Can stuff in your washer/dryer shrink twice?

Yes, it could.

Yes, it can shrink both from washer and dryer. It also can continue to shrink after it has shrunk the first time.

I’d say it’s probably as small as it’s going to get.

There is a chance it could shrink more, but mostly the damage is done.

OK so now I have contradictory answers. What’s real?

Try it and see. What can we tell you?

@elbanditoroso I could be wrong, but I am of the opinion that it will do most of the shrinking the very first time. You can manipulate it back to close to the initial size & IF you screw up again, it will shrink again. Now, IF you shrink it the first time & never manipulate it back toward the original size, I don’t think that it will shrink even smaller. I think it shrinks most of the size on the first mistake!!!

I’ll admit that I’ve NEVER tested my theory as far as shrinking the 2nd time. I have, however, had something shrink…work to restretch & then accidentally shrink a 2nd time..so I could be wrong re it shrinking even smaller

Depends on the material.

But I’d say yes, it can shrink more after one initial shrinking.

Cotton is one of the best fabrics to use when making or buying clothing. It is also one of the easiest to shrink when you wash it. The good news is that cotton should not shrink after it has been pre-washed. IF you’re interested in cotton, go to that site & see what they have to say!!!

Cotton shrinks about 2% the first time its washed, thats why I usually purchse clothes that have Cotton plus another synthetic such as nylon,rayon, elastic etc
Wool on the other hand WILL shrink immediately 75% or more. ( mother washed my brothers very expensive adult wool sweater in washer and dryer and it shrunk to child size!..I think that she did this on uporpose in order to get him to do his own laundry insteaad of brining it to her?)

I suspect that it only shrinks once. The reason I say this is that I can, but don’t often, make clothes. One of the first things one learns is to always pre-shrink your material before cutting out the pattern. This entails running it through the wash cycle it will normally be washed on, no soap required, and running it through the dryer cycle you will normally use. Otherwise, your final product will shrink, if it’s the type of material that will, the first time you wash it.

I guess it’s too late for this shirt, but in the future I would suggest reading the label and looking up the individual fabrics content to determine if it will shrink. Synthetics won’t, natural fibers, like cotton and wool, will.

I would pay more for manufacturers to use preshrunk fabric.

So frustrating.

II tried this with a wool sweater, and it kept shrinking. It is now my size, but very dense and stiff (so not as pleasant to wear).

Articles can continue to shrink after the first wash/dry.