How to Unshrink Your Clothes without Ruining Them

Oh no! Did you toss your favorite sweater or pair of jeans into the dryer and it came out a size smaller than it used to be? Is there a way to “unshrink” your clothes? You’re in luck because it’s easy to relax the fabric and reshape your clothes. You can use the same method to unshrink most woven fabrics, but there are some more effective alternatives for wool, cashmere, and denim. By the time you finish reading and stretching your clothes back out, they’ll be back to the perfect fit again.

Things You Should Know

Soak clothes in lukewarm water mixed with 1 US tbsp (15 ml) of baby shampoo or hair conditioner for 30 minutes. This works for woven fabrics like cotton and wool.
Squeeze the garment and roll it in a large towel to remove the excess water.
Gently stretch the fabric by hand and weigh it down so it maintains its shape.
Let your clothes air-dry back into their original shape.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Unshrinking Woven Fabric

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1
Fill your sink with lukewarm water. Add enough lukewarm water to submerge the garments you’re stretching. Make sure the water is at or a little warmer than room temperature so it relaxes the fibers in the fabric. ^{[1]
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- Avoid using cold water since it will make the fabric fibers shrink so they’re harder to stretch. Extremely hot water can also shrink and damage clothing so avoid using it as well.
- Knitted clothes, including cotton, wool, and cashmere garments, respond better than other types of fabric to this method. Fabrics with tighter weaves, such as silk, rayon, or polyester, may not reshape as easily.
2
Mix baby shampoo or conditioner into the water. Add around 1 US tbsp (15 mL) of baby shampoo or hair conditioner for every ¹ ⁄ ₄ US gal (950 mL) of water you’re using. Stir the conditioner or shampoo into the water until it’s completely mixed in. ^{[2]
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- Soft shampoos and conditioners relax the fibers in the clothes without damaging them. If you wouldn’t use the product on your hair, don’t risk it on a piece of clothing you like.
- Regular shampoo doesn’t have the same softening agents as conditioner or baby shampoo, so it won’t help unshrink your clothes.
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3
Soak your clothes in the water for up to 30 minutes. Completely submerge your shrunken garments in the water. Leave your clothes to soak for at least 10 minutes so the fabric has time to soften up. Just take your clothes out of the water after 30 minutes since leaving them for longer could damage your clothes. ^{[3]
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- If you’re stretching a shirt , try lightly pulling on the fabric underwater as it soaks to start reshaping it.
4
Squeeze the garment to wring out excess water. Roll your clothing up into a loose ball. Gently squeeze your clothes so the excess water drips off. Just avoid twisting or wringing out your clothes since it could damage the fibers. ^{[4]
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- Avoid rinsing out the conditioner or shampoo since it’s still relaxing the fibers in your clothes. Wait until you’re done reshaping it before washing off the shampoo.
5
Roll the garment up inside a large towel to remove moisture. Set out a clean, dry towel and lay the shrunken garment flat on top of it. Then, slowly roll the towel up from one end to the other to squeeze out the rest of the water from your garment without wrinkling or stretching the fibers. ^{[5]
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- When you’re finished, it’s okay if the piece of clothing is damp as long as it isn’t dripping wet.
- Leave the clothing inside the towel for up to 10 minutes to help get out as much water as possible. Just don’t leave it for any longer, or else the fabric’s fibers will cool down and become more difficult to stretch out.
6
Stretch the clothing out by hand to reshape it. Move the garment onto a second dry towel to start stretching it. Tug on the edges of your damp clothing where it felt tight. Be gentle as you tug on the fabric to avoid damaging the fabric’s fibers. Try to get the clothing as close as possible to its original shape. ^{[6]
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- For a more accurate way to gauge the right size and shape for your garment needs to be, find a similarly-sized garment and trace its outline on parchment paper. Then, place the shrunken garment over the outline while you’re stretching it.
- If you’re having a hard time stretching the clothing, use the steam setting on an iron. Hold the iron over the area you need to stretch and press the steam button. The steam softens the fibers so they’re easier to move.
7
Weigh your clothing down while it air-dries. Once you finish reshaping a part of your garment to the right shape, set a book, paperweight, or heavy mug on the fabric so it stays put. Place weights on your clothing after you stretch each section until your garment is covered with them. Leave your garment to air-dry completely so it stays in the same shape. ^{[7]
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- Alternatively, hold the garment in place with clothespins.
- Check on your garment every 30 minutes to check that it has held its shape. Tug on the edges and weigh your clothes down again if you need to make any adjustments.
- Try hanging up your clothes to help them dry instead. When your garment is still a little wet, gravity pulls the weight down and could stretch the fabric slightly.
8
Wash and dry the clothing again if it is needed. Once your piece of clothing feels dry, try it on to see if it’s stretched out enough. If it fits, you can wear the garment right away without washing out the conditioner or baby shampoo. If your clothes still haven’t stretched enough, try repeating the treatment again. ^{[8]
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- If you don’t like how your clothes feel from the conditioner or shampoo, hand-wash your garment like you normally would.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Stretching Wool and Cashmere

