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Hello from a new member, who has vastly enjoyed the many diverse and informative postings from this group. As I understand the process, today's dryer-shrink more closely approximates the technique known as "felting" (application of heat to wet wool), while medieval "fulling" refers to a process of scouring, beating, washing and (minor) shrinkage. The fulling process was efficiently carried out by water mills adapted to the purpose; feet/hands and tubs of water sufficed where the mill technology (or the ability to pay for it) was not present. Agreed that shrinkage of recleaned woolens was probably not a major problem, after the original length of cloth had been subjected to either the extensive felting or fulling finishing process. One of the several finishing steps in fulling was stretching the cloth to regulation length/width. Records of prosecution or guild censure for unacceptable length/width exist. If anyone has knowledge of shrinkage following recleaning or post-processing, I would be most interested in references. Also, I remember reading many years ago (sources that now, alas, escape my memory) that herbs/spices were applied to clothes to freshen them in lieu of cleaning. A reference I recently discovered in Letters & Papers Henry VIII noted payment in 1546 to Mellesent Aylesbury for "6 dozen bags of white janes fustian, weighing 14 lb., filled with sweet powder to make sweet the King's sheets, at 3s. 4d. the lb.; also one bushel of dried rose leaves with lavender." Best -- Susan Spisak >Medieval woolens were already fulled (which is sort of what happens when you accidentally throw the sweater into the dryer and it shrinks) and so were likely not quite so prone to shrinkage. %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%