I gave all my boys pyjamas for Christmas last year. Unfortunately, they all shrunk and now the pyjama bottoms only reach mid-shin.
It’s a shame because I spent quite a long time picking out styles that would be both fun to wear and comfortable.
I am reluctant to send them back. I would much rather attempt to stretch them back to size.
So, what caused them to shrink?
I wash all my laundry in cold water, so I don’t think it was the washing phase that shrunk them. I suspect it was the tumble dryer that shrunk them. Usually, I prefer to line dry my laundry, but the weather has been so wet lately it is impossible to do that.
So, my question today is, could clothes be stretched back to size? Will I have to resort to sending back the pyjamas that my boys love just because they no longer fit?
I’ve done my research and run my own tests, and I have concluded that the answer is yes, you can unshrink clothes!
If you don’t have time to read to the end of this post, here is the quick solution.
Clothes that have shrunk in the washing machine or the tumble dryer can be relaxed and stretched out to their original size by soaking them in water mixed with baby shampoo, hair conditioner or fabric softener. After soaking, wring out and then start to stretch the material until you reach the desired size. Lay the item out flat on a dry towel and then leave it to dry naturally.
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Why do clothes shrink?
Whether an item of clothing is liable to shrink or not depends on what it is made of and the quality of the fabric.
Wool tends to ‘felt’ when it is washed at the wrong temperature or agitated too much. That’s why there is often a special hand wash cycle for woolens.
The fibers present in cotton, linen and synthetics can ‘relax’ when they get wet, causing shrinkage when they dry.
Other ways that clothing can shrink is by excessive movement in a washing drum or due to the heat in a tumble dryer. The tension within the fibers is loosened, and the original shape is lost.
Fortunately, there are ways to unshrink clothes that have changed shape through washing and/or drying.
Let’s look at what can be done.
How to unshrink clothes after drying
If your clothing has already dried, and you have found that it has shrunk in size, all is not lost.
All you need to unshrink your clothing is one of three items, either fabric conditioner, hair conditioner, or baby shampoo.
I have found that baby shampoo works great for unshrinking clothing, but if you don’t have that available, you can use fabric softener or hair conditioner instead.
For this test, I will be unshrinking the pyjamas that I bought for my son for Christmas.
Here he is wearing the pyjamas. The legs are about 4 inches too short after only one wash!
Step 1 – Measure
Measure the areas that you want to be stretched. In my case, I need the legs of the pyjamas lengthened. Currently, they stand at 26 inches, so they will need to stretch to 30 inches.
Step 2 – Soak the clothing
- Fill a sink or bath with warm water.
- Add a couple of tablespoons of fabric softener, hair conditioner or baby shampoo to the water.
- Let the garment sit in the solution for thirty minutes. You may wish to agitate during that time, but it isn’t necessary.
Step 3 – Remove excess water
- Remove the clothing from the water (don’t rinse).
- Wring the item out with your hands.
- Lay the item on a large clean bath towel and roll it up to absorb excess water. Repeat with another dry towel.
Step 4 – Stretch into shape
- Lay the item out on another large dry bath towel.
- Begin gently stretching the item on all sides until you reach the desired size. Be careful not to overstretch the item, especially if the garment is made from wool or polyester.
I was actually pretty amazed that I managed to stretch the leg of these pyjamas a full four inches!
Step 5 – Allow to dry naturally
Pin the edges of the garment to the towel or put a heavy item on it. I used some tinned food cans. This stops the garment from shrinking back as it dries.
The result
Here is my son wearing the unshrunk pyjama bottoms. He was very pleased that they now fit properly!
Related reading:
How To Wash Clothes Without Soap
How to unshrink linen and cotton
Cotton and linen clothing can be unshrunk using baby shampoo or hair conditioner. My personal favorite is baby shampoo because I love the smell!
Jeans often have a synthetic type of fiber mixed in so that they stretch to fit, which means they require different treatment from garments made with 100% cotton.
If you have jeans to unshrink, check out this post – How To Unshrink Jeans.
Directions for unshrinking linen and cotton:
- Fill a sink or bath with warm water.
- Add a couple of tablespoons of baby shampoo or hair conditioner to the water.
- Let the garment sit in the water for thirty minutes.
- Wring the item out.
- Roll the item up in a large clean towel and repeat with another dry towel.
- Lay the item out.
- Begin gently stretching the item on all sides until you reach the desired size.
- Pin the edges of the garment to the towel or put a heavy item on it. This stops the garment from shrinking back as it dries.
How to unshrink polyester
Polyester is a synthetic fiber made from polymers derived from coal or petroleum. Despite its non-organic composition, it is quite delicate. You can easily overstretch a polyester jumper, and it will lose its original structure.
Directions for unshrinking polyester:
- Fill a sink with warm water.
- Add a tablespoon of baby shampoo to the water.
- Add the item.
- Let the garment sit for twenty minutes.
- While still wet, begin to very gently stretch the item. Make sure you avoid stretching too much in one area.
