Ah, life without your favorite pair of jeans! It’s almost unimaginable, especially if said pair enjoys frequent play in your everyday wardrobe.
Why Jeans Shrink
The problem occurs when those jeans undergo a dramatic transformation after you remove them from the dryer. Exposing denim to heat can cause the unfortunate shrinkage that renders your go-to pair useless. When heat and denim unite, the material naturally constricts and shrinks.
This is more likely to happen in poly-blend jeans, which offer a softer hand and some additional stretch — both amazing traits for your denim, no doubt.
So what happens when they suffer the wrath of the dryer? It turns out there are a few tricks of the trade that just might work.
1. Take a dip in the tub.
First, consider the old dunk-in-the-tub routine. It’s exactly as it sounds. If the jeans are still wearable, slip them on and immerse yourself in a tub full of warm water. Let the fabric soak completely for approximately 15 minutes.
Hop out of the bath and squeeze the jeans thoroughly to get as much moisture as possible out. Proceed to wear them for a good hour or so, going about your regular routine. (Yeah, it’s not going to be comfortable, so plan on sticking around the house.)
After an hour, peel them off and allow them to air dry. The idea here is to loosen the fibers and stretch them out just enough to restore them to their previous state.
2. Soak the jeans in water and baby shampoo.
Another option — which may be more palatable if you don’t wish to wear sopping jeans — is to soak them in a basin full of lukewarm water mixed with a small amount of baby shampoo. Immerse the jeans into the water and allow them to soak for at least 30 minutes.
Then, remove the jeans and squeeze the excess moisture out. Hang them on a clothes line, which will help stretch them out.
Preventing Jeans Shrinkage
If you have a closet full of denim, make sure you wash those pieces inside out to minimize the chances of shrinkage. Dry them only once. Or better yet, allow them to air dry completely and skip the heat. Repeated heat drying is convenient for sure, but it inevitably causes shrinkage — particularly if the jeans aren’t pure denim.
With regular care and a little know-how, you can stabilize the fit of your favorite jeans — for good.
If your jeans are too snug because they shrunk in the wash, founder of Horton Lane Chrissy Horton, recommends using your head to stretch jeans back out. Yes, really. "I lay the jeans over my head and pull them. Think of a scarf draped over your head, each end covering your ears," Horton tells us.
If your jeans have gotten a little stretched out, just throw them in a standard wash cycle, but put it on the hottest setting. This method works best if your jeans are made of a denim that's as close to 100% cotton as possible. And a word to the wise: Don't use any fabric softener.
Shrinkage in denim jeans is pretty normal and can often be reversed. The most important thing to do is make sure that you're washing and drying the jeans according to the instructions.
But don't panic—there is hope to restore it back to its original shape. Soften and stretch. Soak the sweater in lukewarm water mixed with about two tablespoons of fabric softener, baby shampoo or hair conditioner for 10 to 20 minutes. Drain the water without rinsing.
Washing and drying in high heat will help shrink denim, but the effects are temporary. Denim naturally stretches with time and movement, so they'll likely loosen again. To permanently take denim down a size, hem them at home or bring your jeans to a tailor.
Fill a sink, tub, or bucket with lukewarm water. Add a small amount of hair conditioner, which helps relax fibers. Submerge the shrunken item and let it soak for at least 30 minutes, up to a few hours for severely shrunk items. As the garment soaks, the fibers will gently expand and loosen up.
Take a bucket of warm water, add half a cupful of hair conditioner and a squirt of washing up liquid and mix. Add clothes and stir until hair conditioner has covered all fibres. Squeeze clothing to expel excess liquid. Lay flat and manually stretch back to shape then leave to dry.
Clothes are much more likely to shrink when exposed to hot water or high dryer settings. Washing clothes in cold water goes a long way toward preserving the “off-the-rack” size. Avoiding heavy duty cycles, fast spins and high-heat drying can also prevent shrinkage.
Do Jeans Eventually Stretch Out? Like any love story, jeans too undergo ups and downs in their life cycle. While they may start tight, they typically loosen up with regular wear. The stretching factor is influenced by denim type, quality, wear frequency, and washing techniques.
In general, expect up to 3–4% shrinkage, which on a pair of jeans with a 32″ inseam would mean shrinking about 1″–1¼” in the length. The width is much less prone to shrinkage because there is less applied tension in that direction during fabric construction. This can vary from brand to brand and style to style.
Washing your jeans in hot water causes the denim fibers to contract and shrink. Exposure to cold water can have similar effects, though to a lesser degree. If you want your jeans to fit tighter, you should get into the habit of washing them in hot water.
Can you repair your jeans? Yes! Some of the most common places for jeans to show wear and tear are on the knees or crotch, or anywhere the denim naturally creases. Whether you want to patch up a hole, restitch a seam or fix a fray, repairing your jeans will make them last even longer and save you money on a new pair.
Another option is to soak it in lukewarm water for one hour. If you have liquid fabric softener, add about 1 teaspoon (4.9 mL) of it to your spray bottle before you wet your jeans. This will help soften the denim so it stretches more easily.
The key, though, is the dryer. Put those jeans in the dryer with the heat blasting.Run it for a full cycle so the heat has time to tighten up the material and shrink the denim. If you have stretchy denim that loses its shape every time you wear your jeans, the washer and dryer trick should be a go-to.
In most scenarios, all you need is a container full of warm water with a capful of liquid detergent. Next, make sure to add in your clothes and stir them into the solution until they are completely soaked. Gently wring out the clothing to expel excess liquid and gently stretch the clothing back to its original size.
Normally Levi's 501 shrink to fit jeans you purchase in the exact size you wear. So you take them home turn them inside-out wash them in warm water & dry them completely. They should shrink down to the size you wear.
Washing and drying in high heat will help shrink denim, but the effects are temporary. Denim naturally stretches with time and movement, so they'll likely loosen again. To permanently take denim down a size, hem them at home or bring your jeans to a tailor.
Introduction: My name is Twana Towne Ret, I am a famous, talented, joyous, perfect, powerful, inquisitive, lovely person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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