Pre-Shrunk Cotton Lab Coats . . . What Does That Really Mean?

So what does pre-shrunk really mean, when referring to 100% cotton Medelita lab coat fabric?  Many of our customers / colleauges wonder, if the fabric is cotton, should I simply order a larger size to account for shrinkage in the laundry?  Read below to learn the answer. 100% cotton is a natural fiber, and a natural characteristic of cotton is high shrinkage when exposed to hot water / hot dryer.  We go through various processes to ensure that you can still enjoy the comfort of a 100% cotton, breathable lab coat, while not having to worry about noticeable shrinkage. Medelita lab coat fabric is compacted (meaning that the fiber itself is condensed . . . think of smashing a marshmallow), pre-shrunk (exposed to hot water and hot dryer during processing) and unique to our lab coat fabric - treated with High IQ Easycare Plus to prevent shrinkage and minimize wrinkling.  These three components help to keep Medelita lab coat shrinkage to a maximum of 3% width and 3% length.  These maximum percentages apply to home laundering in hot water and drying on the highest temperature.  If we used a regular cotton fabric, and did not adhere to these additional steps, the shrinkage would be 12% or greater. So for the majority of our customers, this translates into ordering their 'usual' size.  For those customers that are between sizes, prefer to home launder on high temperatures, or wear very heavy sweaters in the winter months under a lab coat - we do suggest ordering a larger size.