Does Rayon Shrink In the Dryer or When Washed

If you repeatedly wash rayon in hot water, it will shrink more and more each time. But even if you do wash it properly, putting it in the dryer after each wash will cause the most shrinkage. If you are in a hurry, rayon should never be dried in the dryer because it will shrink every time. Consistently hand-washing and air-drying rayon is the key to prevent shrinking.

How to Wash and Care for Rayon Clothing

Prevent shrinking and maintain your favorite pieces long-term.

Mary Marlowe Leverette is one of the industry’s most highly-regarded housekeeping and fabric care experts, sharing her knowledge on efficient housekeeping, laundry, and textile conservation. She is also a Master Gardener with over 40+ years of experience and 20+ years of writing experience. Mary is also a member of The Spruce Gardening and Plant Care Review Board.

• Working Time: 20 – 30 mins
• Total Time: 2 hrs – 1 day

• Skill Level: Beginner
• Estimated Cost: $0 to $20

The popularity of rayon fabric can’t be beat. Rayon fabrics are soft, have an excellent drape, and can be easily dyed for brilliant color. It is a very tight-knit fabric that feels especially smooth against the skin. It makes for a very good, affordable substitute for silk and has absorbent, moisture-wicking properties that make it a comfortable fabric for summer wear.

Rayon is best described as a hybrid natural/synthetic fabric. Like cotton textiles, rayon fabric consists of natural plant fibers, including pulp from beech trees, bamboo, and other plants. But, like nylon and polyester, rayon is manufactured using many synthetic chemicals. Depending on what plant fibers and chemicals are used, many forms of rayon carry labels such as viscose, lyocell, or modal rayon. You’ll need to consider these complexities when you wash and care for rayon fabric, but the best way to wash rayon is by hand-washing.

What You’ll Need

Equipment / Tools

• Sink or large bucket
• Thick cotton towel

Materials

• Gentle laundry detergent
• Oxygen bleach (if needed)

Instructions

Double-Check the Care Label

Read and heed the care tag labels for your specific garment or accessory. Rayon is a unique fabric and needs gentle care.

Tip

If you must machine-wash a rayon item, turn it inside out and put it in a mesh washing bag. Wash it in cold water on the delicate cycle with a low spin cycle. Rayon can shrink and become misshapen if you use hot water.

Mix a Washing Solution

Fill a sink or large bucket with cold water, and add gentle detergent, mixing well. Submerge the rayon item.

Gently Agitate

Agitate the item in the sudsy water with your hands to completely saturate and loosen the soil. Allow it to soak for at least 15 minutes.

Rinse in Cool Water

Rinse in cool water until the soap is gone and the water runs clear.

Gently Remove Excess Water

Place the wet garment on a thick cotton towel and roll it up to absorb most of the water. A lightweight fabric, rayon is prized for its breathability and moisture absorbency, but when rayon fibers are wet, they lose nearly half of their strength and can easily tear or become misshapen—which is why you should skip the washer and tumble dryer. Gently pull and shape the garment back to its original shape and size as it begins drying. Don’t leave crumpled as set-in wrinkles can be difficult to remove later.

Allow to Air-Dry

Allow the garment to air-dry flat, or hang to drip-dry, ideally using a padded hanger so the shoulders won’t stretch or crease.

Warning

Never put rayon clothing in a machine dryer because the heat can destroy the fabric. If you absolutely can’t avoid the dryer, keep the item in the mesh bag, and dry it on the lowest heat possible.

How Often to Wash Rayon Clothing

Even if you wash a rayon garment after every wearing, it’ll hold up well over time if you hand-wash the item. Hand-washing is gentle enough to prevent damage but never wring or twist the wet fabric. Unstructured rayon garments like unlined dresses, tops, and scarves can be hand-washed using cool water and a gentle detergent.

Treating Stains on Rayon Clothing

Stains can be quite visible on rayon but often come out when washed. Remove a stubborn stain on rayon by applying a solution containing equal parts white vinegar and water to the area. Let sit for 10 minutes. Gently blot the stain with a clean wet towel, and then finish blotting with a dry towel. Repeat if necessary.