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Pour in at least ¹ ⁄ ₄ US gal (950 mL) of lukewarm water, or enough to submerge your clothing. Try to keep the water at room temperature so it stretches out the fabric’s fibers without damaging them. ^{[9]
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2
Mix in 1 US tbsp (15 mL) of Borax or white wine vinegar. Scoop in either 1 tablespoon (25.6 g) of Borax or pour in 1 US tbsp (15 mL) of your white wine vinegar to the water. Stir the Borax or vinegar into the water until it’s completely dissolved or mixed in. ^{[10]
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- Always dilute Borax or vinegar in water before using them as cleaners. If you apply them directly to clothing, you could end up damaging the fabric.
- It’s okay to use distilled white vinegar but white wine vinegar is preferable since it is clearer and gentler on your garments.
- Borax and white wine vinegar help soften the fabric so it’s easier to stretch back into its original shape. Alternatively, use a wool detergent that doesn’t contain any harsh chemicals to soften and stretch your clothes.
- Borax and vinegar work best for animal-based fabrics, like for stretching wool and cashmere. Plant-based fabrics like cotton may stretch with Borax, but it’s not effective on synthetics or tightly-knit natural materials like silk.
Submerge your clothes in the Borax or vinegar mixture. Give your wool or cashmere at least 10 minutes so the fibers can soften and stretch more easily. After 30 minutes, take your clothing out of the water to prevent it from getting damaged. ^{[11]
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4
Squeeze as much water out of the garment as possible. Lift your clothing above the water and gently roll it into a ball. Lightly squeeze your garment to drain out all the excess water that’s caught in the fabric. Try to squeeze out enough moisture so the garment is damp but not sopping wet. ^{[12]
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- Be careful not to twist or wring your garment out since you could over-stretch or damage the fibers and make them difficult to reshape.
- Avoid rinsing the garment yet since it stops the Borax or vinegar from working. Wait until you finish stretching out the fabric to fully wash your clothes again.
5
Stretch the garment by hand. Lay your sweater or garment flat on a dry towel. Tug on any areas that have shrunken to stretch the fibers back out. Be gentle as you pull on the fibers around the arms, chest, collar, and any other tight areas on the garment so they can stretch back out. Put something heavy on top of your garment to prevent them from shrinking back down. ^{[13]
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- Alternatively, roll up towels and slide them into sweater sleeves to help preserve the shape and absorb excess water.
Leave your garment flat on the towel so it doesn’t lose its shape. If you notice the garment starting to lose its shape, gently pull on the edges of the fabric to stretch it back out. ^{[14]
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7
Hang the garment up to finish drying it. Place a hanger inside the garment and hang it up in a well-ventilated area away from direct heat or sunlight. Leave the garment to dry completely before trying it on again. If the clothing doesn’t stretch enough, try soaking your clothes and stretching them out again until they’re the right size. ^{[15]
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- Avoid hanging wool and cashmere while they’re still really wet since the water could weigh down the fabric and cause it to over-stretch.
- If the garment doesn’t feel as soft or smooth as it usually does, hand wash it in cold water to remove the vinegar or Borax.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Fixing Tight Jeans