- Lay the item out on a flat surface. Pin down the edges or put on a heavy object so that the garment does not shrink back as it dries.
How to unshrink wool
Clothing made from animal fibers such as wool tends to ‘felt’ when washed at warmer temperatures. Felting happens when the fibers clump together, and it makes the item shrink in size, often to the point of being useless.
However, there are ways to bring your woolen garment back to a usable state.
How to unshrink a wool jumper:
- Fill your sink, bath or bucket with slightly warm water.
- Add two tablespoons of distilled white vinegar to the wash.
- Add the woolen items.
- Allow the item to sit in the water for thirty minutes.
- After thirty minutes, take out the clothing and gently squeeze out the water.
- Stuff the item with clean dry towels. Then begin to reshape the item into the desired shape, taking care not to overstretch it.
- Leave the item to dry for a little while.
- Remove the towels and continue drying flat until fully dry.
How to unshrink baby clothes
- Fill a sink up with warm water and add a tablespoon of baby shampoo.
- Leave the clothes to soak for half an hour, then wring out the excess water and start stretching out the fabric gently evenly all around the garment.
- Dry flat and put some heavy objects on the edges to stop the fabric from shrinking back as it dries.
Going forward, try to avoid using the tumble dryer and wash at a lower temperature.
If you are finding that stains don’t come out so well at low temperatures, reduce the amount of clothing in your wash and switch to a longer, more intensive cycle.
How to prevent clothes from shrinking
There are several things that I like to do to stop items from shrinking in the washing machine and tumble dryer.
1. Always check the label
Check the label and always use the advised cycle and temperature. This is especially important for items that need to be hand washed, like woolens. You can still use your washing machine for hand washing. Just make sure you select the hand wash/woolens cycle.
2. Avoid using the tumble dryer
Tumble dryers are the worst for shrinking clothing! Air drying is much better for avoiding shrinkage. If you have to use a tumble dryer, make sure that you don’t over dry. The more heat you apply, the more likely it is that shrinkage can occur.
If you can put your clothes outside to dry, hang your jeans from the bottom rather than the waist. That way they dry quicker and the weight helps to lengthen the legs.
3. Use a cold washing temperature
If in doubt, always select cold. That way, your clothing has the best chance of survival in the wash.
Almost all my washing is now done in cold water. The only washing load I need some heat for are the microfiber cloths and tea towels. Everything else washes on cold just fine.
If you have issues with staining, reduce the amount of washing in the drum and switch to a more intensive cycle.
4. Freshen up instead
If your clothes don’t get particularly dirty, consider freshening them up instead.
Fibers that don’t get completely wet don’t swell up so much. This means they won’t contract as much as they dry, and therefore shouldn’t shrink.
Jeans are a great candidate for freshening up because as well as reducing shrinkage, it prevents the jeans from fading.
To freshen up clothing:
- Make up a spray bottle of distilled white vinegar and a few drops of your favorite essential oil.
- Spray the item.
- Dry naturally or use the tumble dryer for a few minutes.
The vinegar has a deodorizing effect, but don’t worry; the vinegar smell should dissipate fairly quickly.
If your washing machine has a ‘steam refresh’ option, use that instead.
If your jeans have already shrunk, here is my handy guide on how to unshrink your jeans.
Related reading:
- How To Unshrink Jeans With This Clever Hack!
- How To Clean Black Jeans Without Washing
- How To Dry Jeans In The Dryer Without Shrinking
- Can I use shampoo as a laundry detergent?
Frequently asked questions
Does fleece shrink?
I don’t find that fleece shrinks. It can lose its softness over time, but it doesn’t tend to shrink. Fleece is best dried naturally. The dryer can damage the fibers and eventually cause them to lose softness.
Should I throw away my shrunken clothes?
Depending on what they are made of, you should be able to salvage your shrunken clothing and avoid the bin.
Soak a shrunken item in some diluted baby shampoo for half an hour.
Wring out the excess water and then lay the item out on a large towel.
Begin gently pulling the item in different directions, making sure to retain the shape.
Avoid pulling the material in one direction for too long. It is best to gradually work your way around the garment so that the material can be relaxed and pulled out evenly.
How can I prevent my polyester sweater from shrinking?
The number one thing you can do to stop your polyester sweater from shrinking is to avoid using the tumble dryer.
Fortunately, this type of fiber tends to dry quickly, so a dryer isn’t usually needed anyway. Bit, if you are going to use a dryer, select the low heat or no heat setting.
For air drying, the best drying position is flat so that the garment doesn’t stretch in the wrong places.
How can I prevent my woolen sweater from shrinking?
The labels on woolen clothing usually advise you to hand wash or use the hand wash cycle on your washing machine.
For washing woolen items, choose a gentle soap specifically made for hand washing. My favorite is Woolite.
The great thing about Woolite is that you can also use it in your washing machine.
When I wash my wool jumpers in the machine, I like to choose a cold wash temperature. At the end of the cycle, I lay the item out flat to dry so that it retains its shape and doesn’t stretch in unwanted places. When I do this, my woolen jumpers never shrink.
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