It's shrunk

[Puppytrashedmysofa]

I was bought an expensive jumper for Christmas. It now would fit a ten year old because I put it in a regular wash which I've always done with my cheaper jumpers.

Can it be unshrunk ,I've been told it has to be damp.

I'm afraid it cannot be unshrunk now you've ruined it. Sorry.

Ok.Can I get a refund on it do you think.It cost £200 , cant believe it would shrink like this in first wash being such good quality ,never happened before with my other v necks.Thankyou for any help.

What did the washing instructions on the label inside the jumper say?

Did you check the washing label?

You could only return it if you followed it and they believe you followed it. If you machine washed it at 40 and it says hand wash cold and dry flat then unfortunately it’s just your expensive mistake.

Yes I know.Lukewarm water , air dry etc.But I've never been bought something so expensive so just did usual mixed load without reading label.

Why do cheaper ones not shrink ,I don't get it?

Expensive cashmere or wool or whatever isn't treated in the same way as some cheaper, more daily wear wool/cashmere (my boden cardigan for example even survived my ex trying to destroy it in the tumble dryer!)

And poly stuff is an entirely different fabric and doesn't shrink anyway..

It's your expensive mistake I'm afraid.

Does it have wool in it? Surely you should check the care instructions on something so expensive you have never bought before?
cheaper ones will be acrylic/ polyester…

Yeah, it's had it.

I never handwash anything though, life is too short, like I don't grow plants in the garden that need bringing indoors in winter.

Washing machine has a 15 minute wash at 30C, slow spin. If a garment doesn't survive that on its own, good riddance.

Cashmere or wool shrink but they can be a lot warmer and softer. Generally a good idea to handwash anything that costly, and always read the label.

No, you can't get a refund. Do you have accident insurance?

Cheap jumpers are made of plastic, your jumper is natural organic fibre...
It's like saying I can pour boiling water on my car and clean it and its fine but I tried to have a bath with boiling water and my skin got burned - i don't get it.

This is unfortunately an expensive lesson - I'd be absolutely amazed if you get a refund.

General rules are,:

• follow the washing instructions on the label
• hand wash / use a short wash cycle or the hand wash cycle in a machine.

-wool detergent,

• needs to be air dried /cannot be spun on high or tumble dried

Your cheaper ones may have been a wool mixed with other fibres. You have to be careful with wool when washing and drying it because the fibres actually have tiny scales and with heat and agitation they can slide over each other in one direction but then can’t slide back easily because the scales catch.
You can buy special washing liquid for Wool everywhere that reduces the risk of it.

I have successfully machine washed cheaper wool jumpers on cold, in mesh laundry bags with the spin rate at the lowest setting. You shouldn’t wring it tightly either when you take it out the machine. I hand wash a few favourite wool jumpers and dry flat on towels.

Wool has many wonderful properties that are worth the minor hassle of extra care when washing. I find friction pilling from handbags, seat belts etc more of a pain and that’s why I won’t spend a fortune on a jumper.

Ok thanks .No insurance unfortunately. Probably won't get anything like this again but useful to know.Down the car boot with it I suppose..thankyou.

So why would they refund?

You can try using hair conditioner: https://www.cosmopolitan.com/uk/fashion/style/a38143/un-shrink-your-clothes/

Wow so easy.Ill give it a try.Thanks so much.

My 3 year old now has a very expensive cashmere jumper after I accidentally put it in the dryer. It fits him perfectly! Please update on the conditioner OP I would love to know if that works.

You can't get a refund if it was your fault .

It's only a fault if you washed it the right. Way or dry cleaned it and it shrunk ..

They will know you have washed it too hot or the spin too fast as it would be felted .

Soaking in conditioner relaxes the fibres but it's unlikely to go back to how it was

Yes for sure I will.But looks like a kids getting a nice jumper for a fiver by the looks of this thread.It was grey anyway ,wasn't keen on it really.

I shrunk a wool baby blanket I knitted my son. Just chucked it in the washing machine at 30 and didn't even think about it. Came out looking like a flannel. Was devastated, it took me about 6 months to make it. Anyway tried the conditioner thing multiple times and it didn't work at all. Just fyi, maybe don't get your hopes up too much. Although I imagine the looser the weave the better it would work

What's it made
From?

If it's still wet you can try stretching it out by hand, as a warning even if this works it may end up misshapen though.

But that's why it shrunk, OP.

It shrunk because it's pure wool.

"Good quality" doesn't mean it'll never shrink or that you can put it in with acrylic jumpers, in a washing machine, unfortunately.

It's really disappointing.
If you didn't much like it, you could have sold it.

I tried this twice on my cashmere jumper, that unfortunately just got scooped up, by accident and put into normal wash. Followed it to the letter, absolutely no effect whatsoever. It had 'felted' by then, ( become too shrunken and dense to see the weave, if stretched slightly).
Marginally more effective on my DH's lambswool jumper, but hopeless on cashmere.