Why Do Clothes Shrink When You Wash Them?

We've all lost a favorite sweater to shrinkage, but why does this happen? What's the science behind shrinking laundry?
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[@qqq1701]

I yell at my clothes to get the dirt out.

[@xDevilAngle]

I hope you yell them off

[@doejohn6197]

😂🤣🥹 best comment

[@ShawnRavenfire]

My pants keep shrinking, not lenghwise, but widthwise... and it seems to happen more often when I eat too much. Laundry is weird.

[@travishall9715]

😂😂

[@PHANTOMZ0NE]

My pants shrink every time I watch porn. Laundry is weird.

[@itzmaddie4903]

Most relatable comment to everyone😂😂😂😂

[@Dee--Jay]

Whenever I wash brand new clothes, I always hang them up and let them dry and I wash them in cold water. But the second time I watch them I can throw them in the dryer and they won't shrink from there on out

[@johnsonmcbig9157]

Same

[@Adrastia]

I swear, everything I want to shrink refuses to shrink.

[@ravenlorans]

Every Man who is a Grower knows about Shrinkage.

[@timetogetcancer7866]

Lol

[@Implosion-Gaming]

Lol yea.

[@hakualex]

what did you do there?

[@ravenlorans]

hakualex Shriveled in fear.

[@josemv25]

I was in the pool!!

[@baileypatchett5128]

I work at a clothing store and this is super helpful to explain to customers why they should not use hot water... Awesome.

[@johannesschmitz6370]

I use hot water to shrink my shirt intentionally

[@ardanormm7490]

I usw hot water when my skin hit by cat fur

[@mathiasfantoni2458]

@@ardanormm7490 What does “skin hit by cat fur” mean?

[@Ensensu2]

@@mathiasfantoni2458 Especially when cat fur can be spun into yarn

[@VideoManDan]

So you take 4 minutes of their time reciting this entire clip to them? 😅

[@coureurdebois]

HA im not just getting fatter TAKE that mom.

[@coureurdebois]

cant call me an over stuffed burrito anymore

[@timelapsecookie68]

Lol

[@AustinPinheiro_uniquetexthere]

lol

[@coureurdebois]

lol

[@clovisthefirst492]

lol

[@AyngeMackay]

I love doing laundry (by machine, I mean). There is something about the scent and the process of renewal that makes me happy. I hate ironing though, so I use that wrinkle releasing spray.

[@lizardmilk]

Note, only clothes that fit will shrink in the drier. If it's too big, it won't shrink.

[@princessmermaid3085]

😂lol same

[@HeelstoHighTops]

Shirt was a little smedium lol

[@Dee--Jay]

Whenever I wash brand new clothes, I always hang them up and let them dry and I wash them in cold water. But the second time I watch them I can throw them in the dryer and they won't shrink from there on out

[@camoblamo365]

Explain how dry cleaning works please

[@randomisgood4you]

well first off it's not dry. They use chemicals.

[@VideoManDan]

Oil is used instead of water. There ya go, saved you a search 😎

[@bledlbledlbledl]

I worked in a dyehouse for a while, and they had a machine that would steam and PRE-STRETCH the fleece fabric, before it was sewn into sweatsuits. A "calendar machine", they called it. Supposed to insure the fabric was all a uniform size. But wash that calendared fabric the first time and it goes UN-calendared.

[@JamesRussoMillas]

Honestly this is so cool. I always thought it was just the dryer heat.

[@izzuddinnaimofficial2563]

It's simple. Just buy a shirt with polycotton material. (a combination of 50% polyester and 50% cotton) Shrinking after washing a 100% cotton piece of clothing is a bit of a gamble. If you’re purchasing t-shirts, and you don’t want to be concerned with shrinking, and a 50/50 blend will give you peace of mind that the size you purchase is the size you will continue to have. 50/50 blends are a little more reliable when it comes to maintaining size and shape.

