How to not shrink 100% cotton American Apparel T's

February 24, 2009 7:23 PM

I've only found help on how to Shrink stuff, not how to avoid it. So the American Apparel medium t-shirts are too big for me even after a wash, but their small shirts are perfect pre-wash. They are 100% cotton and I'm wondering what I can do to not have them shrink at all. Can I hand wash them gently with detergent and then hang dry? Any experience or anecdotes would be great!
posted by huxley to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (6 answers total)

Best answer: Wash in cold water, hang dry (inside out to avoid shoulder nipples). They should be fine.
posted by phunniemee at 7:24 PM on February 24, 2009 [1 favorite]

Best answer: I always wash my teeshirts in a top loading washing machine, cold water only, and dry hanging on a line. Never had a problem with them shrinking or fading (dried inside out). This includes American Apparel and similar bands, all 100% cotton. I have shrunk an AA shirt putting it in the drier, it sucks because they tend to get shorter but not narrower which is not a good look.
posted by shelleycat at 7:37 PM on February 24, 2009

Best answer: Same as the above two answers, I machine wash T-shirts (including AA T-shirts) in cold water and hang them up to dry. Top-loading or front-loading doesn't seem to make a difference, just make sure the water is cold. You don't need to go as far as hand-washing.
posted by keep it under cover at 7:41 PM on February 24, 2009

Response by poster: Thanks all!
posted by huxley at 7:47 PM on February 24, 2009

I find that even when I wash in cold and hang them up to dry, they shrink a little. I've also found that if I tug at the shirt a bit once it's on me — pull gently on the sides and stomach, and then pull the hem gently down — it stretches right back into a perfect fit!
posted by adiabat at 7:52 PM on February 24, 2009

i hand wash and dry. they come out a bit stiffer but i think the color bleeds less and it definitely shrinks less.
posted by anthropomorphic at 2:23 PM on February 26, 2009