Have you ever pulled a knitting cardigan out of the washing machine only to find it's three sizes smaller than it should be? Learn how to keep your cardigan from shrinking - it really isn't that hard. Check out the tips below.

Before putting a light drop of detergent on wool clothes, you need to check the care instructions. If there is a label on how to keep your sweater from shrinking, follow those instructions. If not, you can choose from the following three options.

Dry cleaning: The first, easy but expensive way to not shrink is to have it professionally cleaned. But it's not very frugal.

Hand washing: One of the most cost-effective ways to clean wool clothing is hand washing. Here are instructions on how to keep your cardigan from shrinking by going the hand wash route.

1. Fill a clean sink or basin with cold water, then add a tablespoon of a mild, bleach-free cleaner. If you prefer to use those special soaps made for washing wool. Water and soap can also be stirred to create lather.

2. Put the sweater in soapy water and swirl slowly for a minute or two. Make sure you don't twist or crumple the sweater as you spin it.

3. Take the sweater out of the water and squeeze gently to drain as much water as possible. However, do not twist or twist as you may damage your sweater.

4. Empty your sink or washbasin and refill it with fresh water. Dip the sweater in and out of the water to remove soap. Then, squeeze out the water as you did in the steps above.

5. Dry the sweater with a clean, lint-free towel. Do this by placing the garment on a folded towel and pressing lightly to remove excess water. You can also lay the sweater flat on a towel and gently roll the two into a kind of garment burrito. When you unfold the towel, you remove a lot of water.

6. Dry the sweater with a new, clean, lint-free towel. You need to make sure the sweater is not exposed to direct sunlight or heat. Also, you will need to shape the sweater before drying it.

Machine wash: If hand washing is a little too complicated for you, you can wash your cardigan in the washing machine. Again, you need to use a very mild detergent or special wool soap and cold water. Also, you should buy a mesh fine-grained toiletry bag large enough to hold your sweater. You will actually put your sweater in this bag before throwing it in the washing machine. After the cycle is over, reshape your sweater and dry it flat on a towel out of direct sunlight and heat.

Here's how to keep your cardigan from shrinking. But what if the above steps are already too late? Well, it sounds like you need to know how to get your cardigan back to normal size.

So you've turned your sweater into a crop top. While this is trendy at the moment, it might not be your style. So here's how to get your cardigan back in six easy steps.

1. Fill a sink or basin with warm water. To this, you will add about 1/3 cup of baby shampoo or soap specially made for cleaning wool.

2. Soak the sweater in this mixture for about 10 minutes.

3. Empty the sink or bucket and gently squeeze the sweater. Do not twist, bundle, or wring it out. Also - and this is very important - do not rinse the sweater with water.

4. Lay the sweater flat on a clean, lint-free towel. Gently press the sweater into the towel, or roll up the towel to place the sweater inside.

5. Take a clean towel and lay the sweater flat on it. While the sweater is still damp, you can gently stretch and reshape the fabric.

6. Lay the sweater on a towel to dry, making sure it is not exposed to direct sunlight or heat.

Now you know how not to shrink your sweater and how to get it back to normal size if it's too late. If you want to know more or want to buy sweaters, please contact us.

CHENHONG is a professional custom sweater manufacturer with more than 20 years of experience. We manufacture all kinds of men's/women's knitwear and sweaters. We also focus on the research of fabrics, we are familiar with almost all the fabrics, and you don't have to worry about the fabrics. If you are new to fabrics, we can advise you on the most suitable and high-quality fabrics for your needs.