Shrinkage refers to the size change of the fabric caused by hot water, friction or other factors during the washing process. It has an important impact on clothing fabrics. The following is a discussion on the impact of shrinkage on clothing fabrics, size changes after washing and fabric characteristics:
1. Fabric properties: Different types of fabrics have different shrinkage properties. Natural fibers such as cotton, linen, etc. usually have a higher shrinkage rate, while man-made fibers such as polyester, nylon, etc. usually have a lower shrinkage rate. This is due to differences in fiber structure and material.
2. Size changes after washing: During the washing process, the fabric will be affected by water temperature, friction, stretching and other factors, resulting in size changes. Fabrics with a high shrinkage rate are prone to large size changes after washing, while fabrics with a low shrinkage rate are relatively stable and have small size changes after washing.
3. Fabric pre-treatment and control: In order to minimize size changes after washing, fabrics are usually pre-treated during the production process, such as pre-shrinking Heat treatment or chemical stabilization. These treatments can reduce the shrinkage of the fabric and improve its size stability.
4. Fabric structure and shrinkage rate: The density and structure of the fabric will also affect the shrinkage rate of the fabric. Tightly woven fabrics tend to have lower shrinkage than loosely woven fabrics because the fibers are more tightly locked and intertwined with each other, leaving less room for deformation after washing.
5. Design and use considerations: When designing clothing, the shrinkage characteristics of the fabric and expected size changes after washing need to be taken into consideration. For fabrics that are prone to shrinkage, you can appropriately increase the fabric size during production, or control size changes after washing through reasonable cutting and design.
In general, shrinkage is a factor that affects size changes during fabric washing. Fabrics with different fiber materials and fabric structures have different shrinkage characteristics. Fabrics with high shrinkage rates are prone to large size changes after washing. In order to reduce post-wash size changes, factors such as fabric pre-treatment, fabric density and structure, design and use all need to be considered and controlled.
