wringing

Wringing is the action of twisting and squeezing a material to expel liquid, typically water, from its fibers. It is performed by applying torsional pressure along the length of the item, usually with hands or with mechanical devices. The term is commonly used in laundry and textile processing, but can also describe wringing out other wet materials such as towels, cloths, or mop heads.

Manual wringing involves grasping opposite ends of the fabric and twisting in opposite directions to press water outward. The amount of pressure and the method must be tailored to the fabric—delicates like silk or wool require gentler wringing or detouring to avoid distortion, while cottons and towels tolerate stronger compression. Mechanical wringers, historically found on early electric washing machines, used paired rollers to squeeze water from fabric as it passed between them.

In laundry practice, wringing reduces moisture and shortens drying time, but excessive wringing can stretch, warp, or distort fibers, especially in knit or loosely woven textiles. For delicate items, towel squeeze or blotting, or pressing between clean absorbing towels, is often recommended instead. Some microfiber fabrics are damaged by heavy wringing; others recover well.

In modern households, spin cycles in washing machines have largely replaced manual wringing, using centrifugal force rather than direct twisting to expel water. In textiles processing and finishing, controlled wringing steps can help set size, shape, or print alignment before drying.