What factors affect the shrinkage of fabrics?

Fabric shrinkage is a phenomenon in which the length or width of textiles changes in a certain state
through washing, dehydration, drying and other processes. The difference between shrinkage and
original size is the shrinkage of the fabric. The shrinkage of fabrics involves different types of fibers,
the structure of the fabric, the different external forces that the fabric is subjected to, and so on.
Synthetic fibers and blended fabrics have a small shrinkage rate, followed by cotton fabrics, and silk
fabrics have a larger shrinkage. The biggest ones are viscose fibers and artificial cotton fabrics.

Objectively speaking, cotton fabrics have some problems of shrinkage and fading. The key is the
rear finishing. Therefore, the general fabric will be pre-shrinked. It is worth noting that the pre-
shrinkage treatment does not mean that it does not shrink, but it means that the shrinkage rate is
controlled within 3% to 4% of the national standard. Therefore, when choosing fabrics, in addition to
selecting the quality, color and pattern of the fabric, the shrinkage of the fabric should also be
understood.

Shrinkage of general fabrics:

Cotton 4%-10%; Chemical fiber 4%-8%; Cotton polyester 3.5%-5 5%; Natural white cloth 3%; Poplin
3-4.5%; Twill 4%; Labor cloth 10%; Artificial cotton: 10%; Artificial Silk 5-9%; Tencel fabric 2-4%;
Modal fabric 3-6%.

Factors affecting fabric shrinkage：

1. Raw materials

Different raw materials, different fabric shrinkage. Generally speaking, for fibers with high
hygroscopicity, the fiber expands after immersion in water, the diameter increases and the length
decreases, the shrinkage rate is large. If the viscose fiber has a water absorption rate of up to 13%,
and the synthetic fiber fabric has poor moisture absorption, its shrinkage rate is small.

2. The density is different, the fabric shrinkage rate is also different.

If the density in the latitude and longitude direction is similar, the shrinkage in the latitude and
longitude direction is also close. For fabrics with large warp density, the warp shrinkage will be
larger. Conversely, for fabrics with weft density greater than warp density, weft shrinkage will be
greater.

3. Yarn count

The thickness of the yarn is different, and the shrinkage of the fabric is also different. The shrinkage
rate of the fabric with thick yarn count is larger, and the shrinkage rate of the fabric with fine yarn
count is smaller.
4. Production process

Different production process, the fabric shrinkage rate is also different. Generally speaking, during
the weaving, dyeing and finishing process of fabrics, the fiber must be stretched many times, the
processing time is long, and the shrinkage rate of the fabric with large tension is large, and the
reverse is small.

5. Fiber composition

Compared with synthetic fibers (such as polyester and acrylic), natural plant fibers (such as cotton
and hemp) and plant regenerated fibers (such as viscose) are easy to absorb moisture and expand,
so the shrinkage rate is large.

6. Fabric structure

Generally speaking, the dimensional stability of woven fabrics is better than knitted fabrics; the
dimensional stability of high-density fabrics is better than that of low-density fabrics. In woven
fabrics, the shrinkage of plain weave fabrics is generally less than flannel fabrics.

7. Production and processing process

Because the fabric is inevitably stretched by the machine in the process of dyeing, printing, and
finishing, there is tension on the fabric. However, the fabric is easy to release tension after
encountering water, so we will find that the fabric shrinks after washing. In the actual process, we
generally use pre-shrinkage to solve this problem.

8. Washing and nursing process

Washing care includes washing, drying and ironing. Each of these three steps will affect the
shrinkage of the fabric. For example, the dimensional stability of hand-washed samples is better
than that of machine-washed samples, and the temperature of washing will also affect its
dimensional stability. Generally speaking, the higher the temperature, the worse the stability. The
drying method of the sample also has a greater influence on the shrinkage of the fabric. Commonly
used drying methods include drip drying method, metal mesh tiling method, hanging drying method
and tumble drying method. Among them, the drip drying method has little effect on the size of the
fabric, while the rotary arch drying method has a great effect on the size of the fabric, and the
remaining two are centered.

In addition, choosing a suitable ironing temperature according to the composition of the fabric can
also improve the shrinkage of the fabric. Tianyu Textile produces all kinds of workwear fabrics, with
good quality and low price. It supports international shipping and customization. It has a minimum
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What is Fabric Shrinkage?
The term ‘shrinkage’ can simply be defined as a change in the dimensions of a
fabric or garment. This dimensional change may be in a positive (growth or
elongation) or negative (shrinkage) direction for fabric length, width and
thickness. Although the thickness of a fabric also changes with processing and
use, it is not usually considered problematic. For a cotton fabric, shrinkage
relates to the loss of the length and/or width dimensions. In garment form, the
shrinkage characteristics relate not only to a change in fabric dimensions, but
they also can relate to other parameters, such as seam puckering, torquing and
overall garment fit.

Shrinkage is the process in which a fabric becomes smaller than its original size,
usually through the process of laundry. Cotton fabric suffers from two main
disadvantages of shrinking and creasing during subsequent washing. However,
there are fabrics which are more naturally resistant to shrinking. Synthetic
fibers such as polyester or nylon are typically less prone to shrinking than
others, although they are not 100% shrink-proof.

