Does Polyester Shrink? [Only 3 Easy Steps] Wash at 50° or 90°C

Does polyester shrink? No, Polyester doesn’t shrink under normal circumstances because it is made up of man-made polymer which makes the fibers synthetic, the fabric is resistant to shrinkage. Actually, if you wash polyester fabric in hot water & then dry it on high heat, it may shrink some but not the whole.

You will be learning to shrink the polyester in this article as you drill it down.

Does Polyester Shrink After Being Washed & Dried?

Normally, polyester doesn’t shrink even after being washed and dried if you have followed the precautions labeled on the fabric.

Polyester fabrics don’t shrink if you wash them with normal water or lukewarm water and dried them inside out in the sunlight or in the dryer providing normal heat.

Besides, if you wash them in very hot water, with a harsh detergent, or dried them at a high temperature in the dryer, then they may shrink.

Does Polyester Shrink While Washing In A Very Hot Water?

Normally, Polyester doesn’t shrink while washing or drying but if you wash your polyester in very hot water of more than 90 degrees Celsius, it may shrink. So, why take the risk to wash your polyester in normal water or water having a temperature of fewer than 90 degrees Celsius?

Does Polyester Shrink In The Dryer?

Normally, if you dry your polyester fabric in a dryer providing normal heat or setting the machine to heat, your fabric won’t shrink.

But if you dry up your fabric providing excessive heat in the dryer, it may shrink some or maybe too much. So, why take the risk, and dry your polyester fabric at a normal temperature?

What Is Polyester Fabric?

Polyester fabric (man-made polymer) is a man-made fabric that is made up of synthetic fibers & is resistant to shrinkage under normal circumstances.

These fabrics are lightweight, durable, & can be easily washed and dried without any shrinkage. Because of the quality of these fabrics, they are popular all over the world.

Polyester is very smooth to the touch, very fine to wear, easily be washed in a washing machine & easily dried under sunlight or in the dryer.

What Is Polyester Blend?

Polyester blend means adding polyester with other fabrics to make it more resistant to shrinkage. Mostly cotton fabric is combined with a polyester blend to provide us with more comfortable shirts or other wearing.

Typically, polyester is seen with 60% cotton & 40% polyester blend or 50% cotton & 50% polyester blend. Actually, these combinations make our shirts more comfortable & inexpensive too.

You may also find polyester in Tri-blend fabrics which are extremely soft & durable but a little bit more expensive than the other polyester blends.

How To Shrink Polyester Fabric?

Have you bought a little big polyester fabric & wanna shrink it? Well! There are a few things that you can do, however, there is no guarantee that your fabric will shrink.
#1. Soak your fabric in hot water for a while, it may shrink your fabric to some extent. Make sure you’re not gonna soak your fabric for too long as it may damage your fabric.
#2. Same you can do this in your washing machine by heat setting in the dryer but remember to do it only for a while otherwise, it may also damage your fabric.
#3. You can also use a temperately hot iron for further shrinking but make sure you have put a pressing cloth.
• All these methods can help you to shrink your fabric, however, there is no guarantee that they work or not.

How To Take Care Of Polyester Fabrics?

Most people don’t read the instructions labeled on the polyester fabric & they do wash their fabrics with a harsh detergent or iron them with high heat and which causes their fabric to be damaged.

If you too haven’t read those instructions, make sure you gonna read the following instructions below if you wanna wear your polyester fabric for the long term.
• Always wash your polyester fabric with normal water or lukewarm water.
• If possible then, try to wash your polyester fabric with your hands.
• Prevent using harsh detergent while washing.
• Prevent using boiling water to wash your fabric.
• Prevent using excessive heat to iron the fabric.
• Always wash & dry up your polyester fabric inside out.
• As the polyester absorbs oil, prevent washing it with oil-stained clothes or anything like that.
• Prevent soaking polyester fabrics for too long in the washing solution (water + detergent) as it may affect the appearance of the fabrics.
• Don’t leave the polyester fabric for too long in the dryer as it may cause some shrinkage.
• After drying up the polyester fabrics, if it creates some wrinkles iron the fabric underneath a cloth at normal heat.

What Are The Advantages Of Buying Polyester Fabrics Or Polyester Blends?

There are so many advantages you’ll have if you wear polyester fabrics or polyester blends.
• Polyester fabrics or polyester blends are durable.
• They are easy to wash.
• They don’t carry news.
• They are more comfortable to wear.
• They easily dried up either in the sunlight or dryer at normal temperature.
• You can find them easily in the market at an affordable price.

What Are The Disadvantages Of Buying Polyester Fabrics Or Polyester Blends?

Even though you get plenty of benefits while buying polyester fabrics or polyester blends, they have some disadvantages too as listed below.
• They absorb oil. If you wash them with an oil-staining cloth, they will absorb the oil from that cloth.
• If you wash them with very hot water they will shrink.
• After a while of wearing them, the edges will start to curl.
• They are hard to sew.
• It’s hard to iron polyester fabrics in comparison to other fabrics.

Should You Wear Polyester Fabrics? Why?

After learning about the variety and quality of polyester fabrics, you might be thinking if you try to wear polyester or not. According to my opinion, you should try to wear polyester because nothing is gonna be wrong with you wearing this fabric as it is lightweight, durable, inexpensive, comfortable, and resistant to shrinkage under normal circumstances.

See also, Does Modal Shrink?

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