[@doejohn6197]

@@izzuddinnaimofficial2563 cool! But what about 60%cotton and only 40% polyester? 🤔 What happens then? Is the higher cotton then more likely to shrink or does the polyester not let that happen too much??

[@coreypetroskey4222]

I thought it was when you dry it not wash it

[@KingChamp91]

I also thought this and we are right to a point its basically heat that do it...hot water or hot air..

[@charnaeyoung9815]

Yeah I'm in Korea and their washers beat your clothes to death. I dont have a dryer so I hang to dry and I've had several oversized hirts that have shrunk a little.

[@jazminramos6081]

charnae young I also hang my clothes its better and I save electricity during summer and it prevents more from fading but if you leave it hanging at the sun for hours it will shrink

[@izzuddinnaimofficial2563]

It's simple. Just buy a shirt with polycotton material. (a combination of 50% polyester and 50% cotton) Shrinking after washing a 100% cotton piece of clothing is a bit of a gamble. If you’re purchasing t-shirts, and you don’t want to be concerned with shrinking, and a 50/50 blend will give you peace of mind that the size you purchase is the size you will continue to have. 50/50 blends are a little more reliable when it comes to maintaining size and shape.

[@jayjay-iu3wc]

will I'm Mexican so I dry my clothes old school I hang them out side to dry ;)

[@Cotbowl]

Aye me too🇲🇽🇲🇽🙏🏽

[@calibanxpable]

I do this too as long as there is plenty of sun.

[@TraceDominguez]

they'll still shrink!

[@calibanxpable]

Read the tag with the cleaning instructions darling. If it says "dry clean only" it is a good sign that it might not be good to wash it in any other way.

[@pacman8551]

I bet that's why your darker clothes start to fade cuz the sun

[@rossmiller4228]

Thanks for the schooling. Very educational.

[@kenyaw5752]

While watching this video, I felt like he was talking about curly hair. The same shrinkage curly haired people experience, our natural fibered clothes experience. Wonder if the chemically induced straightening process curly haired people undergo is similar to the chemically induced straightening process the fibers of our clothes undergo...Are there side effects from using such chemicals on these fabrics? Interesting

[@jasonblundell7643]

What about clothing that's made of 100% polyester? Will it shrink after being washed and put in the dryer? If so, then how much will it shrink? Only a little bit or down a full size, like from large to medium?

[@AZREDFERN]

I have a hard time getting petroleums and pit stains out of my uniforms. I find Oxy-Clean works better than anything else. But can I combine baking soda, washing soda, borax, and oxyclean to make an omni-booster? or will that create an anti-matter nuclear fusion black hole or something?

[@pannkakan1986]

'Living things aren't supposed to last forever, and that is actually kind of okay' hit different

[@peoplez129]

Personally I think that clothes should come pre-shrunk and sized appropriately, so that way people get true sizes. Sure it might add a little more to the cost....but we're talking pennies on the dollar.

[@eliasnikolaivonheimtrondse4424]

I got ny Nike sb camo sweater and IT Was recommendee at 30 celsius but my dad put it at 40 is ut making a difference?

[@Dojan5]

I've never managed to shrink any of my clothes, and I usually just guess the cycle. I wash rougher garments (sweaters, jackets, jeans) in 60 degrees and softer garments (shirts, underwear, socks) in 40 degrees. Granted, I buy cheap clothes that never fit all that well, so it's quite possible that I've simply never noticed the shrinkage.

[@InderjitSingh12]

thats hot

[@Dojan5]

Inderjit Singh Buddy, your name is awesome. It's almost like Indrajit.

[@InderjitSingh12]

Dojan5 thats what my parents probably meant. They spelled it wrong haha

[@Dojan5]

Inderjit Singh No way! That's awesome! Is your father named Ravana by any chance? Haha. I mean I've met people here called Thor before, so I guess it's not crazy, but it's still really awesome. I'm stuck with a boring regular name. Sigh.

