Does Acrylic Shrink In Dryer

What Acrylic Fabric Actually Is

Before diving into shrinkage, it helps to know what you’re dealing with. Acrylic is a synthetic fibre made from a polymer called polyacrylonitrile. Think of it as plastic spun into thread — because that’s essentially what it is.

Manufacturers developed acrylic in the 1950s as a cheaper, lighter alternative to wool. It mimics wool’s warmth and soft texture, resists moisture, and holds dye beautifully. That’s why you’ll find it in sweaters, blankets, socks, hats, and craft yarn almost everywhere.

But here’s the catch: plastic doesn’t like extreme heat. And that fundamental truth drives everything you need to know about acrylic in the dryer.

How Acrylic Reacts to Heat

The Science Behind It (In Plain English)

Acrylic fibres are essentially long, tightly wound polymer chains. At room temperature, these chains hold their shape comfortably. Add sustained heat — say, the inside of a tumble dryer — and those chains start to loosen, warp, and shift.

This is called heat deformation, and it’s largely irreversible. Unlike natural fibres such as cotton or wool, which can sometimes be coaxed back to shape with water and stretching, acrylic fibres that have warped under heat tend to stay warped. Once those polymer chains reorganise, they’re essentially locked into their new position.

There’s also another sinister side effect beyond shrinkage: pilling and texture damage. High dryer heat causes acrylic fibres to fuse microscopically at the surface, leaving that rough, bobbled texture you’ve probably seen on older synthetic garments.

Temperature Thresholds to Know

Most residential tumble dryers on a “high heat” setting reach between 70–90°C, which puts acrylic squarely in the danger zone.

Does Acrylic Shrink in the Dryer?

Yes — acrylic can and does shrink in the dryer, but the story is more nuanced than a simple yes or no.

Pure acrylic, when exposed to high dryer heat, typically shrinks between 5% and 10% in a single cycle. That might not sound dramatic, but on a medium-sized sweater, 10% shrinkage can mean losing an entire size. Run it through a hot dryer two or three times, and you may end up with something that barely fits a child.

Factors That Influence How Much It Shrinks

Not all acrylic garments behave identically. Several variables affect the degree of shrinkage:

• Heat setting used — High heat causes the most damage; low or no-heat settings dramatically reduce risk
• Fabric blend — A 100% acrylic item shrinks differently than an acrylic-wool or acrylic-cotton blend, where the natural fibre’s behaviour also plays a role
• Knit vs. woven construction — Knitted acrylic (like sweaters) tends to shrink more dramatically than woven acrylic (like certain jackets or linings)
• Pre-washing treatment — Some manufacturers pre-shrink acrylic during production, reducing but not eliminating future shrinkage
• Duration in dryer — A longer cycle means more sustained heat exposure, compounding the damage

Shrinkage by Fabric Type

The Dryer vs. Air Drying: A Real Comparison

Imagine two identical acrylic sweaters washed in the same machine on the same cycle. One goes into the dryer on high heat for 45 minutes. The other gets laid flat on a towel to air dry overnight.

The dryer sweater? Measurably smaller, slightly stiffer, and with visible surface pilling. The air-dried sweater? Exactly as it came out of the wash — soft, shaped, and ready to wear.

This simple thought experiment captures why air drying is the gold standard for acrylic care. It costs nothing extra and protects your investment in the garment. The dryer, on the other hand, offers convenience at the cost of longevity.

How to Prevent Acrylic from Shrinking

Read the Care Label First

This sounds obvious, but most people skip it. The care label is the manufacturer’s direct communication to you. Look for these symbols:

• A square with a circle inside = tumble dry instructions
• Dots inside that circle = heat level (one dot = low, two dots = medium, three dots = high)
• An X over the tumble dry symbol = do not tumble dry

When in doubt, the conservative choice is always air dry.

Best Practices for Washing and Drying Acrylic

• Wash in cold or lukewarm water — Hot water weakens fibres before they even reach the dryer
• Use a gentle or delicate machine cycle — Less agitation means less mechanical stress on fibres
• Turn garments inside out — Reduces surface friction and pilling
• Use a mesh laundry bag — Provides a physical buffer during the wash cycle
• Never wring acrylic — Twisting stretches and distorts the fibres; press gently instead
• Dry flat on a clean towel — Maintains the garment’s original shape as it dries
• Avoid hanging heavy acrylic items — Gravity will stretch them out of shape while wet

If You Must Use the Dryer

Sometimes air drying isn’t practical — and that’s fine. Here’s how to minimise the damage:

• Use the lowest heat setting available — Some dryers have a “delicate” or “air fluff” option that uses minimal heat
• Run a short cycle only — 10–15 minutes, then remove and air dry the rest of the way
• Add dryer balls — These improve air circulation, reducing the time needed in the dryer
• Never over-dry — Remove the garment while still slightly damp

Can You Intentionally Shrink Acrylic in the Dryer?

