Normally, soaking wool for this long is a no-no because it relaxes the fibers and makes them stretch. Drain the soapy water from the sink. Unlike regular washings, refrain from rinsing the sweater with clean water. When the sink is empty, gently press the sweater against the sides of the basin to squeeze water out. Instead, roll it up in a towel to remove as much excess water as possible.
This process, called blocking, pulls the unlocked wool fibers away from each other so the clothing stretches out. Lay the sweater on a large cork board.
Pin the garment in place to keep it stretched to the proper size. Give the sweater time to dry. Keep Your Sweaters from Shrinking Now that your sweater has regained its proper shape, keep it that way! Take Back Your Free Time with Housekeeping from Molly Maid Now that you know how to unshrink a sweater, you may feel empowered to take on other projects in the laundry room and throughout the house.
The way to stretch fabric with soap is to soak the sweater in the solution for approximately 30 minutes. In extreme cases, let it sit in the soapy water for up to two hours. This mixture softens up the fibers in the shrunken sweater, making it easier to stretch out the material later on in the process.
Make sure that the garment is completely wet. An alternative approach to unshrink a sweater is by using vinegar and water instead of a conditioning solution. Similar to the above technique, the only necessary supplies are a basin and the two ingredients to loosen up the fibers in the sweater and prepare them for stretching. Start by mixing one part vinegar to two portions of lukewarm to cool water. Add the sweater and gently swish it around in the mixture. Let the clothing soak in the vinegar for about 25 minutes before taking it out and moving on to the next part of the process.
No matter which formula you use to loosen up the sweater fibers when removing the shrunken garment from the tub, do not wring it out. Wringing damages the structure of the hairs, weakening them rather than softening them.
Instead, empty the basin and squeeze as much excess water from the sweater as possible. Place the clothing item flat on a dry towel and roll it up to absorb even more of the moisture from within the material. Unroll the sweater, and repeat as necessary.
Stretching a sweater may seem like a simple task. However, it potentially causes irreversible damage to the threads if executed improperly. Having supplies like cork board and pins help make the process easier since it keeps the sweater in place when stretching.
For less severe cases, hand pulling is also acceptable. Start by placing the garment on a flat surface, either the cork board or a piece of foam board. Since both are easily perforated, and adequately hold the pins in place, either of the two materials is ideal.
After gently tugging the sweater from top to bottom and side to side by hand, slowly pin the edges of the garment to the board in a way that continues stretching them. In other words, fasten them with the fabric taut so that it gradually expands back to its original shape.
Take care when pinning, however, that you do not tear small holes that grow during the widening process. Based on the Word Net lexical database for the English Language. See disclaimer. You can also use a steamer or the steam from an iron to speed up the process. About the Author Michael Briggs is a trending news reporter for Desingnntrend. Related Articles.
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