Keep your jeans in shape

Scared of shrinking your fancy new jeans? Remember, it’s the last 15% of the hot dry cycle that causes shrinkage. Clothing has a base moisture level when “dry,” but overdrying causes the fabric to shrink, fade and lose softness. Instead of using a hot dryer, hang dry or “air only” dry those items you are worried about. A trick to maintain the right shape: when taking out of the wash, tug at the legs and the waist to tension them out to size before hanging to dry. This removes wrinkles and restores the original shape. When in doubt, bring them in for professional laundering or dry cleaning.