downside is that you have to use up a lot of cosmetic products.

Another way to revive a woolen sweater after washing is simply to dissolve 1 cap of conditioner in a basin with lukewarm water and put the sweater in this solution for half an hour. The woolen item will also be able to stretch properly, although the results will be less noticeable.

How to stretch a wool sweater after a steam wash

A regular steam iron helps to return the woolen product to its usual dimensions. If the fabric has sat down, the item must be re-soaked in cool water, then allowed to drain without spinning, and then lay the jacket on the ironing board.

Steaming also helps stretch the coat back.

Using an iron, the jacket is steamed through gauze or thick cotton fabric. From time to time, the gauze or fabric should be removed and during processing try to stretch wet clothes. Continue steam processing along with ironing until the thing is completely dry.

How to stretch a woolen jacket after dry cleaning

If the woolen jacket has shrunk badly, but it really needs to be stretched, you can try to take the item to a dry cleaner. Experts will be able to process the woolen product in the most gentle and safe ways that will not spoil the thing.

Before you send a sweater to dry cleaning, you must remove all decorative elements from it, if any - appliqués, embroidery, stripes, beads, etc. If they try to stretch the jacket along with such jewelry, then either they or the clothing itself may suffer.

Not every dry cleaner is taken to stretch shrunken woolen items. If experts consider that the risk of irrevocably spoiling it is too high when processing a thing, then the sweater will have to be taken back.

So that the products do not have to stretch, it is better to initially wash them in cold water.

How to wash a woolen sweater so it doesn't shrink

If a jacket made of wool from the village, then it will be difficult to return it to its previous dimensions, if not impossible. Therefore, it is better to properly care for a woolen thing from the very beginning, so that you do not have to reanimate it in principle:

1. To prevent the clothes from shrinking, it is necessary to wash them only in cool water. In this case, when switching to the rinsing mode, there will be no temperature drop, which is dangerous for woolen fibers.
2. For woolen clothes, it is better to use not a standard powder, but a soft gel or even a hair shampoo, it will remove light dirt well and will not damage the wool fibers.
3. It is recommended to dry the woolen jacket on a horizontal dryer.Clothes are hung on hangers only shortly before the end of drying, in order to slightly air the thing.

Dry the woolen jacket at room temperature and in a shaded area. Do not hang clothes in the sun, on a lighted balcony, next to a gas stove or oven, on a heating radiator. Any attempt to dry the coat quickly will cause the jacket to shrink heavily and be difficult to stretch.

Woolen items must not be dried in the sun or on a radiator

Conclusion

The woolen sweater has sat down after washing, if this happens, it is worth trying to restore the original look of the cropped sweater. In many cases, the wool fibers can be stretched to the desired state, but it is best to prevent the item from shrinking and wash it according to the rules from the very beginning.