Does bamboo fiber fabric shrink? Shrinkage rate affects garment production, and consumers don’t want their clothes to change size significantly after a few washes, rendering them unwearable. This article discusses the shrinkage of bamboo fiber fabric and solutions from several aspects.
1. Fiber Characteristics Leading to Shrinkage
Bamboo fiber has a porous structure and is extremely absorbent, even more so than cotton. After absorbing water, water molecules penetrate the amorphous regions of the fiber, disrupting the hydrogen bonds between cellulose molecules, weakening the intermolecular forces, and causing the fiber to swell laterally and contract longitudinally. During drying, the molecular chains rearrange but cannot completely return to their original state, resulting in irreversible shrinkage of the fiber size.
2. Fabric Structure Leading to Shrinkage
Due to the fabric structure, the shrinkage rate varies. This is easy to understand; loose fabrics are more prone to size changes. Woven fabrics usually have the lowest shrinkage rate because of their tight structure, such as satin and twill. Next are tightly knitted fabrics, such as single jersey, and finally, knitted rib fabrics, such as 2×2 rib, 4×4 rib, or other loose structures, which will have a significant shrinkage rate.
So how can shrinkage be reduced through appropriate choices?
1. Adding Spandex
Adding spandex gives the fabric yarn elasticity, which can effectively regulate the structural stability of the fabric. However, please note that fabrics with added spandex will experience tension during the winding process, which will cause the size to temporarily lengthen. Therefore, bamboo fiber stretch knit fabrics usually need to be unwound from the roll and “relaxed” after purchase. Depending on the thickness of the spandex, this relaxation process takes 48-72 hours, after which the size will return to its original state.
2. Pre-shrinking Treatment
The fabric is pre-shrunk using a pre-shrinking machine. This process is similar to washing clothes, but it takes place during the finishing stage of the fabric. After pre-shrinking treatment, the fabric surface will be cleaner, and the shrinkage rate will be minimized, even reaching 0%. Pre-shrinking treatment is the last finishing stage of the dyeing process and usually involves an additional cost, but it is relatively inexpensive. The shrinkage rate of our bamboo fiber fabric is usually controlled between 1% and 3%.
3. Gentle washing at low temperature
The washing method also affects the shrinkage rate after the user receives the garment. Gentle washing methods, such as hand washing and using lower water temperatures, should be used. You can learn about the specific care instructions for bamboo fiber in this article. Proper care can also prevent the garment from shrinking easily.
Original article, author:Devin
