Your garment has shrunk in the tumble dryer

Short answer: Heat makes the fibres contract. Wet the garment again, ease it back into shape while damp and dry it flat with no heat.

Why heat shrinks fabric

During manufacture the yarn is stretched, and that tension is still in the fabric. Heat and movement release it, and the stitches draw together. That is why a garment shrinks most the first time it is tumbled hot and less after that.

How to stretch it back

Soak the garment for twenty minutes in lukewarm water with a little hair conditioner so the fibres relax. Squeeze the water out without wringing. Lay it flat on a towel and pull it steadily in length and width, a little at a time. Let it dry flat.

How much you can recover

Expect to get most of one size back if the damage is fresh. If the garment has been tumbled hot many times, the shrinkage has set and stretching gives little. Shirts and t-shirts respond best, ribbed cuffs respond worst. See bamboo t-shirts for women.

How to avoid it next time

Wash at thirty degrees, dry on the coolest tumble setting and take the garment out while slightly damp. Better still, dry it flat or on a line. See bamboo clothing for women and bamboo clothing for men.

Frequently asked questions

Does bamboo viscose shrink more than cotton

They are close to each other. Both shrink mainly from heat, not from water alone.

Can you iron a shrunken garment back out

Only temporarily. Ironing smooths the fabric, but the fibres contract again at the next wash.

How much does a garment usually shrink

Often around a couple of percent with correct washing and markedly more with high dryer heat.