Rayon Clothing Care and Repairs

Rayon may easily rip when wet. Use polyester thread and a sharp needle when mending tears. Some rayon blends may snag. Fix a snag by coaxing it from the front of the fabric to the wrong side with a needle. A stubborn snag requires a needle and thread. Take the needle up from the back of the fabric through the snag. Stab the snag with the needle; thread and pull it back to the wrong side of the fabric.

Though rayon tends to stretch out, it also can shrink if not carefully dried. Repairing shrunken rayon clothing is almost the same process as unshrinking wool. Fill a large sink or tub with lukewarm water, add a capful of hair conditioner, mix, submerge the garment, and massage it to saturate the fibers. Rinse in cold water, press out the excess water, and then put the rayon on a clean dry towel. Gently stretch the fabric, continuing to do so as it dries.

Ironing

Many rayon fabrics wrinkle excessively when washed and will require ironing. It’s best to iron rayon when the fabric is slightly damp. Use a medium-hot iron, and always iron on the wrong (opposite) side of the fabric. For extra protection, use a pressing cloth between the iron and the rayon fabric. Ironing could cause shiny spots on the rayon if the iron directly touches it. If possible, steam out wrinkles rather than pressing the fabric directly with an iron. Ironing at a high temperature can scorch cellulosic fibers. The scorching or yellowing occurs as the fibers begin to burn. Light scorching can often be removed, but burned rayon fibers cannot be revived.

Storing Rayon Clothing

Store rayon items by hanging or folding them and placing them flat on a shelf. However, don’t use metal hangers for your rayon clothes because the garments can quickly develop rust spots.

Additional Tips for Washing Rayon

Washing and caring for rayon can be tricky. Here are some important tips:

• Treat rayon gently when handling because aggressive agitation breaks fibers and causes the fabric to pill or take on a fuzzy appearance.
• If the garment’s label states “dry clean only,” follow that advice. Even hand-washing “dry clean only” rayon clothing risks destroying the garment because it may not have a protective finish and could shrink, fade, or bleed.
• Know the different types of rayon:
• Viscose rayon is the most common form of rayon fabric, made entirely from treated wood pulp and manufactured to have a silk-like texture and look. It is the least sturdy of the rayon fabrics and the one most likely to shrink. If a garment is described simply as “rayon” or “regular rayon,” it is made of viscose rayon.
• Modal rayon uses a blend of beech-tree cellulose fibers with cotton or spandex to make a very strong and durable fabric. It is more expensive than viscose rayon.
• Lyocell rayon is also a blend of beech tree cellulose and other fibers (such as cotton or spandex) but uses fewer synthetic chemicals than modal rayon, and is thus more natural. It is the most absorbent form of rayon, so is often used in sweat-wicking undergarments or towels.

What is the difference between rayon, nylon, and polyester?

Nylon and polyester fabrics use fibers that are entirely synthetic, based largely on polymers of petroleum derivatives. Rayon is considered a half-natural fabric, in which cellulose plant fibers are altered with artificial chemicals to create transformed fiber that can be spun into yarns for textile manufacturing.

Rayon may shrink at various rates every time it’s washed in a machine, even if you take great care by washing it in cold water. It will especially shrink if you put it in the dryer. The best way to wash 100 percent rayon without shrinking it too much is to gently hand-wash a garment in cold water and air-dry only. Another way to avoid shrinkage is to follow the cleaning instructions on the garment’s label.

Rayon isn’t known for its elastic recovery. But you can stretch it back out by softening and relaxing the fabric. Use a clothes steamer or steam from an iron to soften the damp fabric, then lay it flat on a towel or hang it while stretching it back into shape. Keep an eye on the item so you can frequently stretch it back into shape as the garment air-dries. Or, you can take another less comfortable route: Soak the item in water and wear it back into shape.

Because they are both made from natural plant fibers, rayon and cotton are sometimes confused with one another. But they have different properties that give each fabric advantages in certain circumstances. Cotton has better insulating properties that make it a good choice for clothing in cold weather conditions. Rayon has good moisture-absorbing properties that make it a good choice for summer clothing.