[@InderjitSingh12]

Dojan5 no lol. Dad got a regular Sikh name. My name(spelled by parents) is Sikh name too but its not commonly used. Indrajit is South Indian/Sri lankan name. Commonly used by them. Never heard your name though. Where is it regular?

[@nitroneonicman]

I've never managed to get oxi clean to work

[@sashagrey69]

YO JUST LAST WEEK I SEARCHED THIS UP AND WAS LIKE WHY DIDNT D NEWS MAKE A VIDEO ON THIS ALREADY. LIT

[@garybusey1772]

I hate shrinking clothes man I'll get a shirt and it fits perfectly, then it gets washed and all of a sudden it's too tight

[@Schenkk56]

Why is test tube / dNews failing on my Roku? Anytime I select a video in testtube or REV3 I get bumped out to the main Roku menu. This has been going on for several weeks and I'm having trouble getting enough science/space. Not sure where else to report this problem.

[@MochaMage]

As someone who works at a fabric store, this is probably something I should know

[@aleksandrabouma2396]

So if i buy a sweater is it best that I keep one that is maybe a tiny bit bigger than i wanted it to fit? Because it will shrink anyways?

[@melaniehotzky8249]

Can you please make a video about cloth diapering vs. disposible diapers. What's better for the environment / baby from a scientific standpoint?

[@enderman6777]

I hate people who reply to their own comments. Ugh.

[@enderman6777]

Yeah, right! So annoying!

[@JesusChrist-qq2su]

The only way to get your wheels on a mango is to provide a reference to the point of view in massacre city.

[@anastasiadunbar5246]

How do I kill myself?

[@anastasiadunbar5246]

Just reply to your own comment.

[@sackboy3161]

I hate ppl who ask for likes. Like if u agree

[@astorybookfinish5055]

Excellent. Thank you

[@Ren-bw6tg]

Me Having a oversized HOODIE and I need to shrink it

[@samuelfranco3744]

Lmao

[@GeneralChurch]

But can you use cold water and then tumble dry only no heat?

[@UndeadKIRA]

What I like about this videos is that I think I have something close to an answer, but then it turns out it goes much deeper than I though.

[@TraceDominguez]

Same!!

[@Jesusp898]

i like when they shrink i need it sometimes

[@iprimoonanollie2598]

My clothes never shrunk before, from about like half of year of doing laundry the worst thing that happened is that this one stain won't come off my sweatshirt.

[@sweatynreadyhot6915]

you're a day late i shrunk all my jeans yesterday had to go out buy new ones. 😐

[@ourfamilyoutdoors7331]

All my cotton shirts and denim and canvas pants have been shrunk down more than two sizes by my gf. I don’t understand how she does this. I’m a big guy at six four and none of my clothes fit now. This is a serious problem for me right now

[@halincandenza7640]

When you mentioned the nazi scientists I intuitively expected some kind of attrocity. Adding plastic to wool? Those monsters!

[@flyingfshsndwch]

If you're unsure whether it will shrink or not wash on cold/cold and hang it to dry.

[@rigby1198]

Ok but how much do they shrink, because I got an oversized shirt

[@milesunderscore4372]

i have never been so stressed out about laundry

[@Heritagepostfarms]

I always thought the dryer shrinks clothes. And letting it air dry stretches them out.

[@avirajsingh8802]

Can someone please explain me what is bio wash?

[@MazdaBass971]

This is why i use lazers to clean my cloths.

[@wolffgang101]

This is why I don't clean my clothes JK

[@MazdaBass971]

:D

[@coconutpole9455]

This is why I don't wear clothes

[@MazdaBass971]

Coconut Pole Sounds about right

[@nasiatatum]

this is why I don't own clothes

[@MrChickenwitkatchup]

Wow DNews coming through! I was literally wondering about clothes shrinkage less than 24 hours ago when I accidentally shrunk a shirt yesterday xD

[@TraceDominguez]

BOOM!

