topic Re: question on 100% cotton in Fashion

question on 100% cotton

songbird — Wed, 01 Oct 2014 17:45:35 GMT

How carefully do you have to wash it? I like this long sweater at Nordstrom. The care says it's 100% cotton and to hand wash. So, how much will this shrink in the machine? I'm think of sizing up for this.

Re: question on 100% cotton

Coco Butter Bean — Wed, 01 Oct 2014 18:04:40 GMT

As long as you use the delicate wash cycle, cold water, and lay flat to dry -- it should not shrink.

Re: question on 100% cotton

songbird — Wed, 01 Oct 2014 18:13:51 GMT

Thanks! I thought that. I won't size up. It's a long, slouchy sweater. So I'll stick to my regular size.

Re: question on 100% cotton

RinaRina — Wed, 01 Oct 2014 18:16:05 GMT

If it's ""Made in India"" it will shrink. You should HAND WASH as per the directions. Use COLD water. JMHO.

Re: question on 100% cotton

lulu2 — Wed, 01 Oct 2014 18:16:47 GMT

I've read that it is the spinning that causes items to shrink.

I've never had much luck washing 100% cotton sweaters. They either shrink or grow. They just never are the same for me.

Re: question on 100% cotton

jackthebear — Wed, 01 Oct 2014 20:09:15 GMT

Get yourself a washing machine bag, wash in cold water, then you can put in the dryer for a couple of minutes to reshape then lay flat to dry.

like this, I wash all my sweaters this way, never a problem

http://www.amazon.com/Household-Essentials-18x22-Sweater-Wash/dp/B000K7E6GC/ref=pd_sim_hg_6?ie=UTF8&refRID=0R6QG17NGV72ARNGJ7X6

Re: question on 100% cotton

Lipstickdiva — Wed, 01 Oct 2014 20:18:17 GMT

I'm not a fan of 100% cotton sweaters. They always seem to grow and stretch out of shape.

Re: question on 100% cotton

peachesncream — Wed, 01 Oct 2014 20:48:28 GMT

The thing about cotton is that it's unpredictable. It depends so much on the quality IMO.

I've had tops and sweaters that never shrank or lost their shape, and others that were hopeless.

Hopefully, something from Nordstrom won't be a problem.

I do think a sweater that's a blend is more reliable in terms of keeping it's shape, and color. I prefer those.

About shrinking, I always wash cotton in cold water and hang to dry (tops) or lay flat to dry (sweaters). I don't see a difference in using a washing machine on delicate versus hand washing - in terms of shrinking. Either cold water will shrink the item (unlikely) or it won't. I think stretching might be more of a problem due to agitation in the washer. But a lingerie bag should solve that.

Re: question on 100% cotton

chrystaltree — Wed, 01 Oct 2014 20:53:53 GMT

Do not size up. Either follow the instructions and hand wash or wash it in cold water on the gentle cycle. Lay flat to dry. It will be fine. I don't know anyone would think ""Made in India"" is the equivalent of ""this will shrink"".

Re: question on 100% cotton

sunshine45 — Thu, 02 Oct 2014 01:20:52 GMT

On 10/1/2014 LipstickDiva said:
I'm not a fan of 100% cotton sweaters. They always seem to grow and stretch out of shape.

neither am i.......actually i now avoid EVERYTHING that is 100% cotton.

Re: question on 100% cotton

Carmie — Thu, 02 Oct 2014 02:45:02 GMT

I buy almost everything that is 100% cotton. I hate polyester and man made fabrics.

I roll my 100% cotton sweaters and t-shirts and put them into a pillowcase. I make sure the pillowcase is very tight fitting and secure with a rubberband. I don't want the roll to open up

I wash them in cold water with coldwater soap in my machine on gentle. When I remove, I unroll the sweater reshape and lay flat to dry. I never had a problem with shrinking or twisting out of shape.

Re: question on 100% cotton

Katcat1 — Thu, 02 Oct 2014 02:52:31 GMT

Normally, you would wash in cold and dry flat or tumble dry on low so you won't have shrinkage. This sweater looks a little over sized to begin with, so I would order my normal size.

Re: question on 100% cotton

Madisson — Thu, 02 Oct 2014 12:10:03 GMT

I wash all my cotton sweaters and other tops in a zipped washing machine bag on cold and on delicate cycle. Be sure to use a detergent for washing in cold water. Then I lay flat to dry on a folding drying rack that I store between the washer and dryer. Absolutely no shrinkage!

Despite what I have heard others mention on this board, my 100% cotton sweaters do not stretch and bag out of shape. There is cheap cotton, and there is high quality cotton. That makes a huge difference. You usually get what you pay for.

Re: question on 100% cotton

ical — Thu, 02 Oct 2014 12:44:05 GMT

On 10/1/2014 lulu2 said:
I've read that it is the spinning that causes items to shrink.

I've never had much luck washing 100% cotton sweaters. They either shrink or grow. They just never are the same for me.

I've never had much luck either. I get so discouraged and blame whatever I did. One day I finally realized that it wasn't what I was doing (and I tried it all, I think).

It's not what you do, it's the cotton. It just is a puffy fiber and you try to tame it, you try to baby it, you know it wants to puff, but you want to control the puff. It wants to stretch and hang casually, and you don't want it to. You baby it, you scold it, you toss it in cold water carefully wringing it and gently twisting it, all while you demand it, in sweet whispers, "Obey me cotton fibers!". Sure, it sounds all good. But in the end, you'll have a cotton sweater which will shrink or stretch or puff up and blur the lines of knitting or crocheting or weaving. Or you'll have a sweater flattened out, in attempts to keep said puff "in line". And cotton, that nonconformist fiber, will give you a bowl where your elbows or bum goes, and will grow long as it dances in gravity. Cotton just wants to be cotton.

Re: question on 100% cotton

violann — Thu, 02 Oct 2014 12:45:56 GMT

To me, purchasing 100% cotton is a cr*pshoot every individual time. The old qvc t-shirts washed beautifully and were wrinkle free after being properly dried, but many cotton knits require cool ironing. No good way to be sure unless you've tried the garment.

Re: question on 100% cotton

brii — Thu, 02 Oct 2014 12:52:47 GMT

I stay away from 100% cotton. You never know if it's going to shrink or going to grow. Plus, it's just too bulky for me.

Re: question on 100% cotton

NickNack — Thu, 02 Oct 2014 13:49:03 GMT

On 10/2/2014 Madisson said:
Despite what I have heard others mention on this board, my 100% cotton sweaters do not stretch and bag out of shape. There is cheap cotton, and there is high quality cotton. That makes a huge difference. You usually get what you pay for.

I completely agree with this statement. My cotton sweaters don't stretch or bag out of shape either.

Re: question on 100% cotton

Trix — Thu, 02 Oct 2014 13:49:43 GMT

Regardless of the country of manufacture, unless you're using much too hot water, it's not the washer which shrinks cotton, but rather heat from the dryer. For clothing, cold-to-slightly warm water is fine. It's best to line dry. I can't ever recall shrinking a cotton garment washing it this way.

Re: question on 100% cotton

pattypeep — Thu, 02 Oct 2014 14:37:42 GMT

BTW, that sweater is adorable. Do you have the item number?

Re: question on 100% cotton

songbird — Thu, 02 Oct 2014 14:49:53 GMT

On 10/2/2014 twopeas said:
BTW, that sweater is adorable. Do you have the item number?

The sweater is from Nordstrom The brand name is Treasure & Bond It's a textured stitch sweater. Item number is Item #745071 $69.00 free shipping.