Does Muslin Shrink When Washed? How to Shrink Muslin Easily
Muslin is a highly breathable fabric that has a wide variety of uses, including art and crafts, fashion designing, theater, and photography. In this article, we will answer common questions that you may have about this fabric, including how you can shrink it.
Does muslin fabric shrink when washed? One of the most common questions that people have is whether muslin shrinks when it is washed. The simple answer to this is yes. Muslin is a fabric that is made from woven cotton, so it does shrink when washed.
Does Muslin Shrink?
Among the most common uses of this natural fabric is as a backdrop for plays and photographs. It is usually dyed in different colors or painted on, and sometimes, even letters are painted on it. For this reason, you may want to make sure that you wash it before you start painting on it.
This is because muslin fabric shrinks when it is washed, and the paint or letters may be distorted if you wash it after painting on it. However, if you need to wash your muslin fabric again after you have painted on it, you can follow these steps while washing it the first time (before you paint on it) so as not to distort the paintings you have done on it.
- Trim the edges of the fabric using zig-zag scissors so that it does not fray while it is washed.
- Wash the muslin in warm water either by hand or in the washer, and then put it in the dryer.
- Iron it out properly so that you have a nice, flat and even surface to paint on.
- You can start painting on your muslin fabric.
Muslin, especially low-quality muslin, can shrink easily when washed. But if you follow these steps above, you can save yourself the struggle of having to correct your distorted painting after putting your muslin fabric in the wash.
How Much Does Muslin Shrink?
Since muslin is woven cotton, it shrinks when it is washed. However, it does not shrink as much as knit cotton. How much muslin shrinks also depends on the quality of the fabric. Cheaper muslin tends to shrink easier when washed compared to high-quality muslin.
While high-quality muslin is soft and smooth and is woven using evenly-spun yarns, low-quality muslin is coarser and is woven using uneven yarns that can either be bleached or unbleached. So, in high-quality muslin, the same width is maintained by the thread throughout, making it soft and even.
Moreover, when washed, muslin does not only shrink but also becomes softer. For this reason, many people prefer not to wash muslin if they are using it for backdrops, banners, and so on. They simply iron it out without washing it first to maintain the coarse nature of the fabric.
Muslin Fabric Shrinkage
As a natural fabric, it can be hard to give exact numbers for muslin fabric shrinkage. This is because often, natural fabrics present variations in their shrinkage rate from batch to batch.
The rule of thumb is that when natural fabrics are in loom state, they usually shrink above 10 percent, and sometimes the numbers can go as high as 15 to 20 percent. However, if they are already finished or washed, the shrinkage rate may be reduced to about 5 percent. And if they are sanforized, meaning that they have been pre-shrunk in factories to meet certain standards of washing shrinkage, it may shrink by as only 2 to 3 percent when you wash it.
Cotton fabrics, such as muslin, in particular, are very breathable, which means that they absorb and release moisture from the atmosphere. So, their shrinkage will vary until their absorbency rate is reduced. This will happen after you have washed the fabric several times.
Will Muslin Shrink in The Dryer?
Yes, like all other natural fabrics, muslin can shrink in the dryer. When you put the fabric in the dryer, you are putting it inside a hot, enclosed area, which leads to the gradual constriction of the fabric. While the shrinking impact of the dryer can vary depending on the fabric, and 100 percent cotton fabrics tend to shrink much more than other kinds of fabrics.
So, when washing and drying, muslin should be treated gently with care. Whether it’s muslin clothing, curtains, or blankets, you need to be very careful with how you handle your fabric if you wish to retain its quality. Follow these steps below if you wish to use the dryer for drying muslin –
- Using cold water, machine wash, or hand wash the muslin fabric.
- Make sure that you use only a gentle laundry detergent in a small amount.
- If you are washing the fabric using your hands, make sure that you don’t soak it or too long or that you don’t rub it hard while washing.
- After washing, tumble dry on low. However, it is important that you remove the fabric from the dryer before it is completely dry.
- For the best results, it is recommended that you air dry muslin by hanging it or by laying it on a flat surface.
Do Muslin Blankets Shrink?
Muslin is widely used for making high-quality, plush blankets. You can find soft throw blankets or supple swaddling blankets for infants that are made from muslin. High-quality muslin fabrics are in great demand everywhere to make soft blankets to keep you warm.
One question that arises is – Do muslin blankets shrink? While muslin is a fabric that shrinks easily when washed, it takes several washes for muslin blankets to shrink. It is likely that you won’t notice any changes in the size of your blankets even after washing it several times. In some cases, it takes years for a muslin blanket to shrink.
