Does 50 Cotton 50 Polyester Shrink?

There are many types of clothes out there that are made from different fabrics. Some of them are 100% cotton while some are made entirely out of polyester. But what if I were to tell you that there are certain types of clothing that are made of blended fabric? There are numerous instances and you might have seen some yourself, but clothes can be made by blending in a couple of fabrics together! The most popular combination is polyester and cotton.

The 50 cotton 50 polyester is a popular combination because of retaining the breathability of cotton while maintaining the durability of polyester in equal amounts! These types of clothes will last years to come but a certain fraction of people might worry thinking does 50 cotton 50 polyester shrink or not? This stems from 100% cotton clothes shrinking when heat is applied to it in a washing machine. The good news is that it will not shrink by much but how much is good or bad is what we are here to figure out! So let’s see all things related to shrinking 50 cotton 50 polyester clothes and how you can also shrink it effectively!

Key Takeaways

• We have discussed in this article the blend of 50% cotton and 50% polyester and if the blend is bound to shrink.
• We have also discussed two methods to shrink 50% cotton and 50% polyester.
• We have gone through some tips for this shrinking process.

What Is 50 % Cotton 50% Polyester?

Fabric manufacturers blend different fibers to obtain to increase durability and reduce wrinkling and shrinkage. Blending with different fibers can reduce the cost of the fabric and it will reduce the weight or thickness. This type of fabric is an ideal choice for sports and athletics. A 50 cotton 50 polyester blend will help create a lightweight, durable, and breathable fabric. It is resistant to wrinkles, which will keep the appearance of the fabric after many uses.

Does 50 Cotton 50 Polyester Shrink or Not?

Cotton and polyester are different and they both have different fibers, so they behave differently. Cotton is made of natural fiber and it absorbs moisture, whereas, polyester is made of synthetic fiber and it repels moisture. Cotton is more comfortable and breathable, and it has better strength and absorbency. Polyester does not absorb moisture, so it is resistant to shrinking, stretching mildew, and wrinkles. Polyester fabrics tend to last longer than cotton because they retain shape after many items of washing. Polyester does not shrink, and cotton shrinks a lot, so when you combine these two materials, you will have a fabric that is not prone to much shrinking. That being said, some factors will make 50 cotton and 50 polyester shrink. If you are not taking proper care of the fabric material, it will tend to shrink. When you are washing the garment in hot water and drying it on high heat, these two can cause 50 cotton and 50 polyester to shrink.

50 percent cotton and 50 percent polyester shrink. The 50 cotton 50 polyester will not shrink as nearly as 100% cotton shirts. This is because the fibers are more evenly distributed. If you have a 50/50 cotton-polyester mixed tee or hoodie which is double your actual size, it will not become your actual size after shrinking. When you try to shrink the clothing, the garment will shrink by 5% to 10% which is 1 to 2 sizes smaller. This shrinking amount will depend on the mixture of cotton and polyester. Because when you have 50% polyester in your clothing, it will be difficult to shrink the garment even if the other fabric is cotton which is easy to shrink. If your garments are made entirely of cotton, you can expect shrinkage as much as 3% to 5%, but if it is blended with 50% polyester, it will shrink less. If you want to determine how much 50% cotton and 50% polyester will shrink, you should know how much 100% cotton or 100% polyester would shrink.

Does 50 Cotton And 50 Polyester Shrink In The Dryer?

Polyester fabric is durable and it will not shrink very quickly. Cotton will shrink in the dryer easily. When a 50/50 blend of cotton and polyester is exposed to heat, it will shrink. When it is left for a long time in the dryer, it will shrink. Fabrics shrink because fibers in the fabric tend to tighten when they are exposed to fire. Fabrics with shorter fibers will shrink more than those with longer fibers. Cotton has short fibers, so it will tighten quickly when it is exposed to heat during washing and drying. The fibers of the polyester are longer, so the fibers shrink less during washing and drying cycles. However, if it is exposed to too much heat, it will shrink.

Preparation for 50% Cotton And 50% Polyester Shrinkage

You can shrink 50% cotton and 50% polyester fabric in two ways, but before you go through these methods, you should know how to shrink the garment properly.

1. Make sure your shirt or hoodie is clean, because if there is a stain, the stain will become permanent after shrinkage, so, wash the garment properly before shrinking it.