Here’s a question that surprises people: what if you want your acrylic item to shrink? Maybe a hand-me-down is a size too big, or a knitted piece came out looser than expected.

Deliberately shrinking acrylic is possible but imprecise. Because the shrinkage process isn’t perfectly controlled, you risk uneven shrinkage, distortion, or over-shrinking beyond your target size.

A Controlled Method for Intentional Shrinkage

1. Wash the item in warm (not hot) water to start relaxing the fibres gently
2. Place it in the dryer on medium heat — avoid high heat, which causes uneven results
3. Check every 5–10 minutes — acrylic can shrink faster than expected
4. Remove before target size — the garment will continue contracting slightly as it cools
5. Reshape and lay flat immediately to encourage even shrinkage

Even with care, results vary. Think of it as sculpting with heat — you have influence, but the material has its own ideas.

Rescuing an Already-Shrunk Acrylic Garment

It happened. The sweater went through the dryer on high, and now it fits your cat. Is it salvageable?

Sometimes — but only partially. Since acrylic shrinkage involves physical deformation of polymer chains, you can’t fully reverse it the way you might with a wool sweater soaked in conditioner. However, gentle stretching while the item is damp can recover some lost size.

Partial Recovery Method

1. Soak the garment in lukewarm water for 15–20 minutes to relax the fibres slightly
2. Add a small amount of hair conditioner to the water — this softens synthetic fibres
3. Gently stretch the item in the areas where you need more size, working slowly and evenly
4. Pin or block it into shape on a flat towel and let it air dry completely
5. Do not apply heat again during or after this process

Results depend heavily on how much heat the garment was exposed to and how many cycles it went through. A lightly shrunk piece may recover 30–50% of lost size. A severely heat-damaged item may not respond much at all.

Key Takeaways

• Acrylic does shrink in the dryer, especially on medium to high heat settings, with typical shrinkage ranging from 5% to 10% per cycle
• Heat deformation in acrylic is largely irreversible — prevention is far easier than recovery
• Air drying flat is the safest method for preserving shape, size, and texture
• If you must use a dryer, the lowest heat setting and shortest time minimise damage significantly
• Fabric blends matter — acrylic mixed with wool is especially heat-sensitive, while polyester blends offer slightly more tolerance

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How much does acrylic shrink in the dryer?
Acrylic fabric typically shrinks between 5% and 10% in a single high-heat dryer cycle. A larger garment like a sweater or blanket may lose a full size or more. Knitted acrylic tends to shrink more than woven acrylic due to its looser construction.

Can you put 100% acrylic in the dryer?
Technically yes, but it carries significant risk. 100% acrylic is most vulnerable to heat damage, including shrinkage, pilling, and texture distortion. If you do use the dryer, stick to low or no-heat settings and keep the cycle short — no more than 10–15 minutes.

What happens if acrylic gets too hot in the dryer?
At temperatures above 75–90°C, acrylic fibres can warp, shrink, and even partially melt. The result is a garment that is smaller, stiffer, pilled on the surface, and potentially misshapen. This damage is usually permanent because the synthetic polymer chains don’t revert once deformed.

How do you wash acrylic without shrinking it?
Use cold or lukewarm water, a gentle machine cycle, and air dry flat. Turn the garment inside out to reduce surface friction, and avoid wringing or twisting. Never use hot water or high dryer heat on acrylic — these are the two most common causes of shrinkage.

Why did my acrylic sweater shrink in the wash?
If your acrylic sweater shrank in the wash, heat from the water is the likely culprit, especially if the washer used a hot setting. Aggressive agitation on a fast spin cycle can also cause distortion. Always select cold water and a delicate cycle for acrylic garments.

Can you unshrink acrylic fabric?
Partially, yes. Soaking the garment in lukewarm water with a small amount of hair conditioner can relax the fibres enough for gentle stretching. However, full recovery is rarely possible — acrylic responds to this method less effectively than natural fibres like wool. The more heat exposure it received, the harder recovery becomes.

Is acrylic or polyester more resistant to dryer shrinkage?
Polyester generally handles dryer heat better than acrylic. Polyester’s melting point is higher, and it tends to be more dimensionally stable under heat. For regular machine drying, polyester or polyester-blend garments are a safer choice than pure acrylic.