How To

How to Shrink Clothing

By Ashley Martinez, eHow Editor

Rate: (13 Ratings)

Shrinking clothes depends on the fibers involved. But if your wool pants are too long and your cotton t-shirt fits to loosely, try these easy steps.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

Washer Dryer

Wash

Step 1

Read the labels. If you want to shrink a wool fabric item, this will take a little time (at least two or three times washed in warm water and two or three cycles in the dryer, on medium heat). Shrinking wool happens little by little, as the fabric contracts to its original size. That is why wool is typically dry cleaned.
Step 2

Shrinkage: If you are trying to shrink cotton, this will happen on the very first wash. If you buy a product that is pre-washed (such as jean brands or shirt brands) they are going to stay true to the size you purchased. If you are buying an item that has never been washed, the first time is the charm.
Step 3

Spin: Both wool and cotton are fibers that pull together during the spinning cycle of the washer and dryer. So, a little spin and you'll get your newly shrunken clothing item.

Tips & Warnings

Wash in warm water. Dry in medium heat.
If washed in hot and dried in hot, the shrinkage can be too dramatic.

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Comments

Dancemama said

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on 11/17/2008 Be EXTREMELY careful if you are attempting to shrink something that has decorations (IE embroidery, appliques, etc.) as usually found on sweatshirts, sports jersey type items, some fleece pants, etc. If the garment shrinks - it may distort the decorations that aren't prone to shrinking (they are of a synthetic material).