Does Spandex shrink?

Spandex is something that you probably use a lot more than you think. 

In modern clothes nowadays, it’s not uncommon to have at least a little spandex in each piece. In fact, in the United States, 8 in 10 pieces of clothing have spandex in them! 

It’s no surprise why this fabric is so well-loved in fashion. It is best known for its stretchiness or elasticity, making it easy to wear and move in. 

It also retains body heat and can help keep you warm. This ups the ante on comfort, especially on cold days. Plus, it’s great at wicking moisture, keeping your skin nice and free of sweat. 

For a fabric that’s so common in nearly all our clothes, it’s best to know how to take care of them to make them last a while. In this article, we’ll be tackling shrinking.  

Does spandex shrink or stretch?

Stretching is the most important and prominent feature of Spandex. 

Elasticity means that you can stretch it out quite a bit without ruining the fabric. Spandex should be able to bounce back to its original size and form once you’ve stretched it out. 

In some extreme conditions of very high heat, or prolonged wear and tear, the elasticity may start to wear off, leaving you with a permanently stretched garment.

However, this doesn’t necessarily protect spandex from shrinking. Spandex can be prone to shrinking when handled improperly, especially in washing. 

Does spandex shrink in hot water?

Heat is Spandex’s worst nemesis when it comes to shrinking. Avoid washing your clothes with spandex in hot water. 

It does resist heat a bit better than most fabrics, but Spandex is mainly composed of polyurethane. 

This is a material very close to plastic in composition. So if you can imagine how plastic behaves when exposed to heat, that’s likely the same result on spandex too. 

There are two temperatures to note when washing spandex in hot water: 65°C (150°F) is when shrinking may start to occur. 

Meanwhile, at a temperature of 177°C (350°F), say goodbye to your garment because spandex is bound to melt at that point. 

It’s not something to worry about when washing (that’s way beyond water’s boiling point!). But it could happen when drying or ironing. 

Does the dryer shrink spandex?

The simple answer is yes. Too much heat can cause spandex to shrink, no matter what the source. 

So, what happens to spandex in the dryer? 

Spandex can withstand a bit of heat. So drying on low heat would usually be fine.

However, this doesn’t mean that the dryer is a completely safe place for spandex because of how hot it can get and how long clothes stay in that heat. 

The heat can relax the spandex fibers, causing them to retract and compress when cooled. This could cause shrinkage when the initial heat it is exposed to exceeds the threshold mentioned earlier. 

Does spandex shrink when dried? 

Besides using a dryer, you can also try air drying your clothes. 

Without the heat component, air drying is a safer choice for retaining your spandex garment’s original condition. 

Does spandex stretch after washing?

Spandex can also stretch after washing. Overwashing is one of the most common culprits for this. This can be especially true if you use a lot of strong detergents when washing.

These chemicals can break down the fibers that help spandex be so elastic. This means that once these fibers have deteriorated, your garment will no longer be able to contract back to its original intended shape and size. 

Does cotton spandex shrink?

Despite its widespread use, you don’t usually find purely spandex clothing out in the wild. This is for a lot of reasons. 

Clothes usually work best in tandem with different materials, taking the best characteristics of one fabric and blending it in with another. 

In the case of cotton spandex blends, the elasticity of spandex works well with the comfort and breathability of cotton. 

On the downside, mixing spandex with other fabrics makes it more susceptible to shrinking. 

Does 95 cotton 5 spandex shrink?

Most commonly, you’ll find cotton spandex garments in 95 cotton 5 spandex blends which simply denotes the percent each material makes up in the fabric. 

When there’s a bigger amount of cotton, shrinkage is more likely to happen especially when washing in hot water. 

In a 95 cotton 5 spandex piece of clothing, you can expect a shrinkage between 5 to 20 percent from its original size. 

Does polyester spandex shrink?

Polyester spandex is another common combination. 

You’d often find these in workout clothes and activewear. These two together make a durable fabric that can keep moisture out, making them perfect for exercise. 

But does polyester and spandex shrink? Polyester and spandex are pretty good at handling the heat, so shrinking is not very likely in this combo. 

However, avoiding excessive heat in washing and drying is still recommended to prevent warping your fabric. 

Does 95 polyester 5 spandex shrink? 

No, as long as you don’t use excessive heat. 

The high percentage of polyester might even be helpful as it is a bit more heat resistant than spandex. 

This doesn’t mean it protects the fabric in any way, though. So, still use high heat sparingly. 

Does 90 polyester 10 spandex shrink?

Just like the 95 polyester 5 spandex fabric, this one is also tough to shrink. 

You’ll need conditions like boiling water or a very hot dryer to cause any shrinkage to a 90 polyester 10 spandex garment. 

How to shrink spandex

Shrinking spandex isn’t all that bad. Sometimes you want it to happen, especially when you want to size down on a garment or just make it fit you better. 

There’s no sure-fire way to size down spandex or spandex-blended piece of clothing to your exact proportions, but there are a few quick hacks you can do. 

You can try DIY shrinking your clothes in a few easy steps.  

• First, check the material blended with your spandex. Natural fibers — like cotton or wool — would be much easier to shrink than synthetic materials like polyester. This will dictate how much heat you need to achieve the shrinkage you want. 
• Secondly, heat can cause your clothes’ colors to dull. So turn those clothes inside out before throwing them into the wash. 
• Then, wash them in the machine on high heat. Make sure the water goes up to at least 65°C (150°F) to start shrinking the spandex. 

Then, that should shrink your spandex garment. 

You can also try a similar method in the dryer: 

• Protect your garment using a dryer bag or a pillowcase with the ends tied together to keep it sealed. 
• Run the dryer for about 10 minutes on the highest temperature setting available. 
• Then let your garment take a few minutes to cool before trying it on. Check if the fit is to your liking, and enjoy! 
• If you need it to be a little smaller, just pop it back in for another cycle. 

Conclusion

So, now you know what to look out for to take care of your clothes with spandex. You can prevent shrinkage and over-stretching using the methods mentioned in this article. 

But if you’re up for a DIY way to shrink your clothes to a better fit for you, you can simply use your washing machine or dryer and some heat. 

Then, it won’t be such a stretch for you to have nice-fitting, well-maintained spandex clothes.