Any fabric shrinks in different states, from loom state onwards to the stage till it
is finished. It can be recalled that width of warp on beam (weavers beam) is
different from width in reed, width of fabric on front rest differs from width in
reed, width on cloth roller differs from relaxed width and finished width is
smaller than grey width. Answer for all these changes is ‘shrinkage’, of cloth
width wise and length wise. In some cases fabric shrinkage is high and noticeable,
e.g. 10s warp sized with 10%, 34s or 40s reed, 8 or 10 pick wheel using 2s roving
as weft to produce ‘chaddars’ or thick bed sheets. When grey fabric subjected to
preparatory process like desizing, scouring, bleaching or mercerizing, fabric
undergo shrinkage. Thus, if a cloth is finished, we need to calculate from reverse
side to arrive at width of warp on beam.

Types of Fabric Shrinkage:

1. Construction shrinkage:
After cotton fabric is constructed on a knitting machine or weaving loom, it has
inherent characteristics based solely on the yarn construction variables used.
These characteristics or conditions are referred to as the greige delivered state
and can be tested for various specifications, including shrinkage. The type of
shrinkage measured at this point is defined as construction shrinkage, which is
the amount of dimensional change in a fabric based solely on the construction
variables used to create the fabric. Construction shrinkage is measured after
fabrication but before subsequent processes.
2. Processing shrinkage:
The dyeing and finishing processes, along with the apparel manufacturing
process, affect the dimensions of a product. Some techniques have more impact
than others.

These steps create processing shrinkage, which can be defined as the dimensional
change that a process adds to or removes from the construction shrinkage of a
fabric and thereby changes the residual shrinkage accordingly. The length and
width dimensions are both affected, and the fabrics may either be stretched or
consolidated. Most often, the length is stretched and the width is reduced
during wet processing. Some of this shrinkage is composed of elastic shrinkage
and can be easily recovered; however, some of the changes in dimensions may
not be recovered because the elastic limits of the fabric as constructed have been
exceeded.

3. Elastic shrinkage:
Elastic shrinkage is defined as a change in the dimensions of a fabric as a result of
the fabric’s ability to freely relax from the tensions experienced during
construction and other processing.

4. Drying shrinkage:
Drying shrinkage is defined as a dimensional change in a fabric when the
‘deswelling’ of fiber, yarn and construction occurs in the drying step. The
structure shrinks upon itself as a result of the physics of drying. Continuous
processes during dyeing and preparation for drying usually stretch the length and
pull down or reduce the width, sometimes beyond their elastic limits, thereby
changing the relaxed dimensions.

There are also two types of shrinkage occur during washing:

1. Length wise
2. Width wise

Normally a square area is drawn on the heat-set material and measured. The
marked cloth is boiled in soft water in the washing wheel for 30 min, centrifuged
and air dried. The dimensions of the square are measured without ironing the
dried fabric and the shrinkage is determined. A well set fabric should not show
more than 1% residual shrinkage.

Causes of Fabric Shrinkage:

During the spinning, weaving, bleaching, dyeing and various other finishing
processes, yarns and cloth are under continuous tension. Yarns and/or fabrics are
not fixed materials; they consist of separate, stretchable fibers which submit to
the tension. In other words, fabrics can stretch in length and width. The tension
within the yarn, which is caused by this stretching, can be eliminated when the
friction within the fabric is reduced.

This reduction in friction occurs during laundering, where both water and soap
act as lubricants. The lubricant, along with the mechanical action of the washing,
helps the fibers relax and contract to their original length before the elongation
takes place; this means that the fabric shrinks and recaptures its original
equilibrium.

Fabric shrinkage is not only due to the release of strains imposed during the
manufacturing process but also caused by fiber and yarn swelling produced on
wetting, which brings about an internal rearrangement of the material resulting
in external shortening. Shrinkage is the retraction of yarn when the external
forces are removed.

Due to high tension during preparation of fabric which result in excess stretch in
yarn. This type of shrinkage is known as London shrinkage. Due to swelling of
fibers for fiber structure.
These easy tips will save your clothes from shrinking in the
washing machine.
If you’ve ever done laundry, you’ve probably shrunk a favorite sweater or two
(we’ve all been there). There is no disappointment quite like pulling a garment
out of the washing machine, only to discover that it’s now small enough to fit
your cat. And you’re not alone; shrinking laundry is one of the most common
laundry mistakes. So what’s the deal?

According to Business Insider, it’s likely that your laundry is getting too hot.
Washing clothes in hot water (or drying them using hot air) shrinks the fabric.
Although fibers of polymer are naturally short, they are stretched out when
made into clothes. Applying heat releases that tension, making the fibers
return to their natural state. Hence the miniaturized shirts and shorts.

Luckily, avoiding shrinkage is easier than you think. Just make sure to check
the garment’s tag to determine the kind of fabric that it’s made of. Because
cotton and wool both absorb quite a bit of water, they will shrink faster, so you
should wash those garments in cold water. Natural-synthetic blends like nylon
and polyester, on the other hand, absorb less water and are thus more heat-
resistant.

You can also stick to shrink-proof or pre-shrunk clothes, which won’t shrink
after being washed. Why? The tension in the fibers has already been released
by its many cycles through the manufacturer’s washing machine.

Watch the video below for instructions on preventing clothes shrinkage.

Then, check out 16 hints that will make laundry less of a hassle.