Save your sweater: 3 tips to restore a shrunken garment
You'll happy to know that you can restore a sweater that has shrunk in the wash! In fact, there are effective and completely all-natural methods to this using commonly-found household products!
Try using hair conditioner
One of the best ways to solve this problem is to use hair conditioner.
Just immerse the shrunken sweater in warm water together with conditioner for about 15 minutes. Once done, remove the sweater from the water, do not rinse and gently squeeze the water out carefully (do not wring).
Then, place the sweater on a towel to absorb any excess water and gently spread the fibers of the fabric out with your hands.
It's important to let the sweater dry while flat, and occasionally reshape it as it dries.
Vinegar, thanks to its softening properties, can also be used:
Immerse the sweater in a container filled with warm water and add three glasses of white vinegar. Leave the sweater to soak for about 20 minutes. Once done, remove the sweater from the water, do not rinse and gently squeeze the water out carefully (do not wring)
Next, place the sweater on a flat surface to dry, and carefully pull the fibers back to their original size and shape. To make the process easier, you can put dry towels inside the sweater to help keep its shape.
For this procedure, be sure to use white vinegar to staining.
Try soaking in borax
Borax, commonly used as a whiter, can also be used to restore the original size to a sweater that has shrunk in the wash.
Soak the sweater in a container filled with warm water, adding two tablespoons of borax for every liter of water. Allow to soak for about fifteen minutes, then squeeze it gently to expel the water and lay the sweater out on a towel to dry. To help restore the shape of the sweater, you can also place dry towels inside it for a quarter of an hour to gently expand it. Once this step has been completed, we recommend putting the swaater on a hanger to finish drying.
Remember that borax is particularly effective for fabrics such as wool and cashmere, but is less suitable for cotton and synthetic fibers.
Restoring a sweater that has shrunk is not an impossible task. Through the use of the above all-natural products, you can save your favorite garments!
