How To Shrink Rayon: 6 Steps (with Pictures) - WikiHow

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Terms of Use wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. Learn why people trust wikiHow How to Shrink Rayon PDF download Download Article Co-authored by Susan Stocker

Last Updated: October 9, 2025 Approved

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  • Washing Rayon
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  • Drying Rayon
    • |
  • Video
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  • Expert Interview
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  • Tips
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  • Warnings
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This article was co-authored by Susan Stocker. Susan Stocker runs and owns Susan’s Green Cleaning, the #1 Green Cleaning Company in Seattle. She is well known in the region for outstanding customer service protocols — winning the 2017 Better Business Torch Award for Ethics & Integrity —and her energetic support of green cleaning practices. wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. In this case, 94% of readers who voted found the article helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 168,648 times.

Rayon is a sensitive material that can warp dramatically when exposed to heat or water. By simply washing and drying a piece of rayon fabric, you can shrink it down by a significant amount.

Steps

Method 1 Method 1 of 2:

Washing Rayon

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  1. Step 1 Hand wash the fabric and soak it in water. 1 Hand wash the fabric and soak it in water. Rayon can be easily manipulated and permanently changed when exposed to water. Gently hand wash the garment and let it soak in the water for several minutes to significantly shrink your fabric but also protect the material.[1]
  2. Step 2 Wash your fabric in the washing machine. 2 Wash your fabric in the washing machine. If your rayon garment is much too big, throw it in the washing machine with some regular detergent and wash on a warm or hot cycle. Advertisement
  3. Step 3 Roll the fabric into a damp towel. 3 Roll the fabric into a damp towel. If you don't want to make any drastic changes to your rayon garment, shrink it in a more subtle way. Soak a bath towel in water, lay the rayon flat on the towel, and then roll the towel up and let it sit so that the moisture can soak into the fabric.[2]
    • Try this method first if you're worried about shrinking your garment too much. If you want it shrunken more, you can always resort to one of the other methods for your second attempt.
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Method 2 Method 2 of 2:

Drying Rayon

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  1. Step 1 Lay it flat on a counter. 1 Lay it flat on a counter. After you've washed your rayon fabric, you can simply lay it down flat on a counter for a while and wait for it to dry naturally.[3] This may be your best option if you're trying to only shrink the garment a little bit, or if you want to be extra cautious about making sure the shrinking occurs uniformly.
  2. Step 2 Press out the water and hang dry. 2 Press out the water and hang dry. You can dry your wet rayon by gently pressing out excess water and then hanging it on a clothes line to let the outdoor air dry it.
    • Avoid squeezing the water out because this could potentially create wrinkles and stretch the fabric out unevenly.[4]
    • This method may make the fabric stretch the most lengthwise.
  3. Step 3 Dry rayon fabric in the dryer. 3 Dry rayon fabric in the dryer. Put your wet rayon garment in the dryer on the gentle setting until it's completely dry. Drying your fabric in this way will most likely allow for the greatest possible amount of shrinkage.[5]
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Expert Q&A

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Video

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Tips

  • Before choosing a method, Identify the blend of the fabric that you're trying to shrink.[6] You might opt for a more aggressive method to shrink a garment only made 30% of Rayon and a less aggressive method to shrink a garment made 100% of Rayon. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
  • When in doubt, don't use a washing machine or a dryer. Thanks Helpful 4 Not Helpful 0
  • Don't dry clean your rayon fabric unless you change your mind about shrinking it. This will clean the garment well, but it won't change the size at all. Thanks Helpful 3 Not Helpful 1
Submit a Tip All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published Name Please provide your name and last initial Submit Thanks for submitting a tip for review! Advertisement

Warnings

  • Don't wring water out of rayon fabric; this with cause damage to fabric and change its shape in an undesirable way. Thanks Helpful 1 Not Helpful 1
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Expert Interview

Thanks for reading our article! If you’d like to learn more about caring for and laundering clothing, check out our in-depth interview with Susan Stocker.

References

  1. ↑ https://www.apparelsearch.com/education/ohio_state_clothing_education/rayon_multi-faceted_fiber.htm
  2. ↑ http://www.sew4home.com/tips-resources/sewing-tips-tricks/happy-holidays-freespirit-rowan-working-rayon-and-linen
  3. ↑ http://www.sew4home.com/tips-resources/sewing-tips-tricks/happy-holidays-freespirit-rowan-working-rayon-and-linen
  4. ↑ Susan Stocker. House Cleaning Professional. Expert Interview
  5. ↑ Susan Stocker. House Cleaning Professional. Expert Interview
  6. ↑ Susan Stocker. House Cleaning Professional. Expert Interview

About This Article

Susan Stocker Co-authored by: Susan Stocker Professional Cleaner This article was co-authored by Susan Stocker. Susan Stocker runs and owns Susan’s Green Cleaning, the #1 Green Cleaning Company in Seattle. She is well known in the region for outstanding customer service protocols — winning the 2017 Better Business Torch Award for Ethics & Integrity —and her energetic support of green cleaning practices. This article has been viewed 168,648 times. 111 votes - 94% Co-authors: 16 Updated: October 9, 2025 Views: 168,648 Categories: Laundry Article SummaryX

To shrink rayon, gently hand wash the material and let it soak in the water for several minutes before laying it out flat to air dry. If you want to shrink the rayon more dramatically, wash the fabric in a washing machine on a warm or hot cycle. After the cycle finishes, you can hang dry the item or lay it out flat to dry. You can also put the fabric in your dryer and tumble-dry on low for even more shrinkage. For tips on using a wet towel for very subtle shrinking, read on! Did this summary help you?YesNo

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Reader Success Stories

  • Anonymous

    Anonymous

    Apr 15, 2019

    "This helped me salvage a dress that, unshrunken, looked quite matronly. Shrinking it was the only way to save it!"
More reader stories Hide reader stories Share your story

Did this article help you?

Yes No Advertisement Cookies make wikiHow better. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our cookie policy. Susan Stocker Co-authored by: Susan Stocker Professional Cleaner Co-authors: 16 Updated: October 9, 2025 Views: 168,648 94% of readers found this article helpful. 111 votes - 94% Click a star to add your vote Anonymous

Anonymous

Apr 15, 2019

"This helped me salvage a dress that, unshrunken, looked quite matronly. Shrinking it was the only way to save it!" Audrey Ryan

Audrey Ryan

Jul 5, 2018

"This information saved me having to pay for alterations on an already expensive garment--THANKS!" Rated this article: Share yours! More success stories Hide success stories

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