2. If you have a lot of garments that you want to shrink, try to shrink one garment at a time, because the colors might bleed at high temperatures.

3. Turn the garment inside out as when you will be rising temperature, it can lead to the fade of your clothing. For the preservation of the color, do not expose it to direct heat.

2 Ways to Shrink 50% Cotton And 50% Polyester

Heat is an effective way to shrink 50% cotton and 50% polyester. We can discuss two ways which will channel heat and you will get the desired results.

1. Hot wash in a washing machine

• Make sure your washing machine is in the highest hot water settings.
• Load your shirt or hoodie in the washing machine.
• Run the machine for the longest cycle.
• After washing it, put the shirt in the dryer.
• Set the heat for the highest settings.
• Let the machine run for 15-20 minutes.
• Make sure the water is removed and the shirt is dry.
• Check the size of your shirt to see if you get the result you want.
• If you are not satisfied with the results, run the machine for the hottest water settings for another 15 minutes.
• To dry the t-shirt, use an iron at the highest heat setting.
• This method requires hard work, after you are done heating the garment, wear your clothes to check the current size.

2. Hot wash in a pot of boiling water

If you don’t have a washer and dryer at your home, you can try this method. This process is also effective to shrink 50% cotton and 50% polyester shirt and hoodie. To do this method, you can do the following:

• Take a large pot with enough space.
• Make the temperature 170 degrees F.
• Soak your garment in a pot of boiling water.
• Make sure how much shrink you want of your clothes.
• If you want to shrink your cloth a little, use your tong to remove it from the pot after 10 minutes, then cool it down for 5 minutes in a dryer at the highest heat settings.
• If you want to shrink your garment to a greater size, let your garment sit in the pot of boiling water for 20 minutes. It is not necessary to cool down your clothes.
• After removing it from the pot, put it in the dryer and run it at the highest heat settings for 15 minutes.

7 Tips for Shrinking 50 Cotton And 50 Polyester

As we have discussed two effective ways of shrinking the garments, you should also keep in mind that these two methods remain beneficial to us, for this, you can follow the followings:

1. Make sure, you have tongs or heat-resistant gloves, so that, your hands do not get burnt.
2. After you have done shrinking your tee and hoodie, check for the size. If you have got the size you want, do not put it in the washer and dryer again to shrink it more.
3. Make sure your machine or pot is clean beforehand, while you are going through the process, do not add any detergent.
4. The color of your clothes will bleed 90% time, so the color of your clothing will fade.
5. Expect to get the result in one wash. If you keep doing it over and over, the garment will look wrinkly and very old.
6. Wash your cloth in the machine, if the washing instruction label of your garment says so.
7. If the washing instruction label of your garment says to not machine wash, then do not machine wash your garment, because your garment will get torn and patchy.

Advantages of Shrinking Process 50/50 Blend

There are certain circumstances when it is better to use a blend because it offers a more durable, versatile, and comfortable material. We will discuss some of the advantages of this fabric:

1. A cotton & polyester blend t-shirt can be used instead of a 100% cotton t-shirt for any occasion.
2. A blend of cotton and polyester will not fade after shrinkage as fast as 100% cotton.
3. After the shrinking process, Polyester and cotton blends will become durable and thus they don’t lose shape easily.
4. 100% cotton is prone to wrinkling, although 50/50 cotton and polyester blend will not wrinkle much even after you reduce the size.
5. After you shrink your clothing, warm water and low to medium heat are ideal for washing and drying this blended fabric, while 100% cotton needs cold water and low heat for washing and drying.

Disadvantages of Shrinking 50 Cotton And 50 Polyester

The shrinking of 50 cotton and 50 polyester does not have a lot of disadvantages, although, there are some, so before you start the shrinking process, you should know them. They are given below:

1. The blend will fade slightly, so the garment will lose its original color.
2. The garment needs ironing frequently although it has polyester.
3. Shrinking 50 cotton and 50 polyester will weaken the strands of the fabric, and the cloth will look old and it might tear.

FAQs

Final Thoughts

In this article, we have discussed two popular methods to shrink 50% cotton and 50% polyester that will shrink the fabric up to 1 to 2 sizes. The blend will not shrink more than this. For this shrinking process, you can use the washing machine and dryer method or you can use the boiling water in pot method. However, during this process, expect some color bleed, too. If you want to get the desired results, remember that consistency in heat is to be maintained always.