Preshrunk garments have been washed or compacted to prevent significant shrinkage. Natural fibers like cotton, wool, and linen can stretch, but preshrinking helps maintain their size. Man-made fibers like polyester hold their shape better but may be less comfortable. It’s best to avoid tumble drying and look for washable or preshrunk labels.
Preshrunk garments are garments that have already been washed or “compacted” so additional washings will not significantly shrink the garment. In many cases, when you have natural fibers like wool, cotton, or linen, the fabric can stretch, as it’s more economical to use less fabric if you can get away with it. Washing these garments and the tumbling action in the dryer will return the garments to their unstretched shape, resulting in smaller clothing.
Since it helps to buy a clothing size that will still fit you well after washing, you’ll notice that many fabrics, particularly cotton jersey, are preshrunk. This means that the fabric, instead of being stretched, was first washed and bound together in a process called compaction. The fibers are forced closer together, gradually becoming looser through household washing. This does not mean that a preshrunk garment will not shrink at all, but it will shrink less, especially with earlier washes, and will stay the same size much longer than a non-preshrunk garment.
Eventually, especially when clothes are tumble dried, even pre-shrunk clothes will shrink a bit, if they’re washed enough. To address this, it’s a good idea to buy cotton garments in a slightly larger size than you would normally need, especially cotton knits. Cotton pants, especially corduroy, are generally not preshrunk, and will gradually get shorter as they are washed. Another notorious shrinkage fabric is cotton flannel. Always buy flannel nightgowns a size or two larger than you think you need.
Man-made fibers have often eliminated the need to pre-shrunk garments. Adding enough polyester to cotton, for example, will generally help a garment retain its shape and size, since polyester holds its shape better in the wash. The downside to polyester, nylon, and other man-made fibers is that they may not be as comfortable and are generally less breathable than natural fibers.
If you’re really crazy about cotton, wool, or linen, and want to steer clear of fibers like acrylic or polyester, look for labels that state clothing is washable or boasts that it’s preshrunk. All clothing tends to wear better, last longer, and maintain its size if you don’t put it in the dryer. So, if you have non-preshrunk garments, consider only drip or line drying. Keep in mind that even preshrunk garments tend to shrink eventually, so you may want to observe this precaution with any garment for which you want to keep the same shape, length, or size.
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