Does Rayon Shrink In the Dryer or When Washed?

Rayon is a soft and lightweight fabric that is very comfortable to wear. The fabric itself looks luxurious, making it a popular choice for many different types of clothing. Before any fabric is used, it’s important to know what will happen to the fabric when it is washed and dried. Many people wonder if rayon will shrink in the washer or dryer.

Rayon is a semi-synthetic fabric, meaning that it is made of natural fibers but modified through manufacturing to have certain characteristics. Due to the natural fibers, rayon is susceptible to shrinking under certain conditions.

Before you launder rayon, it’s important to know the conditions that cause rayon to shrink so that you can avoid them if necessary. In this article, we’ll discuss what causes rayon to shrink, how to wash rayon to avoid shrinking, and what to do if your rayon fabric does shrink.

Does Rayon Shrink In The Dryer?

Rayon will shrink in the dryer. If you find that your rayon fabric did shrink, this is most likely the cause. The dryer not only causes rayon to shrink, but it could also cause it to tear as well. Tearing is most likely to happen when rayon is dried, along with items that are much heavier than rayon.

The reason that rayon shrinks in the dryer is that the fibers are very sensitive to heat. Even drying the fabric on a lower temperature setting could still cause some amount of shrinking. The best way to dry rayon is to lay it flat on top of a drying rack to air dry.

Rayon can lose its shape while it dries because of the delicate nature of the fibers. Even if you air-dry it, there are certain steps you should follow:

1. Lay the fabric on the drying rack.
2. Spread it out so that it is completely flat, shaping it into how it should look when it is dry.
3. If you don’t have a drying rack, you can hang it.

If you hang rayon to dry, be sure to use a hanger that isn’t made of wire. Wire hangers are too thin on the shoulders and can leave marks when the fabric dries. Plastic or wood hangers are a better choice because they have a thicker shoulder.

Does Rayon Shrink When Washed?

Just like rayon can shrink in the dryer, it can also shrink when it is washed. In addition to shrinking, rayon can also lose its shape, especially when washed in the washing machine. This is partly due to the agitation that the washing machine uses during the rinse and spin cycle. But the main reason is that rayon fabric is even more delicate when it gets wet.

The best way to wash rayon to prevent it from losing its shape is through dry cleaning or hand-washing. Hand-washing will also prevent rayon from shrinking as much since hand-washing is usually done using cooler water temperatures so that you don’t burn your skin in the process.

Does Rayon Shrink In Hot Water?

Since rayon is even more delicate when it is wet, it is important to pay attention to the temperature of the water that you use to wash it. Rayon will shrink in hot water because it causes the fibers to condense, shrinking the fabric as a result.

Rayon is most likely to shrink when the water temperature is hotter than 85 degrees, but even warm water can cause the fabric to shrink a little. Hot water temperatures are easily avoided when hand-washing rayon. But if you choose to wash it in the washing machine, cool or cold water is best.

How To Wash Rayon So It Doesn’t Shrink?

The recommended way to wash rayon is to hand wash it. However, sometimes hand-washing is inconvenient or you have a lot of fabric to wash. If either of those is the case, you can wash rayon in the washing machine as long as you take certain precautions to prevent shrinking.

When washing rayon in the washing machine, follow these steps:

• Wash it by itself or with other items made of rayon
• Use gentle detergent
• Turn the machine to the delicate setting
• Wash with cool or cold water

How to Hand Wash Rayon

Hand-washing rayon is preferable due to the delicate nature of the fabric. Even when you hand wash rayon, you still need to be careful with handling the fabric to prevent damage and shrinking. Here are the recommended steps for hand-washing rayon:

1. Fill your sink with cool water.
2. Add a detergent made for delicate items to the water. A couple of capfuls is plenty.
3. Place the fabric in the water but be careful not to bunch it up in the process.
4. Distribute the soap evenly by using your hands to gently mix it into the water.
5. Leave the fabric submerged to soak for about 30 minutes.
6. After 30 minutes, rinse the soap out of the fabric by allowing water to run through it. Do not try to wring the soap out or you could damage the fabric.
7. After rinsing, lay the fabric flat on a clean, dry towel and press as much water as you can out of it. Again, do not try to wring out the excess water.
8. Lay the item flat or hang it up to let it air dry.