This is because the muslin used for making blankets is likely pre-washed using certain industry processes in the factory so that the fabric pre-shrinks before it is turned into a blanket. This allows you to wash your muslin blanket without having to worry about it shrinking.
Muslin is so great for blankets because it gets softer with every wash. It is also lightweight and has an open weave, making it highly breathable. This makes it feel very soft against the skin and is great as swaddling blankets for babies.
To retain its quality, make sure to wash your muslin blanket before using it for the first time and wash with only similar colors. Use gentle detergents or a chlorine-free bleach for washing and never use fabric softener on your muslin blanket. Air dry or tumble dry on low heat.
Make sure that you never dry clean or iron your muslin blanket. Especially when you iron it, and there is water involved, your muslin blanket is likely to shrink.
Do Muslin Quilts Shrink?
Muslin is also commonly used in quilting. It is usually used as a foundation piecing or a fabric backing as it is quite cost-effective and very easy to work with and sew. Since muslin can shrink after washing, it is important that you pre-wash it in hot water to pre-shrink the fabric that you are planning to use for quilting. This way, once you are done sewing, your quilt pieces will not shrink.
Many people use muslin as practice pieces for their quilting, but you may find that high-quality muslin fabric is a great choice for making quilts and can be used even as a main piece rather than a backing piece.
Muslin serves as the perfect material that will not detract your quilting from its main focus, that is its main piece. It is great as a background material that provides the layering and support that your quilt needs.
How To Shrink Muslin
If you wish to purposefully shrink muslin, below are three different methods you can follow.
Method 1
If you want to shrink your muslin, the easiest way to do so at home is to wet it and then iron it dry while it is still wet. This is called the “London Shrink” method. Boil the fabric in water and then place it on the ironing board after taking it out. Place a dry cloth on top of it so that the heat from the iron does not come on direct contact with the wet muslin fabric. This will only lead to damage.
Then, take your iron and carefully iron the fabric until it is completely dry. This will likely result in shrinkage. A combination of water and dryer heat, in most cases, will shrink natural fiber fabrics such as muslin, which have not been pre-washed or pre-shrunk before the fabrication process.
Method 2
Another way you can shrink muslin is by soaking it in boiling water and then putting it in the dryer. First, boil a pot of water and make sure that there is enough space for your fabric without the water overflowing. Once boiled, soak your muslin fabric in the water for about 5 minutes. If your muslin fabric is colored and you are worried about the color loss, you can add a cup of white vinegar to the pot of water beforehand. This will help control the loss of color from the fabric.
Then, using tongs or a ladle, remove the fabric from the boiling water carefully and place it in the dryer. Set your dryer in the highest setting and then tumble dry the fabric until all the water is gone, and it is completely dry. After the first try, you may not see much shrinkage, especially if the muslin has been pre-shrunk.
Repeat the above steps as many times as required until you have achieved the desired size for your muslin fabric.
Method 3
The third option for shrinking muslin is using the hot wash/hot dry shrinking method. First, place the fabric in the washer alone. Set the water temperature to “hot” in both the wash and rinse cycles. Start the washer. If you are worried that the color of the fabric will run, you can add a cup of white vinegar here too. Some people suggest that an enzyme solution can be added too, but this hasn’t been proven or verified.
Once the washing is completed, you can place your fabric in the dryer. Here, set your dryer to the highest setting available, and when the fabric is completely dry, take it out and check how much it has shrunk.
If you don’t want the fabric to shrink too much, check it halfway through. If you are still not satisfied with the shrinkage, you can repeat these steps as many times as required until you have reached the desired shrinkage.
It is important to note that these shrinking methods for muslin may not always work, or they may not work the way you want them to. Especially if the fabric has already been pre-shrunk, your results will vary. It is likely that the fabric may still be able to shrink, or you won’t see any changes at all.
Does Muslin Fabric Stretch?
Muslin is a fabric that does not stretch much, but it can stretch to some extent. Due to this nature, designers who use it as a test garment often mix it with other kinds of fabrics, especially when they have to work with a stretchy or drapey design.
Unlike many fabrics that tend to deteriorate in quality after every wash, muslin is known for its durability. Rather than lowering in quality, you will see that it becomes softer and gentler after every wash. Considering how cost-effective of a fabric it is, its durability and ability to get better over time is a great quality that not many other fabrics have.
For this very reason, muslin is great for making breathable and soft clothes and blankets. Muslin fabric may not stretch much, but it has plenty of other great qualities – such as its softness, its breathability, and the way it is so easy to work with – that makes it one of the most commonly used fabrics in the world.