[@clintross7778]

+Trace Dominguez pause at 1:55-1:56 lol😂

[@omeet5547]

Why does sweat stink over time?

[@mrcubelordbx4285]

So the synthetic clothes doesn't shrink?

[@vardellsfolly5200]

Can i shrink my clothes, deliberately? I, um, used to be somewhat fat (1.80 height, 100 kilos) and i've spent a shit load of money to buy many woolen clothes. So, can i? Now i'm 65 kilos..

[@Ironbaby08]

How do I stop them from shrinking???

[@celiamartinez7944]

Damn energy This is truly beautifvl job sell x‑D

[@268Jamal]

Is there a way to read the comments while seeing the video?

[@peerdeheer]

Why do our new bought clothes lose colours so fast?

[@Ken-S]

Why does washing machine rotate?

[@cfosterr]

Is there a way to wash clothes to make them shrink on purpose? I just lost 50 pounds and really don't want to buy a whole new closet of clothes

[@dim7239]

You ever figure this out?

[@---yg1wv]

But can I unshrink my clothing?

[@jlindsa]

#DNewQuestion Why are we so trusting or better put gullible? If I stand on a soapbox in NYC and make a wild claim, no one will take me seriously. If I make that same claim as a politician, a radio host, the host of a tv show, or a prominent KZbin personality, many more people will take it as true and even quote it in future discussions without ever looking into the claims themselves. Why?

[@KhanMann66]

Because society is sheep/hive mind.

[@bobidou23]

I mean, presumably the very fact that they're prominent at all in those positions suggests that they had built up trust by saying things that ended up being true, right? (or, in the case of certain politicians, intuitively sounded true) So presumably the rest of us use past experience to shortcut the hassle of finding a third-party source for everything.

[@KhanMann66]

Or because we just go with what we like in general whether the facts are correct or false. Picking what we perceive a as truth.

[@oneandonlyjark]

You guys are gullible? Hmm.

[@ZeitGeist_TV]

How about a video on cleaners? I take my favorite clothes there and my mom says it causes cancer. I tell her everything causes cancer, this angers her but I'd still like to know.

[@migmol]

The background music is driving me crazy.

[@michaelsuk5782]

The people who made the tag don't always know how to clean it, in fact, many dry cleaning chemicals make "dry clean only" fabrics bleed. Always make sure you ask your local dry cleaner before doing anything at home.

[@_LightOfRa_]

What was that noise?

[@JulianPard]

If water is clear, why do things get darker the wetter they get?

[@MrLouisNgg]

DNews! Can you explain what would happen if two stars collided?

[@pffilms2522]

This happens to my shirts all the time

[@nitroneonicman]

my clothes are ok after washing however

[@coletrick8748]

I dried my Ralph Lauren sweaters and they shrank from a Large to Xtra Small no exaggeration.. At the time I spent half a paycheck for these two sweaters so I was upset to say the least.. I’m done buying wool!

[@jacksilverman9052]

"Water is slippery" -Trace 2016

[@SHAUNDJFISHBEATSMARTIN]

ITS NOT OK IF YOUR NEW BATHING APE OR SUPREME T-SHIRT SHRINKS COS THAT SHIT COSTS AS MUCH AS AH SECOND HAND CAR ABOUT £500 POUND OR SO

[@mrmagnum14]

so how do we prevent shrinking?

[@androy5188]

use cold water on a gentle spin.

[@OmegaMegalodon]

hand wash

[@Kenuptn]

buy bigger clothes

[@dontuoharris2362]

Stay out of the pool?

[@rueandbea]

soak the shrieked clothes in conditioner I don't know if it works but I saw it on the internet but the internet is always reliable right ?

[@willt.9654]

But why does it only happen to my favorite t-shirts

[@extreme604]

Yes

[@noswonky]

There is a fourth kind of shrinkage.

