Doing laundry can be stressful. Without reading labels, it’s easy to wash and dry clothes in the wrong environment, which can change how they look, feel, and fit. Hot water fades dark dyes, while cold water is said to be less effective at rinsing viruses off clothes than warm water (this is still controversial, though), and while normal cycling works well for products like jeans and t-shirts, it can be too rough for delicate items like lingerie and silk. Knowing how to wash your clothes is key to avoiding any unnecessary changes, and if your goal is to change your clothes during the washing process, knowing how well different washing methods work can also come in handy. Next, we’ll take a look at the best tips for shrinking at home, including fabric considerations, do’s and don’ts, and four ways you can try.
Why Do Clothes Shrink After Washing?
Not all clothes shrink when washed, but some do. During the manufacturing process, fabrics and garments are subjected to stress and tension, so when shrinkage occurs after you take the garments home and wash them, it is because they are trying to return to a state of complete relaxation and stress-free.
But how do you know which parts are likely to shrink? While shrinkage typically occurs when the fabric is trying to regain balance, there are several factors that can affect the type and degree of shrinkage you may experience, including the type of fiber, the drying method, and the fabric structure. Generally speaking, fibers that are easy to shrink include cotton, wool, silk, hemp, etc., and high-temperature drying is more likely to cause shrinkage than low-temperature drying.
Should I Shrink at Home?
If you have a piece of clothing that you want to shrink on purpose, your first thought might be to do the opposite by following the care instructions on the label, but it’s not that simple. With so many types of clothes and so many variables to do so, unfortunately we can’t fully predict how clothes will shrink and change, so we don’t recommend deliberate shrinkage. To best care for your clothes, be sure to follow the instructions on the care label. Still, while it’s not officially recognized, we do have some advice if you decide to shrink at home – keep scrolling to find out what to keep in mind if you give it a try.
Fabric Precautions
As we mentioned, some fabrics shrink better than others. Cellulose fibers, such as cotton or rayon, shrink more easily, so machine washing and high-heat drying may create the desired shrinkage. Synthetic fibers such as polyester, nylon, spandex, and elastane are less likely to shrink, so while you can also try machine washing and tumble drying, you may not see the shrinkage you want.
The structure of the fabric also affects the degree of shrinkage. Knitted fabrics such as t-shirts and sweaters shrink more because there is more space between the fibers, but they also have more elasticity and therefore easier to regain their shape. Woven fabrics such as dress pants are less likely to shrink because they are already tightly knitted, but they also don’t regain their shape as easily as knitted fabrics.
Then there’s the wool, which shrinks a lot, but ends up suffering irreparable damage in the process. Wool that can only be dry cleaned should not be washed as it will shrink excessively. Wool requires heat, moisture and agitation to shrink, all of which are present during machine washing and drying. So, while you may see a change in size, this change can be extreme, causing the item to be unwearable.
Precautionary Measures
Before we tell you how to shrink clothes at home, allow us to reiterate: this is not a foolproof solution for making smaller clothes. With all the variables of clothing, it is difficult to control or predict shrinkage and damage when deliberately shrinking clothes at home, but shrinkage of clothing can lead to size changes of up to 10%, so there is a fairly wide range that you can experience when deliberately shrinking clothes at home. In addition, some manufacturers will ‘pre-shrink’ the fabric so that they don’t change the size at all – but if it’s not advertised, there’s no way to tell if the garment has been pre-shrunk, so you could end up damaging the garment without even advertising at all. See the desired shrinkage.
How to Shrink Clothes at Home
Although shrinking clothes at home isn’t entirely advisable – your clothes may shrink in ways you don’t want, such as width rather than length – we understand that you may want to try it anyway. Once you know this, you’ll find four ways to reduce the size of your clothes at home.
Turn up the heat: If you want to deliberately shrink your clothes, you can do so by using a high-temperature washer and dryer, as heat is the main way to shrink clothes. However, it is generally not advisable to try to shrink your garment, as it requires a lot of energy and can be rough, causing the garment to not only shrink but lose its shape, color, and shine.
Know your fabrics: Not all clothes will shrink in the washer and/or dryer. To give yourself the best chance of success, Wang says, you can try using natural fibers. Natural fibers like cotton shrink best because natural fibers or cellulose fibers are more hydrophilic or ‘water-loving’ and tend to absorb moisture and swell, causing shrinkage. At the same time, if you try to shrink polyester fiber when washing, it is unlikely to change shape unless it is blended with natural fibers.
Washing at high dirt levels: Another way to handle your clothes is to change the degree of agitation in your washing machine. In general, the higher the soil level you set your machine to, the longer it will soak the fabric and the more it will stir overall. Hot water is not always necessary, as water saturation and agitation create shrinkage conditions for the cotton during washing. Therefore, you can wash your clothes at the recommended temperature, just adjust the high intensity. Water and agitation during washing and mechanical tumbling during machine drying can cause the fibers to shrink, while higher heat drying and agitation help to ‘fix’ the shrinkage. You can repeat this process a few times to get closer to your desired outcome.
Soak clothes in boiling water: The water produced by the washing machine may be hot, but it will not boil. With this in mind, some TikTok users have reported that you can enhance the home shrinkage effect by starting the process in a stainless steel bowl filled with boiling water. For best results, immerse the garment in piping hot water, let it sit for 20 to 30 minutes, squeeze the water out with pliers, and place the garment in a high-heat drum to dry.
Can You Eliminate Shrinkage in Clothes?
Even if you follow the instructions exactly above, there is still a chance that you will get results that you don’t want. Unfortunately, it is not possible to predict the performance of clothes just by observation, which is why we do not recommend deliberately shrinking clothes at home. That said, if you’ve inadvertently narrowed down something, there are ways to potentially correct the mistake – check out the steps below to try it.
Develop a solution: Fill a bucket or other container with room temperature water, then add a half-cap of fabric softener and mix well – fabric softener will lubricate and condition the fibers, making them easier to move.
Let it rest: Allow the fabric time to rest so that the solution works its magic. Immerse the garment in the solution for about 15 minutes, then gently rinse with cold water and wring out the excess solution.
Let your garment air dry: After taking off and wring out the garment, stretch it gently and place it on a flat surface or drying rack to dry. When washing later, wash and dry according to the care label.
Final Takeaway
While adjusting wash settings as well as trying certain soaking methods may shrink or alter your clothes, it is not recommended because you don’t fully know what the results will be. If you want to make your clothes smaller, the best option is tailor-made. That being said, if you are careful and follow the steps above, you have a better chance of successfully shrinking your clothes at home than if you simply tried the opposite care instructions. Proceed with caution – if you start slowly, you’re unlikely to get dramatic, unwanted results.
