How To Prevent Fabrics From Shrinkage

We have received a good question from MARILYN HAYWARD today, which, we believe, is worth of posting here together with our answer:

Question:

I am considering buying a super-king duvet cover and pillowcases from
you as a gift for my daughter. She does not line dry her washing. Would the
linen shrink back too much if completely tumble dried?

Answer:

I personally tumble dry my pure linen bedding sheets until they are 100% dry. I have not noticed any significant shrinkage. Some years ago I went to
the dry cleaners’ seminar which was held by the producer of fabric dyes. All attendants had the same question – how to dye fabrics without any shrinkage? The manufacturer
taught us then, that any fabric shrinks when, after being washed in hot water, it gets
rinsed with the cold water – by changing temperatures so dramatically the fabric gets a temperature shock and shrinks. Therefore, the trick for keeping your linens in their original size is not to wash them in the temperature higher than 30-40C. If, for some reasons, you have to wash them in a hot water (i.e. to get rid of some stains), then let
them cool down before rinsing (or rinse with the use of hot water). The same applies to wools as well.