Q&A for How to Shrink a Cotton T Shirt

Organic cotton is the same as cotton, just that it has been grown without the application of conventional chemicals. Its fiber structure remains the same, and as such, it will respond to the treatment in much the same way that a conventional cotton t-shirt will. However, and this is important, many conventional cotton t-shirts will have been treated with chemicals to reduce shrinkage; as such, an organic cotton t-shirt risks shrinking more and this possibility must be accounted for when seeking to shrink it, or you risk over-shrinking.

Separately, yes this is possible: For shrinking polyester, see How to Shrink Polyester and for shrinking cotton, refer to the steps above for a cotton t-shirt, or see How to Shrink Cotton Fabrics for other cotton garments. It is harder to shrink a polyester and cotton blend because the whole purpose of combining polyester with cotton is to prevent shrinkage and produce an easy-care garment. You could try subjecting a top made from both materials to high heat washing and drying but don't expect much shrinkage to occur.

You can try by using warm water and an addition such as baby shampoo, then attempting to reshape the item with gentle pulling, then washing in cold water to prevent repeated shrinkage. For some help with doing this, see How to Unshrink Clothes . Stretching t-shirt fabric can cause it to become over-stretched and floppy though, so do stretch it with care and follow the principle of "a little goes a long way."

There is no single answer to how to go about shrinking clothes because it depends on the type of fabric and the type of garment you’re wanting to shrink. Also, "a little" can be tricky to achieve accurately, so great care must be taken when attempting to shrink clothing. For more help on possibl ways to shrink your clothing, see How to Shrink Clothes .

In a nutshell, a hot wash and a hot dryer setting should do the trick, provided there aren’t any special markings (such as iron-on images) or buttons that might be damaged by the heat (in which case it would be better to give the shirt to someone else who can fit it and buy a new one in your own size). Follow the instructions for shrinking a cotton t-shirt detailed above to achieve the same outcome for a cotton polo shirt.

The dryer alone may shrink the shirt slightly, but for best shrinkage, washing in hot water and then drying is best.

They might fade or discolor - depending on the quality and color. To help with this, soak it in cold or lukewarm water first. If it is an important shirt, I might suggest taking it in by sewing.

In my experience, most Gildan brand tees shrink a lot even washing in just cold water, and you don't really need this method for 90% of Gildan tees. But yes, the color might shift depending on the tee, and fading on black tees will be the most noticeable as compared to red or other colors.

This method will shrink the shirt about one size or so, so if you wear a small, buy a medium shirt before using this method.

It is probably a pre-shrunk shirt. The labels on clothes don't always state whether it is pre-shrunk or not.

Because it's fabric, it absorbs the water throughout the shirt.

They might - depending on the quality and color. To help with this, soak it in cold or lukewarm water first. If it is an important shirt, I might suggest taking it in by sewing.

Yes, but it won't shrink the shirt.

No. Take it to a laundromat.

It will fade a decent amount. I did this to a pure black t-shirt and it ended up as a dark grey, but the color did not look saturated.

Yes. I had a ref jersey that was too big; it dropped one size and there was still room to grow.

Yes, you can, but it might take multiple attempts.

Yes, it should stay shrunk.

Yes, you can shrink cotton. The same steps you'd follow to shrink a cotton t-shirt can also be followed to shrink other cotton pieces.

Yes, you can shrink an old cotton t-shirt by following the instructions listed above.