Flannel is easy to care for once you keep the heat low. It is brushed cotton, so cold-to-warm washing and low-heat drying keep it soft and stop it from shrinking or pilling. Below is how to wash, dry, iron and handle fraying, plus how to prewash yardage before you sew.
How do you wash flannel fabric?
Wash flannel in cold or warm water on a gentle cycle with a mild detergent. Turn garments inside out to protect the brushed face. Cold-to-warm water and a gentle cycle clean it without matting the nap or setting in creases.
- Temperature: cold or warm water, never hot, to limit shrinking.
- Cycle: gentle or normal, with items turned inside out.
- Detergent: a mild detergent, and skip fabric softener.
How do you wash flannel without shrinking it?
Keep both the wash and the dry cool. Flannel shrinks from heat, and most of that shrink happens once, in the first hot wash and dry. Wash cold, dry low, and prewash new yardage before cutting so the shrink happens before you sew, not after.
- Wash cold: cold water removes most shrink risk on its own.
- Dry low: low or no dryer heat prevents the rest of the shrink.
- Prewash yardage: preshrink fabric before cutting a project.
How do you keep flannel soft and prevent pilling?
Softness and pilling both come down to heat and friction. Wash on a gentle cycle, skip the fabric softener that coats the fibers, and dry on low. A cup of white vinegar in the rinse relaxes the fibers and keeps the nap fluffy without softener buildup.
- Gentle cycle: less friction means less pilling on the nap.
- No softener: vinegar in the rinse softens without coating fibers.
- Low heat: over-drying is what mats and roughens flannel.
How do you dry flannel?
Dry flannel on low heat and take it out while slightly damp. High heat is the main cause of shrinking and a matted surface, so a low tumble or a hang dry keeps flannel soft and true to size. Fold or hang it promptly to avoid set-in wrinkles.
- Low tumble: dry on low and remove while a little damp.
- Air dry: hang or lay flat to protect the nap and the size.
- Prompt fold: remove promptly so wrinkles do not set.
Does flannel shrink when you wash it?
Yes, flannel is 100% cotton, so it shrinks with heat, mostly in the first wash and dry. You control it by preshrinking. Wash and dry the fabric once before cutting a project, or buy extra to allow for it, and later washes will move very little.
- First wash: the bulk of the shrink happens here.
- Preshrink: wash yardage before cutting so pieces stay true.
- Buy extra: add about 10% yardage to cover the shrink.
Does flannel fray, and how do you stop it?
Flannel frays at cut edges because it is a brushed woven cotton. For sewn projects you finish the raw edges; for rag quilts you let the edges fray on purpose. Either way, a finished seam keeps a garment or blanket from shedding threads in the wash.
- Finish edges: zigzag or serge raw edges before washing.
- Pinking: pinking shears slow fraying on light projects.
- Rag quilts: clip the exposed seams so fraying becomes the look.
Working flannel into a quilt? Our flannel quilting guide covers rag seams and backing in detail.
How do you wash flannel shirts and sheets?
Shirts and sheets follow the same rules as flannel yardage, with one habit each. Turn shirts inside out to keep the surface soft, and wash sheets on their own so they have room to move. Both stay softest on a cold wash and a low dry.
- Shirts: wash inside out on cold to protect the nap and colors.
- Sheets: wash in a load of their own for an even clean.
- Both: low-heat dry and prompt folding keep them smooth.
How do you iron flannel?
Iron flannel on a medium, cotton setting with steam while it is slightly damp. Press straight down rather than dragging the iron, which can stretch the weave. Iron on the back of the fabric to keep the brushed face soft and even.
- Heat: a medium cotton setting with steam.
- Motion: press down instead of dragging to avoid stretching.
- Side: iron the back to protect the napped surface.
Where can you buy flannel by the yard?
EOVEA sells 100% cotton flannel by the yard and by the roll in a 60-inch width. Buy by the yard for a shirt, quilt or blanket, and by the roll for repeat projects or a large flannel backing in one continuous color.
- By the yard: a single garment, quilt top or blanket.
- By the roll: repeat sewing or a large, one-color backing.
Shop EOVEA flannel: cotton flannel by the yard and flannel rolls. For weights, widths and uses, see the cotton flannel guide.
Flannel care — frequently asked questions
How do you wash flannel without shrinking it?
Wash flannel in cold or warm water on a gentle cycle, then dry on low heat. Most flannel shrink comes from hot water and high dryer heat, so keeping both low prevents it. Prewash new yardage before you cut and sew.
Does flannel shrink every time you wash it?
Most flannel shrink happens in the first hot wash and dry. After a cold prewash and low-heat dry, later washes cause little further shrinking. Buy about 10% extra yardage so a first-wash shrink does not leave you short.
How do you keep flannel soft and stop it pilling?
Wash flannel inside out on a gentle cycle with mild detergent, skip fabric softener, and dry on low heat. High heat and rough cycles are what mat the nap and cause pilling, so gentle, low-heat care keeps it soft.
Does flannel fray when you wash it?
Yes. Cut flannel edges fray in the wash because it is a brushed woven cotton. Finish raw edges with a zigzag or serge before washing a project, or clip them on purpose for a rag quilt where the fraying is the design.
Can you iron flannel fabric?
Yes. Iron flannel on a medium, cotton setting with steam while it is slightly damp. Press rather than drag the iron so you do not stretch the weave, and iron on the back to protect the brushed surface.