3 Simple Methods to Restore Your Shrunken Clothes

If we wash a garment at the wrong temperature or in the wrong machine cycle, it might lose its original size. That’s why it’s so important to read the labels of your clothing thoroughly and make sure you’re using the correct washing and drying methods. If this has happened to you, don’t worry, and most importantly, don’t get rid of your clothes. 5-Minute Crafts is showing you 3 simple methods to unshrink your clothes and return them to their original size.

For garments in general

What you’ll need:

• A bucket, bathtub, or sink
• Conditioner or baby shampoo
• Clothespins

Instructions:

1. Fill the bathtub, sink, or bucket with about 1 liter of warm water or just enough to ensure you can submerge the garment.
2. Add a spoonful of baby shampoo or conditioner for every liter of water you use.
3. Place the garment in the bucket.
4. Soak it for 15 minutes.
5. Wring out the garment to remove excess water. At this point, you don’t have to rinse the shampoo or conditioner away yet. Let it activate so that the fibers continue to loosen.
6. Delicately stretch the edges of the wet garment with your hands so as not to damage the fibers of the fabric.
7. Repeat the procedure again if necessary. When you hang the wet garment, you can stretch it out a bit with your hands. You may have to repeat this a few times if the garment has shrunken down significantly or if it’s still very tight.

For wool or cashmere clothing

What you’ll need:

• A bucket, bathtub, or sink
• Vinegar
• Dry towels
• Clothespins

Instructions:

1. It’s a similar procedure to the previous one, up until you get to step 3. You only have to replace the conditioner or baby shampoo with 1 or 2 spoonfuls of white vinegar or borax (depending on how much the garment has shrunk). No product should ever be applied directly to the garment, always remember to dilute it in water first.
2. Place some towels inside the garment and make sure there are no lumps, as they could cause it to lose its original shape. It’s important not to stretch it with your hands either.
3. Leave the towels for approximately 30 minutes. You can shake the garment while keeping the towels inside it.
4. Hang up the garment but make sure not to remove the towels so that it can finish drying. If you do not achieve the desired result, you can repeat the procedure as many times as you need or want.

For jeans

What you’ll need:

• A bucket, bathtub, or sink
• A spray bottle

Instructions:

1. Put on your pants and get into a tub of warm water for 15 minutes. If you don’t have a bathtub or your jeans are too tight to wear, fill a sink or bucket with warm water and stretch them out there.
2. When you get out, move around with them on (walk, jog, or dance) so that the fibers stretch.
3. Hang the wet jeans to dry in a place with good air circulation. Don’t put them in the dryer or directly in the sun.

Note: If you only need to stretch some parts of the jeans, spray water on those specific parts and stretch them out by hand.