Stop shrinking clothes!

[Wildeheart]

I have a washer dryer* but the dryer keeps shrinking my cottons and woollens even when using the correct settings. I try to dry clothes so that they are “just” dry and not bone dry but still some shrinkage. Those of you who use tumble dryers for everything, please tell me your secret, how do you stop them shrinking your clothes?!

*it’s a rare beast that actually does the job (apart from shrinking clothes)

I'm watching with interest, as tumble driers have always shrunk my clothes so I only use the drier for sheets/towels.

I have heard someone say they buy clothes one size up, then they shrink to the right size?!

I have the same issue with my wardrobe. The longer my clothes are in there without being worn the more they shrink.

Tumble dryers shrink clothes. The safest things to tumble are towels, bedding, jeans (they stretch back out) and shirts.

Are you checking the washing labels on all the clothes to make sure they can be tumble dried ? There are many things that shouldn't be.

I never tumble any knits or woollens,

100% cotton normally does ok in the tumble, as so some man made divers.

Always check the labels on the clothes though. Quite a lot cannot be tumbled.

I only tumble dry things that say they can be tumble dried. None of my clothes shrink. Not noticeably, anyway.

I don’t think you can tumble dry everything. Even if the labels say you can. Dryers always shrink things. I always hang up jumpers, woollen etc stuff straight from the wash on a hanger in a doorway.

Condenser dryers shrink clothes.

The other ones with the tube thing don't. I'd assume your washer dryer is a condenser.

I have this problem too, as well as my family having a lot of clothes which say can't be tumbled dried anyway.

I mainly use the tumble dryer for pyjamas, pants, towels and sheets. Sometimes socks.

I like having a tumble dryer but have been quite disappointed by how little I can actually put in it unless I am happy to risk shrinking or print coming off t shirts.

Heat pump ones are supposed to be good.

Woollen things don’t go in the drier.

I’ve got a washer dryer and I think they are all condenser dryers. It’s brilliant with linens and towels but definitely feel like some items - like jumpers and shirts - are shrinking

I would never tumble jumpers or knitted things regardless of what they are made of.

Shirts, sheets, towels, jeans, t shirts that don't have prints on go in but that's it.

I have always had washer driers and this one (first cold fill only machine I've had) doesn't seem to shrink stuff as much. Nowadays I generally only tumble stuff that doesn't matter like socks and underwear, but years I ago I would purposely buy clothes a size bigger than I needed knowing they would shrink down. Worked perfectly.

I have a separate vented tumble dryer (sorry) and stuff shrinks if I use the hot setting. I have a low heat setting so use that for things that are prone to shrink.

I don’t tumble dry jumpers or synthetics or anything special.

I tumble dry cotton t shirts, undies, leggings etc which is most of the load. Also towels and sheets.

The cotton clothes do shrink a little but not that badly.

Lower heat with a longer dry time.

I hang or flat dry anything with wool, but other than that everything is chucked in on a low heat.

I wouldn’t dry cottons or wool in the dryer. They need to air dry, then go in the tumbler drier for a short time to soften them up again and get rid of creases.

I dont ever put woollens in there - disaster waiting to happen!
Heat pump dryer better than old school but even pure cotton jersey tends to shrink.

The best things for tumble drying are bedding, towels, cotton shirts, table linen.

The worst things are anything with stretch - socks especially.

I have a vented dryer and it definitely shrank my clothes/underwear so I now use a lower heat setting and a short programme, and finish drying them on the rack. I don't put delicates in the dryer at all, they go straight on the rack. The only things I dry at a higher heat/longer programme are sheets/towels.

I don’t use clothes airers so think I just have to accept that I need to buy clothes in a larger size! Once clothes shrink once I assume they don’t keep shrinking?

Glad I'm not the only one who suffers from tumbler dryer shrink flation. We just replaced ours with a pricey John Lewis one and the problem is even worse!
And drying things inside in winter leads to no end of damp problems. What is the secret?!