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1
Spray water on your jeans and stretch by hand to make minor adjustments. Put lukewarm water from your tap into a spray bottle and spritz it onto your jeans where they feel tight. Then, hold onto each side of the fabric and gently tug them apart to stretch the fibers out. Try your jeans on to see if you need to keep making adjustments. ^{[16]
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- This works best for minor shrinkage, so it may not be effective if you’re unable to fit into your jeans in their current condition.
- If you don’t have a spray bottle, then lightly dampen the fabric under your tap.
2
Fill your bathtub with lukewarm water. Fill the tub at least ⅓ of the way full so there’s enough to cover your legs if you sit down. Make sure the water temperature is lukewarm since cold water prevents stretching and hot water could make your pants stretch too much. ^{[17]
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- If you don’t have a bathtub available for use, just fill up a sink or bucket with warm water instead.
3
Soak the jeans in the water for about 15 minutes. If you’re able to, put on your jeans and sit in the water so the denim is completely submerged. If you’re unable to fit in the jeans, just put them in the water on their own. Try to keep the jeans submerged for at least 10 minutes or until the water gets cold. ^{[18]
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- The water softens the jeans and makes the fabric’s fibers easier to manipulate. Wearing your jeans while they soak starts stretching them out right away.
4
Wear the jeans for up to an hour or stretch them out by hand. After the jeans soak, put them on if you aren’t already wearing them. Walk around, jog, stretch, or even dance to help stretch out the fibers. If you don’t like the feeling of wearing wet jeans, then lay them flat on a towel and tug on the edges that you want to stretch out. ^{[19]
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- Focus on the areas most in need of being stretched. For instance, if the waistband needs to be adjusted, bend and stretch at the waist.
5
Hang your jeans so they can finish drying. Place your wet jeans on a clothesline or a drying rack. Keep them out of direct heat and sunlight but try to find a spot with good air circulation. While your pants dry, gravity will also pull the jeans down to stretch them out further. ^{[20]
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- Avoid putting your jeans back in the dryer. Heat will cause your clothing to shrink again and undo all your hard work.

Join the Discussion...

How do I unshrink clothes I accidentally shrunk?

10

WikiFlamingoRider304

Asking for a friend here....I accidentally put one of my favorite shirts through the dryer when it's supposed to air-dry, and it totally shrunk.... Read More

1

Rani Gorgis
Laundry & Cleaning Specialist

I like to use lukewarm water and Tide Free & Gentle detergent because it is delicate on clothes. Soak the item for about half an hour. Pull the i... Read More

WikiRiverSlinger714

Sorry, that shirt is never going to be the same :( Synthetic fibers, especially, can't be un-shrunk.... Read More

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Question

Can you stretch a shirt that has shrunk?

Kamel Almani
Laundry & Cleaning Specialist
Kamel Almani is a Laundry and Cleaning Specialist and the Co-Owner of WashyWash, a toxin-free and eco-friendly laundry and dry clean service based in Amman, Jordan. Kamel and his staff at WashyWash use Blue Angel certified and dermatologically-tested detergents. They also combine EcoClean and digital technology to provide an eco-friendly, convenient, and quality cleaning service. Kamel holds a BA in Design from the University of Applied Science, Amman.

Kamel Almani

Laundry & Cleaning Specialist

Expert Answer

Depending on the fabric, some garments can be reshaped using steam from a steam iron.

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Can I steam a hoodie to unshrink it?

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This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

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Steam will help soften the fibers, so you may be able to stretch your hoodie back to its original size.

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I have a product that’s both baby shampoo and wash. Is it useable?

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This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

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That should work. If you'd rather play it on the safe side, you can instead use hair conditioner.

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Tips

Avoid using heated washer settings or your dryer on clothes that are prone to shrinking. Use cold water or do your laundry by hand to prevent damage to your clothes. ^{[21]
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You may need to repeat the treatment a few times to even get the shrunken clothing back to where you want it to be. ^{[22]
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Wash and dry clothing according to the care tag to prevent your clothes from shrinking in the first place. ^{[23]
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Warnings

Soaking and tugging on your clothes could weaken the fabric, so be careful stretching them back out so they don’t rip. ^{[24]
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