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Does 50 Cotton 50 Polyester Shrink? (Explained)

50 cotton 50 polyester is a kind of blend fabric. Blend fabrics are very famous in the fashion world right now. It is the go-to style for every cloth manufacturing company at the moment. Today, we are going to discuss whether 50 cotton 50 polyester shrinks or not.

Does 50 cotton 50 polyester shrink?

50 cotton 50 polyester does not generally shrink. 50 cotton 50 polyester is a blended fabric that contains cotton and polyester in equal amounts. Cotton has the tendency to shrink. But it is the polyester that stops 50 cotton 50 polyester from shrinking.

50 cotton 50 polyester is a very famous fabric in the garment world. Many types of cloth are made by using 50 cotton 50 polyester fabric. Let’s look at some of them and see if they shrink or not.

Hoodie:

As winter is nearing, the hoodie is going to become a very important fashion tool. And hoodies made of 50 cotton 50 polyester fabric is going to become a fashion statement for the youth. So normally hoodies made of 50 cotton 50 polyester fabric will not shrink.

You can shrink it by applying special methods if you want.

Shirt:

A shirt is one of the most useful clothes in our day-to-day life. A shirt can be a great fashion statement in both casual and formal setups. And usually, shirts made of 50 cotton 50 polyester fabric do not shrink.

But you can certainly use special tricks to shrink shirts made of 50 cotton 50 polyester.

Shorts:

Shorts are another comfortable wear for men and women. Shorts made of 50 cotton 50 polyester do not shrink. But special tricks can be used to shrink them if needed.

T-shirt:

A T-shirt is one of the comfortable clothes in our life. Generally, t-shirts made of 50 cotton 50 polyester fabric do not shrink. But methods can be applied if you have the intention to shrink them.

Will 50 cotton 50 polyester shrink in the dryer?

Yes. 50 cotton 50 polyester will shrink in the dryer. Washing clothes made of 50 cotton 50 polyester fabric in the dryer is one of the ways which you can use to manually shrink them. You have to put them in the dryer at a high temperature.

You will at least need a temperature of 140 degrees Fahrenheit (F) to shrink clothes made of 50 cotton 50 polyester fabric in the dryer.

What material is 50 cotton 50 polyester?

50 cotton 50 polyester material is called a blend material in fabric terms. The fabric made of 50 cotton 50 polyester contains half cotton and half polyester. This fabric is made to utilize the best qualities of both cotton and polyester.

Because of its high quality, 50 cotton 50 polyester blend fabric is becoming more and more popular gradually.

How much does 50/50 cotton-poly shrink?

50/50 cotton poly generally does not shrink under normal circumstances. If special washing and drying methods are used, then 50/50 cotton-poly does shrink. Clothes made of 50/50 cotton-poly fabric need to be washed at high temperatures if you want to shrink them.

If they are washed at a high temperature, they usually shrink by ten percent with the first wash.

Polyester is a kind of fiber that does not shrink at all. On the other hand, cotton is the exact opposite of polyester. It has the ability to shrink significantly.

So when you wash and dry a cloth made of 50/50 cotton-poly fabric, it is basically the cotton part of the fabric that does the job of shrinking.

4 reasons why 50 cotton 50 polyester doesn’t shrink

There are many reasons why 50 cotton 50 polyester doesn’t shrink. Some of them are:

Diversity:

50 cotton 50 polyester is the most diverse kind of fabric when it comes to the cloth manufacturing sector. This fabric contains fifty percent cotton and fifty percent polyester.

This fabric is produced with the goal to make the best use of both cotton and polyester. Clothes made of 50 cotton 50 polyester are fantastic because of the diverse quality it has.

Durability:

50 cotton 50 polyester fabric has higher durability than other fabrics. Because of its durability, it does not shrink like clothes made of other fabrics.

Adaptability:

Clothes made of 50 cotton 50 polyester fabric are more adaptable than clothes made of other fabrics. They can adjust to any season and situation. 50 cotton 50 polyester fabric does not need extra attention and care.

This plays a crucial role in stopping 50 cotton 50 polyester fabric from shrinking.

Free From Ironing:

50 cotton 50 polyester fabric does not need to be ironed. Because they are free from developing wrinkles. And we know that applying high temperatures can shrink the polyester portion of the 50 cotton 50 polyester fabric. Less ironing means less shrinking.

How to shrink 50% cotton 50% polyester shirt?

There are many steps involved in shrinking a 50% cotton 50% polyester shirt. They are:

Inspection Of Label:

You need to carefully check the label of your shirt. You have to do this to make sure that your shirt is actually made of 50% cotton and 50% polyester fabric. Because selecting the wrong shirt will spoil the whole process.

Usage Of Water:

Then in the next step, you have to boil water in an appropriate utensil. You have to make sure that the utensil is big enough to hold both the water and your shirt.

Usage Of Vinegar:

As a precaution, you can add one cup of white vinegar to the water. It will act as a defense system against color bleeding.

Placement Of Shirt:

In the next step, you need to take your shirt and put it in the hot boiling water for about five minutes. The amount of shrinking depends on the temperature of the water. The shirt will shrink more in hotter water.

If you want your shirt to shrink less, you can let the boiling water cool for a little bit.

Usage Of Spoon:

You can use a spoon as an extra utensil to better navigate the hot water. You can use a spoon made of wood to handle the shirt in the water. It will give you far more control throughout the process.

Withdrawal of The Shirt From The Water:

In the final step, you need to carefully put out the shirt from the water using a safe handling tool. After putting it out from the water, you need to put the shirt in the dryer.

How do you wash a 50 cotton 50 polyester?

First of all, you need to check the label of your cloth to be sure that it is made of 50 cotton 50 polyester fabric. After checking, you can start washing your cloth in the washing machine or wash them by hand depending on the instructions of the label.

If the label does not define whether the cloth should be washed by hand or by the washing machine, then it is better to wash it in the washing machine.

Use moderate amount of detergent while washing a 50 cotton 50 polyester cloth. You don’t need to use a huge amount of detergent like every detergent company suggests you to.You can also add fabric softener.

Cold water should be used to wash a 50 cotton 50 polyester cloth.

Do 50 cotton and 50 polyester stretch?

50 cotton and 50 polyester do not stretch. 50 cotton and 50 polyester fabric is made by combining the best qualities of both cotton and polyester. But in this blend, polyester has more control over cotton.

That is why clothes made of 50 cotton and 50 polyester stay in shape and do not stretch.

How do I permanently stretch the cotton-polyester mix?

Generally, cotton-polyester mix do not stretch. But special washing and drying methods can be applied to stretch the cotton-polyester mix. First of all, you will need a bucket of hot water and then put hair conditioner in it.

You will have to soak your cotton-polyester mix in the hot water for thirty minutes. After that, you need to take out the mix from the water and wring it out. Next, you will need to pull and stretch the mix to the point where it satisfies your needs.

Final Thoughts

50 cotton 50 polyester does not shrink without any added pressure. 50 cotton 50 polyester is a marvelous fabric that is made by mixing cotton and polyester. However, you can forcefully shrink 50 cotton 50 polyester by applying special washing and drying methods.