What to do if the sweater has shrunk or stretched after washing

Improper washing, drying or wearing of a sweater can lead to its deformation. The product can become very small or large, or even partially deformed when the sleeves and shoulders are stretched. The beauty of the knitted item is spoiled, but not irrevocably. Before you throw it away, try a few ways to help if your sweater has shrunk or stretched after washing. It is possible to return the form, although it is difficult.

The sweater stretched

A sweater can stretch from many things. Most often, this happens when a person pulls the hem or sleeves of clothes. This is done involuntarily, due to habit, and regularly, so the loops are gradually pulled out. In addition, washing a woolen sweater at high temperature or drying it in a vertical position can lead to stretching, especially by additionally securing the shoulders with clothespins. You absolutely cannot do this.

So, what to do if the sweater has stretched after washing? Here are some ways:

• Wash again, but correctly. How it is done is described in this article . The main thing is to completely follow all recommendations, do not twist, dry only horizontally. Additionally, you can rinse with conditioner for woolen products.
• If only a part is stretched, for example the sleeves, then soak only them. Do not wash, but simply immerse in warm water for 5-10 minutes. Next, wring it out with a terry towel and put it to dry.
• If the sweater has increased by more than 1 size, you can try soaking it in water up to 40-50 degrees. So it will sit, but high temperature can destroy the fiber structure. Given that it is unlikely to be possible to wear a stretched item, you can take a risk.

The sweater sat down

This is more difficult. To begin with, take a good look at the reduced object, feel it. If you come to the conclusion that it is some formless mass in which everything was deformed in different ways and in different directions, then it is no longer possible to correct such a thing. You can safely throw it away, or use it for some of your purposes, for example in products or as a rug for a pet.

If, after washing , the woolen sweater shrunk by only 1 size and evenly, that is, there is still a chance to restore its shape.

The stretching process is as follows:

1. Warm water, up to 30 degrees, is collected in the bowl. A very cold one will also not work, as it will make the sweater sit down even more.
2. Dissolve the conditioner to rinse the laundry.
3. Soak the thing for 5-10 minutes.
4. Take it out, wrap it in a terry towel. It is not necessary to twist strongly, otherwise it will be deformed.
5. Lay out horizontally, fully straightened.
6. Periodically, once every 20 minutes, gently pull the thing in different directions, using the same effort, since you need to stretch the sweater evenly after washing. You can do it easier, but it is not very comfortable, put wet clothes on yourself. So it will stretch on your figure much faster.

If this method did not help, then you can resort to radical measures. A soap solution is diluted from warm water and grated soap. 1 tbsp is added to it. turpentine and 3 tbsp. ammoniacal alcohol. The sweater is soaked in this liquid for a day. After that, the stretching process is repeated as described above: rinsing in conditioner and drying on yourself. Note that this option is not quite suitable for products made of 100% wool, as long-term soaking can destroy the structure of the fibers, which will lose their warming qualities.