Remember the first time you pulled a new shirt from the wash and it looked smaller? Most people attribute fabric shrinkage to drying clothes, but washing can cause fabrics to retract, too. This is especially true for natural materials like cotton, wool, linen, and mohair.

What causes fabrics to shrink?

In the Washing Machine
When you try on outfits in stores, the apparel always feels roomier than after a few wears. For this reason, many experienced shoppers recommend purchasing clothes that fit somewhat loosely.

Clothes feel bigger in stores because manufactures stretch the materials to save resources. After being washed, the once stretched fabrics relax and return to their natural length. Heat causes this reversion.

Higher temperatures release more tension from woven fabrics. Even moderate forms of heat like sunlight can cause shrinkage over time. For delicates and natural fabrics, always wash by hand and in cold water.

In the Dryer
Unlike in the wash, the dryer’s tumbling action produces the greatest harm. The friction produced between clothes evaporates moisture. When fabrics lose too much moisture, they weaken. Thus, dryers threaten the durability of your clothes, too.

Note that front-loaded dryers have gentler cycles. Refrain from top-loaded models as these toss clothes around more vigorously.

Dryers also set the fabrics in place. Any shrinkage that occurs in the washing cycle becomes permanent after a load in the dryer. For example, wool looks smallest after a wash because the fabrics stick together. Once placed in the dryer, the fabrics never fall back into their original place.

For some fabrics, the shrinkage is less noticeable. Cotton, in particular, can shrink up to 20% after one cycle! This is because cotton cannot retain moisture as well as some other fabrics. To play it safe, opt to hang dry whenever possible.