We wash our clothes in cold water and do not put in dryer but they still shrink-Why?

Answer by  CJ81 (232)

Make sure your washer is set to cold the whole wash period. If washed in warmer water and rinse in cold they will shrink. Clothes washed in cold water and air dried with cool air should not shrink at all. 100% cotton not preshrunk may be the culprit but even that doesn't shrink that much.

Answer by  Nadine (206)

Some clothes will shrink no matter what. These generally have a loose weave in the cloth which when it comes in contact with water will tighten up. When the weave tightens your clothes shrink. Unfortunately there is not much you can do to stop it.

Answer by  dr84bhl (2789)

When washing fibers warm water should be used. When temperatures are to extreme, water that is to hot or to cold, this is what causes clothes to shrink. A hand hot water should be used.

Answer by  aearthdragon (471)

I recommend buying pre-shrunken clothes. That will quickly end your problem. Cotton washed in cold water can still shrink even with all precautions. I have experienced it myself. If you can't buy pre-shrunken clothes, buy a larger size to plan for shrinkage.

Answer by  ninjakangaroos (45)

Some clothes are not sold as "pre-shrunk. " You may want to try buying your clothes a size or two bigger so that when they shrink, they will still fit.

Answer by  Mollichella (445)

Any sort of heat can cause your clothes to shrink so maybe it has to do with how you are letting them dry. Try cool air only in the dryer.

Answer by  MelindaS (1694)

Your clothes may be prone to shrinking because of the type of fabric that they are; for example, cotton clothing is notorious for shrinking, even with care. Try making sure that you hang your clothing in a cool spot so that the temperature difference between the cold water wash and the line drying spot doesn't make them shrink.