I bought a SpeedQueen washer-dryer set to have a dedicated wool wash option to care for my Gustin wool flannels and various 100% merino wool sweaters. Does that count?
I would imagine most people on this site don't deal with clothes shrinking any more because they are wearing screen-printed, startup-logo-emblazoned tri-blend t-shirts with a very low cotton count. So even though the shirt is presumably using the cheapest, gnarliest short-staple cotton the manufacturer could get his hands on, the sheer amount of manmade fibers in it allows that Custom Ink goodness to remain firmly a Medium for years. Well, that and the hugely boxy fit. How would you notice if any of it shrank?
"Modern" dryers' ability to tumble clothes on low until they are still pretty damp, but now wrinkle-free, then pull it out to finish on a rack means I don't have to give much thought to the proper maintenance of 99% cotton jeans or 100% duck canvas pants. I don't think the 100% cotton American Giant shirts and hoodies are particularly prone to shrinking, either, but they do seem to soak up stains more readily than American Apparel's tri-blends given away as swag.
I hardly have anything that I'd trust to a mechanical washer or dryer, these days. The things I do (mostly underwear and socks) still need cold-wash and extra-low-heat dry.
The default for all people should to cold wash and hang dry what they care about taking care of, and to use extra-low-heat on what they don't care about.
Indoor hang drying is easy. Get a box fan, and a de-humidifier. Both are about 20$ USD. Now you don't even need to open the windows or worry about what's going on outside.
I went from zero to hero with clothes when I realized I should care about them, and seeing the night and day difference in how long my clothes last has been jarring. Shrinkage is a thing of the past.
I bought a SpeedQueen washer-dryer set to have a dedicated wool wash option to care for my Gustin wool flannels and various 100% merino wool sweaters. Does that count?
I would imagine most people on this site don't deal with clothes shrinking any more because they are wearing screen-printed, startup-logo-emblazoned tri-blend t-shirts with a very low cotton count. So even though the shirt is presumably using the cheapest, gnarliest short-staple cotton the manufacturer could get his hands on, the sheer amount of manmade fibers in it allows that Custom Ink goodness to remain firmly a Medium for years. Well, that and the hugely boxy fit. How would you notice if any of it shrank?
"Modern" dryers' ability to tumble clothes on low until they are still pretty damp, but now wrinkle-free, then pull it out to finish on a rack means I don't have to give much thought to the proper maintenance of 99% cotton jeans or 100% duck canvas pants. I don't think the 100% cotton American Giant shirts and hoodies are particularly prone to shrinking, either, but they do seem to soak up stains more readily than American Apparel's tri-blends given away as swag.
I'm sure some day we'll notice the consequences. Real soon now...
I hardly have anything that I'd trust to a mechanical washer or dryer, these days. The things I do (mostly underwear and socks) still need cold-wash and extra-low-heat dry.
The default for all people should to cold wash and hang dry what they care about taking care of, and to use extra-low-heat on what they don't care about.
Indoor hang drying is easy. Get a box fan, and a de-humidifier. Both are about 20$ USD. Now you don't even need to open the windows or worry about what's going on outside.
I went from zero to hero with clothes when I realized I should care about them, and seeing the night and day difference in how long my clothes last has been jarring. Shrinkage is a thing of the past.
Eh, selvedge denim these days is just a fashion trend. It's fine, yeah. But there are other clothes one has to wear besides denim.