What is the best way to launder flannel shirts without shrinking them?
My method is to wash them cold, put them in the dryer on the “air dry” setting for about ten minutes, and then hang dry them overnight. How about you? Any secrets to getting your flannel shirts to look like new even after they’ve been through the wash? In particular, I’m looking for ways to avoid shrinkage.
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6 Answers
Your method is about the best, although I would hand wash them in Woolite, then hangto dry. But my wool flannel shirts I get dry-cleaned; cotton flannel I just wash with everything else.
@JeSuisRickSpringfield I do what you do for cotton sweaters and things like flannel shirts I don’t want to shrink. And don’t swim in cold oceans if you’re worried about shrinkage.
Anything I don’t want to shrink, or that I want to last a long time, I keep out of the dryer totally, when I can avoid it. I hang to dry nice shirts, sweaters, underwear and my daughter’s clothes, unless I’m in a hurry.
Basically, you just have to avoid the heat of a dryer. There is no real trick to it. I shrink things by mistake all the time. I’m not careful enough when I do the laundry. I try to remember to put shrinkable things in a lingerie bag before washing so when I pull the clothes out if the washer into the dryer I know immediately what to be careful with.
I’ve never had a flannel garment shrink. I think of flannel as not being at risk, but if you have had a bad experience I wouldn’t risk another garment.
@JLeslie: Flannel is cotton (i.e. natural garment) so it definitely will shrink.
I guess everything flannel I own is preshrunk.
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