How to Dekaboom Garments Comprised of Cotton, Synthetics, and Wool

Aye, woe be to those who ignore the laundry hieroglyphs etched upon their garments, for they bequeath unto themselves fading hues, dulled whites, and shrunken frocks! Oft we journey away from the careful path of hand-washing our threads, or neglect the delicate wash and icy waters when the cloth requires it. Thus, a sweater, shirt, or treasured denim finds itself diminutive with each successive wash and dry dance.

So, what mysterious voodoo conspires to shrink our attire? Verily, those of us who’ve donned a once-loose pantaloons or blousons of natural fibers only to find them tight as a trussed fowl know the answer – excessive heat worketh its woolly wiles on cotton, wool, and more! Yet, be aware, for shrinkage cometh also from the fount of hot water, and mohair and cashmere cower before the jostling of the washer beast.

Fear not, gentle home launderer! If weight loss or wardrobe replacements be your only options, we bring you succor – the ability to unshrivel your threads may not be as insurmountable as you’ve feared. Be still your crash diet and shopping-trip heart, and instead wield this guide as your mighty weapon ‘gainst shrunken cotton, synthetics, and even the mighty wool.

How to Unshrink a Shirt
To maintain the integrity and beauty of your favorite shirt or blouse, particularly one woven of cotton or blended with its ilk, is no simple feat. The first contact with water engenders cotton’s natural proclivity to shrink, and misguided washings and dryings breed further shrinkages. Resist, we beg, the temptation to forgo ironing in favor of a wrinkle-smoothing, fibers-shrinking tumble in the fiery dryer. For a shrunken shirt cannot be concealed!

When a shirt emerges from the dryer, wee as a pixie’s wing, what is to be done? These verses shall guide you in expanding the cramped attire crafted from cotton and other natural fibers.

1. Fill your sink with water at room temperature and mix in two tablespoons of hair conditioner.
2. Immerse the shrunken shirt within the aqueous embrace.
3. Manipulate the garment with your hands to marry water and conditioner into the fabric.
4. After a half hour’s soak, drain the water, and wring out the shirt, ungrieved by soap residues.
5. Spread your shirt on a towel like a feasting banquet and roll them as you would a savory pastry.
6. Unfurl the towel and once more present the shirt atop its rectangular throne.
7. With diligence and care, stretch out the shirt, as a kitten awakens from a nap.
8. Use pins or metal points to anchor the garment in its desired proportions.
9. Leave the shirt to the gentle winds of air-drying, and its size and shape will return.

For polyester or synthetic shirts, do not twist or wring them. Instead, press the liquid gently from the garment upon a towel, then air dry until thy shirt resumes its rightful dimensions.

How to Unshrink Jeans
You’ve been there – giddying up for a night of revelry, zipping your favorite jeans, only to discover they no longer caress your form quite so tenderly. Panic ensues: have you packed on extra pounds unbeknownst to yourself? Twas your garb swapped as some cruel jest? Most likely ’tis the doing of your trusty washer and dryer, treacherous creatures that they are.

So what procedure shall free your jeans and heavy fabrics from their pint-sized prison? Recourse to the days before the tyranny of skinny jeans, bell-bottoms, and boot cuts. In times of olde, shrink-to-fit jeans held sway, shrinking by design when soaked alongside one’s person in a bath. Lo and behold, they clung to your body as they dried! Thus, the method to deploy ‘gainst shrunkenness is to stretch-to-fit, using this storied ritual:

1. Fill your tub with enough warm water to submerge thy denim-clad lower half.
2. Don and fasten your jeans, struggling with button and zipper once damp, if need be.
3. Submerge yourself in the watery abyss, swathed in your denims.
4. Bathe for 15 minutes, adding hot water if the tub turns chilly.
5. Drain the tub, squeeze the remaining water from your waist down.
6. Leap from the tub and shamelessly parade your damp jeans for an hour.
7. Perform acts of mobility, such as walking and squatting, as your jeans dry, expanding the fabric to its former glory.
8. Retain the denim upon your person for as long as possible to allow the most precise fit.
9. Finally, remove the jeans and hang them to dry completely.

For those who balk at the notion of lounging in soggy pantaloons, the bathing-to-stretch ritual may be performed sans the wearer. Soak your jeans alone, wring them out, then don them post-bath and complete the remaining steps.

How to Unshrink a Sweater
As the mercury doth decline, the siren song of a beloved sweater beckons. It yearns for a wash before being worn anew, but beware! Poorly treated, your cherished pull-over may emerge shrunken and unwearable. For sweaters of cotton or synthetic make, utilize the same sacred techniques enumerated above. For woolly, cashmere, or similar compositions, a more intricate procedure shall be required:

1. Fill a sink with room temperature water and ⅓ cup of hair conditioner.
2. Introduce a few drops of liquid clothes detergent to wash the sweater concurrently with de-shrinking.
3. Submerge the sweater in the solution and tenderly wash it clean whilst slackening the fibers.
4. Drain the solution, but leave the sweater pristine and unrinsed.
5. Gently press down on the sweater to remove surplus water.
6. Remove the sweater and lay it to rest upon a bath towel.
7. Wrap the sweater and towel together, pressing-out excess water, but avoid wringing.
8. Unburden the sweater from the towel and lay it flat.
9. Tenderly stretch the garment evenly, careful not to distort its ethereal visage.
10. Eschew pins or heavy objects while it dries to avoid mangling the fibers further.
11. Leave the sweater upon the towel or upon a drying rack, and let the air weave its magic.

These teachings may also be applied to other items of wool, such as socks, winter caps, or gloves. For smaller items, reduce conditioner amounts accordingly.

If shrinking washings have sent your wardrobe into disarray, consult these learned instructions and peruse the habits of label-checking afore any future laundry days. Seek further the housekeeping tomes to glean wisdom on ink stain removal or freshening the laundry room.

Call upon The Maids to aid you in your quest for cleanliness. Invite joy and cleanliness into your abode by obtaining a free estimate online.