1. **State the problem:** The length of a fabric shrunk from 175 cm to 150 cm after washing. We need to calculate the percentage decrease. 2. **Formula for percentage decrease:** $$\text{Percentage Decrease} = \frac{\text{Original Length} - \text{New Length}}{\text{Original Length}} \times 100$$ 3. **Substitute the values:** $$\text{Percentage Decrease} = \frac{175 - 150}{175} \times 100$$ 4. **Calculate the difference:** $$\frac{25}{175} \times 100$$ 5. **Simplify the fraction:** $$\frac{\cancel{25}^1}{\cancel{175}^7} \times 100 = \frac{1}{7} \times 100$$ 6. **Calculate the percentage:** $$\frac{100}{7} \approx 14.29$$ 7. **Final answer:** The fabric shrunk by approximately **14.29%** after washing.