Does 100% Rayon Shrink?

Fabric that is made of 100% rayon is the most susceptible to shrinking. Rayon fibers come from wood pulp and are mostly made of cellulose. When the whole fabric is made of one type of fiber, especially cellulose, the changes of it shrinking significantly are greater.

Not all rayon fabric is made of 100% rayon, and usually the care label will tell you the percent of rayon that your clothing or fabric is made up of. But if for some reason it doesn’t, or the care label is missing, treat the fabric as if it were made of 100% rayon to prevent shrinking from happening.

The care label will also tell you the best way to care for your fabric to get the most use out of it. For 100% rayon, usually dry cleaning is suggested since the fabric becomes even more delicate when it gets wet. The care label will also recommend avoiding both hot water and the dryer to prevent shrinking. Even if the label doesn’t recommend dry cleaning, it is the best way to avoid heat and prevent shrinking.

How Much Does Rayon Shrink?

Unlike other cellulose fibers such as cotton and linen that can shrink as much as 5%, there is no certain amount of how much rayon can shrink. The amount of shrinking depends on how you wash it. Following the proper steps as best as you can is the only guaranteed way to prevent shrinking.

When you wash rayon, it is extremely important to pay attention to the care label. Unlike cotton and linen, which can be purchased pre-shrunk to reduce the amount of shrinking that happens, rayon usually can’t be bought pre-shrunk. This is because pre-shrinking does very little to reduce the amount of shrinking due to the nature of the fibers.

Does Rayon Shrink More Than Once?

Because there’s not a certain percentage that rayon can shrink, it can shrink more than once. Rayon tends to shrink every time it is washed if you don’t wash it very carefully, following the proper steps.

If you repeatedly wash rayon in hot water, it will shrink more and more each time. But even if you do wash it properly, putting it in the dryer after each wash will cause the most shrinkage. If you are in a hurry, rayon should never be dried in the dryer because it will shrink every time. Consistently hand-washing and air-drying rayon is the key to prevent shrinking.

Can You Shrink Rayon?

Now that we know what causes rayon to shrink, is it possible to shrink rayon on purpose? The answer is yes. While you generally don’t want rayon to shrink, there are some instances where it might be necessary.

Many people purposefully shrink rayon to change its size. Let’s say that you were working on a sewing project using rayon, but for whatever reason, the finished project doesn’t fit right. Or, you have an item of clothing that you love, but you want it to be a size smaller. In both of these instances, shrinking rayon is the best way to go.

Another reason why you might want to shrink rayon is that you have a large piece of fabric that you want to use some of, but you are unsure what type of fabric it is. The fabric might have been unlabeled, especially if you got it for free. You suspect it might be rayon, and since you know that rayon shrinks easily, you want to test it to make sure.

What Is The Best Way To Shrink Rayon?

The most effective method for shrinking rayon is washing it in the washing machine or drying it in the dryer using heat. The method that will work best depends on the percentage of rayon that the fabric is made of. For example, an item made of 100% rayon may require less work to shrink it than an item made of a smaller percentage.

However, shrinking rayon on purpose is still risky because you don’t want to end up shrinking it too much when you were only trying to shrink it a little. You still need to be very careful so that you don’t permanently damage the fabric. If you only want to shrink rayon a little, you can try hand-washing it using warm water. But if you need to shrink it more, try one of these methods.

How to Shrink Rayon in the Washing Machine

If hand-washing in warm water didn’t give you quite the amount of shrinkage that you wanted, the next step is to try to wash it in the washing machine. If the item made of rayon is the only one that you’re trying to shrink, wash it by itself. Turn the water temperature setting to warm or hot depending on the amount of shrinkage that you want. You can use a regular or mild detergent.

