Crochet is more resilient than it looks. It is a fabric built from interlocking loops — no woven structure to break, no straight grain to distort. It can take a lot. What it cannot take is heat, mechanical agitation, and uncontrolled drying. Get those three things right and your piece will last for years.

The Wash

  • Cold water only. Cotton yarn that has been heat-set during manufacturing will hold its shape through many washes. Heat destabilises the fibres and causes progressive shrinkage.

  • Hand wash, always. Submerge the piece fully, press the water through gently, and hold the fabric in a way that supports its weight — do not suspend it from one end and let it hang.

  • A small amount of gentle detergent — wool wash, delicate liquid, or baby shampoo. No biological detergent, no fabric softener. Softener coats the cotton fibres and dulls the texture over time.

  • Rinse thoroughly in cold water. Do not wring. Press the excess water out gently between your hands or roll the piece in a clean towel and press.

  • No spin cycle. A spin cycle subjects crochet to the same mechanical agitation that causes pilling in knitwear. Even on a gentle setting, it creates tension in the loops that leads to distortion.

Drying

Reshape the piece while it is still damp. Crochet has a memory — if you let it dry in a crumpled position, that shape will be locked in until the next wash. Lay the piece flat on a clean dry towel, smooth it into its correct shape, and leave it. Do not hang it to dry — the weight of the wet fabric will stretch the piece, especially along the vertical lines of a dress or the shoulder of a top. Drying flat preserves the dimensions you received it in.

Keep it out of direct sunlight while drying. Prolonged sun exposure causes cotton yarn to yellow and can fade coloured pieces unevenly.