[@JohnVKaravitis]

When you play this at 1.5x, Trace sounds like a mouse! Squeak squeak squeak!!!

[@CollieMonster]

I hate doing laundry, especially since I don't have hookups at home. So I usually drop it off and have the cleaner do it for me. Worth it at $1/lb.

[@Doomroar]

So how do i reverse the shrinkage?

[@wolffgang101]

Use cold water and do air dry or not so hot in the dryer. When I go to dry my clothes I dry them about half way and then let them dry air dry the rest of the way

[@dontuoharris2362]

Stay out of the pool!

[@extreme604]

Happy

[@AnimeHumanCoherence]

We need more space episodes.

[@ayja2362]

"Its gonna get small on you !!" - Mom

[@StefanTravis]

Any excuse to put Trace in a skintight shirt.

[@brandonboogers]

Actually, the reason jeans don't shrink much is because it is sanfrodized, which makes it pre-shrunk, but un sanforized jeans can shrink up to 10%

[@malaquiasalfaro81]

glad someone said it

[@brandonboogers]

I know, im a hero

[@TraceDominguez]

Yeah, most of the jeans you'll buy are pre-shrunk cotton denim *and* they have also been sanforized (i.e. treated with special chemicals to keep them from shrinking further). But, even non-sanforized denim will only shrink 5 maybe 10% nowhere NEAR felting in wool products which can shrink 15 to 20 percent in width and 25 to 40 percent in length because the fibers have more air between the weave, and can physically shrink in a way cotton just doesn't.

[@7Somerset]

Thank you for not jump cutting like an insane person

[@tw2531]

My name is Trace too!

[@ImperiaGin]

Pro tip don't wash your jeans or pants unless they're really dirty or sweaty also put them inside and out the jeans will last much longer

[@ade6609]

Eww

[@Gboythunda]

I bought some pants like in january. Still haven't washed them till this day

[@alanuchiha]

it’s been 4 years, have you washed them yet?

[@Gboythunda]

@@alanuchiha statement still stands. So do my pants without any support

[@uyeisbr9925]

Hi

[@RebelliousRobot]

If only we can reverse the shrinkage of natural fabrics.

[@kyledavid6223]

I recommend hemp fiber

[@CrimsyniG]

Is this a fatter version of the dude from Alvin And The Chipmunks

[@samuelfranco3744]

I mean once you wash them the first time they shrink after that they just get clean hence why I'm always buying clothes a size bigger and immediately put them in my laundry basket LMAO my mom calls me crazy but i know they'll be too big and i almost never wanna wear a belt so it be like that

[@richardnone5644]

you can avoid all this if you buy pre-shrunk fabrics ha ha ha they are out there richard in the tropics

[@pottah1817]

IM SO SAD ;(( MY FAVOURITE SHIRT GOT LONGER AND THINER 😭 SOMEONE HELPP PLEASE

[@jetfreak666]

How many people thought about that episode of Seinfeld with George and the pool when he mentioned shrinkage?

[@zack_120]

Missed the most common natural phenomenon, the shrinkage of natural fibers like hemp ropes when wet. To see this, tie up your hands with a hemp rope loosely then wet the rope. Your hands will feel the powerful tightening.

[@tannernightingale2982]

DNews, can you please reply? I love your videos! Thanks!

[@stay4sho804]

I need to shrink my joggers, there to big😂

[@mikepiazza4872]

Most Theatrical I need to shrink my shirt lmao

[@bigmikeobama523]

felching?

[@Azurren]

Ahhh Synthetic clothing.. Is about all I have left after doing my own laundry.

[@angie9626]

i like comfy clothes... a lot i buy are quite expensive and my clothes always shrink everytime i buy a nice shirt 😤

[@kikuchimasato08]

when i do laundry it dont shrink. socks just lose their pairs. no matter where i look it just vanished

[@EricParkerable]

Same reason OJ's glove shrank