When you take the item out of the washing machine, check to make sure that it shrinks the amount you wanted it to. If it did, lay the fabric flat on a towel and gently roll the towel up to soak up any excess water. Then, lay the fabric flat to air dry.

How to Shrink Rayon in the Dryer

If the item didn’t shrink as much as you wanted it to and you need to shrink it more, your next option is to put it in the dryer. Although if you do put it in the dryer, you still don’t want to use the hottest temperature setting as this could cause the fabric to shrink more than you intended.

Instead, dry it on the low heat setting using the gentle cycle. You may want to check the item periodically so that you only dry it long enough to shrink it to the desired amount. Once it has shrunk enough, take it out of the dryer and either lay it flat or hang it to finish air-drying.

Does Rayon/Spandex Blend Shrink?

When choosing fabric, some people prefer a rayon and spandex blend over 100% rayon. A rayon/spandex blend is a great fabric for making shirts, dresses, and even pajamas because spandex allows the clothing to stretch a little more. Spandex also helps to strengthen the fabric, making it more durable and helping it to retain its shape better.

However, even when rayon is blended with spandex, usually the percentages are 95% rayon and 5% spandex. Spandex by itself doesn’t tend to shrink. But when blended with rayon, the fabric will still shrink since the percentage of rayon is significantly higher than the percentage of spandex. It won’t shrink as much as 100% rayon, but you should take the same precautions even with 5% spandex blended in.

How To Unshrink Rayon

Many people feel that clothing can’t be fixed if it shrinks, but this is not always the case. If your rayon fabric did shrink unintentionally, you might be able to unshrink it depending on how much it shrunk. The best way to return rayon to its original size is by soaking it and then stretching it by hand. We will explain how to do it.

• A bucket or wash basin
• Gentle detergent (baby shampoo also works)
• A towel

Follow these steps to unshrink rayon:

1. Fill the bucket or wash basin with lukewarm water and pour in a capful of gentle detergent or baby shampoo.

2. Put the rayon fabric in the water, making sure that it is completely submerged.

3. Gently massage the fabric to mix the soap and water in with the fibers.

4. Continue to massage different areas of the fabric until the soap and water have penetrated the entire fabric. This will cause the fibers to relax, making them easier to stretch.

5. Once the entire fabric has been massaged, remove the fabric from the bucket. Use cold water to rinse the soap out.

6. Gently press on the fabric to remove the excess water, but remember not to wring it out to avoid breaking the fibers.

7. When excess water has been removed, lay the item flat on a dry, clean towel.

8. Roll up the towel so that the fabric is rolled up inside it.

9. Press the towel to squeeze out any remaining water so that the fabric feels damp but not soaking wet.

10. Unroll the towel, adjust the fabric so that it is spread out again, and use your hands to gently stretch the fabric until it has returned to its original size.

11. Lay the fabric flat on a drying rack or dry towel to finish air-drying.

Now that your fabric has returned to its normal size, you can prevent future shrinking by having it dry cleaned. Dry cleaning rayon after each wear is the recommended cleaning method and the best way to prevent consistent shrinking.

Conclusion

If you want to keep your rayon fabrics from shrinking, avoid washing them in the washing machine and drying them in the dryer (unless you’re trying to shrink it on purpose). Heat is the most common cause of shrinking, and water can damage the fabric as well.

If you found this article helpful, share it with others and be sure to leave a comment. Thanks for reading!

Written By: Tania

I’m a sewing enthusiast, and the founder and chief editor here at Silver Bobbin.
Growing up, I loved to explore fabrics and textures, and always had a project in the works.
I enjoy teaching others about my passion. From beginner tutorials to in-depth guides, there’s something here for everyone.

Recent Posts

• What Color Shirt Goes With Red Pants?
• How to Wash Dress Pants
• Sewing Thread Sizes Demystified: Everything You Need to Know
• How Long Should Shorts Be?
• Best Sewing Machines for Kids
• Top 15 Warmest Fabrics for Cold Weather
• Classic Fit vs Modern Fit: What’s the Difference?
• Best Thread for Sewing Machine