Complete Guide: How to Prevent Bedding from Shrinking?

If you run a hotel, you’ll know that items shrinking during a wash cycle can be a real headache. There is nothing more irritating than discovering that perfectly nice bedding has shrunk and you have to reorder the supplies. Hotel-quality bedding is not inexpensive and, as well as the inconvenience, having to constantly restock your supplies can cause a huge impact on your profits. So, how to avoid this? Fortunately, shrinking is not inevitable. By following a few easy and simple steps, you can ensure that your bedding does not shrink at all after wash.

What is shrinking and why does it happen? 

Shrinking to laundering is the result of the weave of a fabric `closing up` under washing and some drying needs. Different types of fabrics will behave differently under the same conditions. This is down to how condensed the weave of each fabric is. The strands that make up the fabric have less room to move and, as a result, close up, reducing the total item’s original size. The tighter the weave, the less shrinkage will occur.

What can you do to avoid items from shrinking? 

There are a number of ways to manage shrinkage.

1. Do not dry items excessively. Determine how long it will take the item to dry entirely, then stop drying it after that point.
2. The process that gives a textile product the most additional movement is tumble drying. To prevent bed sheets from overheating, however, use the dryer’s cool-down feature at the end of the cycle.
3. The friendliest method, which causes little to no further shrinking, is a line or flat drying.
4. Sort your laundry by fiber content since this has an impact on how long things take to dry. Washing items with similar drying times together guarantees that a part of the load is not overdried afterward.
5. Before washing sheets or comforters, soak them in light saltwater for half an hour and then rinse with cold water.
6. The shrunken bedding can be pulled apart and ironed with a steam iron to recover.

Fabric shrinkage is actually common. You don’t need to hear that the mattress will shrink after washing and start to doubt its quality. In fact, the effect of fabric shrinking is very small, almost negligible, as long as we handle it appropriately. Therefore, you must read the washing label and perform the laundry process before purchasing new bedding.

What to consider before buying crisp and white bed sheets? 

1. Check the labels. The majority of products should come with wash care instructions describing how to wash the item to prolong its newer and fresh look.
2. Try before you buy. Don’t buy in bulk until they are being tested. Buy a few items and wash them several times to see how much they shrink.
3. Think about a poly-cotton blend. Polyester shrinks less than cotton but is usually uncomfortable. A nice poly-cotton blend can help you avoid shrinking while still providing comfort to your guests