Viscose care guide
Viscose fibres are derived from natural wood and pulp, so you might find that your viscose clothing shrinks slightly in the wash. If this happens, don’t panic! Here are a couple of methods you can use to unshrink it.
How to wash viscose
1. To avoid colour transfer, separate dark/coloured cotton and linens from white or lighter colours in the wash.
2. Use a mild detergent and cool-wash at 30 degrees on a low-speed short spin.
3. Remove promptly from the washing machine, place on a hanger and reshape while damp.
4. Line-dry or air-dry. Do not tumble dry as it can result in shrinkage of up to 10% and will shorten the lifespan of your item.
5. Once your item is almost dry, use a hot iron on reverse if needed, using steam to remove any heavy creases and define features such as the collar and cuffs.
6. Avoid using bleach on stains as this weakens the fibres and it may affect the colour of your item. Read our guide for How to remove stains from clothes.
How to unshrink viscose
1. Use a steamer
Turn the piece of clothing inside out. Hold its hem and pull gently, then use a steamer or iron on the lowest setting and apply steam to the entire garment. The steam will relax the fibres and the tension should smooth out any creases or puckering.
2. Use hair conditioner
Soaking your viscose clothing in a solution made from water and hair conditioner can loosen the fibres enough to be stretched back into shape.
To do this, dissolve hair conditioner into a bowl of room-temperature water – use one tablespoon of conditioner for every quart of water. Stir it in gently, then add your viscose clothing and soak it for no longer than 5 minutes. You shouldn’t need to rinse it.
Squeeze the garment dry between towels. Lay the garment flat on top of a dry towel, then gently pull the fabric to stretch it into shape. Start from the centre and work slowly, pulling a little at a time. Don’t pull too hard – this could rip the fabric.
Once it is the size and shape you want, leave it to dry. Larger items such as dresses can be hung up when they’re still a little damp to stretch them out a little more.