Can You Microwave Textile?

Q: Why would anyone want to microwave textile? At first glance, it seems that this is an absolutely impossible and unnecessary venture. But look wider and you will see something intricate and quite interesting. So is it possible to microwave textile and why do it?

Why Would You Need to Microwave Textile?

Fabric, clothes, kitchen towels, yarn, socks, tablecloths – this is not a complete list of what people tried to put in the microwave and even switch it on.

One rarely has an idea of microwaving textile. Nevertheless, when it happens so, it must have a reasonable explanation.

Let’s try to look wider and explain those actions of textile microwaving.

Starting with the notice that not all kinds of textiles can be microwaved, we will move forward and tell you that the most popular thing for microwaving is yarn, and this is widely spread among the housewives who are keen on handmade, namely crochet.

There’s often an issue with straightening a used yarn when you undo some handmade hat or sweater and want to use the thread again to create a new piece of clothes or a toy.

Also, some housewives found out that the microwave oven is a great device to use when you want to bleach your kitchen towels.

Another non-conventional method for microwaving textile is… Well, imagine that you are going on a date and you find out that you don’t have a clean pair of socks. Ugh… The microwave oven is right there to help you.

So microwaving textile is possible when you want to:

• Undo and straighten your knitted or crocheted thing
• Bleach towels
• Dry socks/pants

How to Straighten the Yarn Using Microwave?

Microwaving the yarn which is aimed at making it neat and ready for repeated knitting has two great privileges:

• No smell of wool
• It dries very fast

The below-mentioned method is perfect for 100% wool and classical wool mixture 50/50%.

Anyway, before you try straightening the yarn in the microwave oven, take a small sample to check how it behaves at high temperatures.

Now that your old sweater is undone and ready to become a new scarf for your beloved one, place the roll in a regular plastic bag and tie it up. You don’t need to pour any water inside.

Put the bag in the microwave oven, set high power, and switch it on for 60 seconds. If you like the result, take the threads out of the microwave. If you don’t like them, add another minute and microwave again.

Microwave Bleaching of Kitchen Towels

Kitchen towels are always the first to get dirty, and they eventually lose their appearance after being washed with the detergents.

Why is bleaching towels in the microwave oven a revolutionary method? The microwaves clean fibers from the inside, i.e. you get a perfectly clean towel that has the purest threads and is not just whitened with powder.

Take the following steps to bleach kitchen towels in the microwave oven:

• Dip towels in cold water
• Wring them out as much as possible
• Rub over with soap
• Wrap in a plastic bag
• Set power to 700 Watt
• Place the bag on a plate and tie it up leaving space for the steam
• Microwave for 2 minutes

You are not obliged to bleach kitchen towels only. You are free to use this method for bleaching any white things you wish. Just check the labels for the possibility of bleaching at all.

Use potholders or kitchen tongs to carefully remove the towels from the microwave oven as they are very hot. Rinse them thoroughly in cold water.

Can I Dry Socks in the Microwave Oven?

As it turned out, drying clothes in the microwave oven is not a joke.

If you want your socks or pants to dry fast, use the above-mentioned method and microwave them in a bag for 7-10 minutes.

Intervene in the process after 5 minutes of microwaving to turn the thing upside down if needed.

Remember that the socks should be slightly wet when you take them out of the microwave.

You know that the microwave heats food (and socks) unevenly, so if you want to take them out absolutely dry, be ready to say farewells or wear clothes that are deformed in some places.