When knit tops shrink in the dryer, why do they always shrink in the same direction?

What is this obsession you have with dryers lately, Jeruba? I think you’ve been hanging out in the laundry room too long. (And please return Sandydog’s black sock to him.)

So you don’t like to have your belly show?

Does the fabric care label say it’s OK to use full heat?

I think the direction of the shrinkage has to do with the direction in which the yarn runs when the clothing is knitted.

~either that, or the phenomenon is related to the sock gremlins.

You’ve seen those biographies with titles like Edmund Wilson: A Life in Literature and William Osler: A Life in Medicine and Duveen: A Life in Art? Well, mine would be Jeruba: A Life in Laundry.

I know this might be totally rediculous and illogical, but I believe that some dryer companies team up with clothing companies to purposelly shrink clothes so that you’ll buy more. Just my opinion, but I think it is what is happening to you.

What kind of fabric are we talking about? I wear a lot of knit tops and never noticed this problem consistently. Sometimes things will shrink, but for me they usually get shorter and tighter. I’ve never experienced the seams not being vertical. I’d guess that the “twist” is probably from the way the washing machine moves the clothes, then the dryer heat sets it in that position…just a guess. In this case, it might help to flap the wet clothes before putting them in the dryer so that they are not all tangled around each other and/or twisted up.

And what is it with men and not knowing how to properly do laundry, anyway? My BF is the same way. He has ruined many of my clothes simply by washing them with his (I’m talking shrinkage, bleeding, pen stains, aghhh it is so frustrating!).

I’ve noticed that they mainly get shorter, as well. The best thing to do is to buy only pre-washed/shrunk clothes. You do have to spend more, but they’ll last a lot longer! Not to mention the amount of time you’ll save by not having to wash them separately and air dry them.

Relevant video.

I don’t know why you couldn’t just soak it in vinegar, rather than dabbing it on.

Hmm…interesting, @augustlan. Thanks! I am guessing that saturation in vinegar would be way overdoing it and that the proportion of acetic acid to cotton fiber is important. This is worth a try. I had a new shirt shrink on me just yesterday.

I’ve had allegedly preshrunk stuff find a way to shrink some more. And I haven’t felt like spending more on stuff that is just going to shrink. So I don’t have the magical combination right yet. But reversing the effects of heat on cotton sounds good…as long as you don’t have to do this every damn time you wash the shirt.

I think the agitation and heat of the dryer cause the thousands of loops in the knit to straighten slightly. This would explain both the shortening of the garment and the widening. Since this must happen inconsistently across many lines of knitting, it would distort the seams as well.