Shrinking your clothes can be the perfect solution to your baggy problems. Whether the fabric is cotton, rayon, silk, polyester, wool, or denim, it is possible to shrink them to a smaller size without going to the tailor.
However, be careful to avoid causing severe damage to the clothes in the process of shrinking them because the conditions that cause shrinkage are harsh on some fabrics.
How Do Clothes Shrink?
We have come to expect shrinkage as a potential side effect of washing clothes. But how does it happen?
It goes back to the manufacturing processes. Two types of fabrics make clothes; natural and synthetic fabrics.
Natural fabrics are unstable and require heavy manipulation and stretching to become viable.
When you wash your clothes, exposing them to the relaxing nature of water, the tension held in these fabrics releases, reducing the size of the clothes.
Manufacturers invented synthetic fabrics from plastic and other sources as a more economical and stable fabric for making clothes. These fabrics are heavily resistant to shrinkage and other mechanics.
How to Shrink Clothes
The process of shrinking clothes is by discarding almost every safe laundry precaution you know. Excessive heat and a lengthy wash period are what you should strive to achieve and maintain.
There are some things to consider when shrinking your clothes.
Fabric Type
Your clothes’ fabric is the first thing to consider when you want to shrink them because they have contrasting reactions to the shrinking process.
Cotton and rayon will shrink quickly and efficiently, and they can withstand the harsh environment you will create during the treatment.
On the other hand, fabrics like silk and wool can damage if you don’t take precautions when shrinking.
Polyester is a synthetic fabric made to resist shrinking. It is possible to shrink polyester, but the process is lengthier and more rigorous.
Heat
Heat is the constant factor across all fabric types when you want to shrink clothes. Hot washing, hot drying, and other methods incorporate heat.
Simply put, heat shrinks clothes. This heat problem led to many innovative creations that enhance cold water washing.
A side effect of using heat to shrink clothes is the potential for color bleeding, so you will separate white clothes from colored ones and use shorter wash periods.
Time
Shrinking clothes is not instantaneous, especially when trying to achieve the desired size. The process is lengthy, and you will check periodically to ensure the clothes are still in perfect condition.
Shrink your Clothes with your Washing Machine
As mentioned earlier, the clothes fabric determines the shrinking process; and it applies to the washing machine method.
Check your clothes care label to confirm the fabric type before proceeding.
Shrinking Cotton Clothes
Cotton is the most agreeable fabric to shrink because it can withstand harsh conditions and shrinks due to the release of the built-up tension from the manufacturing process.
All cotton clothes are not equal; this is where thread counts are crucial. Clothes with higher thread counts or tight fabrics have more fiber and less stretching in the factory.
Procedure:
- Separate white clothes from dark ones.
- Use a color-safe detergent to avoid exacerbating the potential color bleeding.
- Choose the hot water setting because heat will release the tension in the fabrics causing the clothes to relax, thereby shrinking.
- Select the lengthiest wash cycle available to allow for a lengthened soaking time.
- Remove the clothes from the washing machine afterward; you should notice the shrinkage.
- Don’t air-dry the clothes; it may reverse the shrinkage.
Shrinking Silk Clothes
Silk behaves similarly to cotton, except it is a delicate fabric, and heat and intense agitation can cause damage.
Unlike cotton, silk retains its new form after shrinking and will not reverse.
Procedure:
- Separate white clothes from dark ones.
- Use a color-safe detergent to avoid exacerbating the potential color bleeding.
- Choose the hot water setting because heat will release the tension in the fabrics causing the clothes to relax, thereby shrinking.
- Select the “gentle/delicate” wash cycle because it uses a slower spin speed and shorter wash period to avoid damage.
- Turn the silk clothes inside out and place them in a mesh laundry bag to reduce the intensity on the clothes.
- After washing clothes, you may air-dry them if you prefer.
Shrinking Wool Clothes
Since wool is from an animal source, it shrinks differently from cotton and silk.
Wool’s fiber consists of plenty of tiny scales that join together after extensive exposure to heat, water, and agitation in the washing machine, causing the clothes to reduce in size.
Wool is a delicate fabric that responds to these conditions quickly, so be careful not to damage your clothes.
Procedure:
- Separate white clothes from dark ones.
- Use a color-safe detergent to avoid exacerbating the potential color bleeding.
- Choose the hot water setting because heat will release the tension in the fabrics causing the clothes to relax, thereby shrinking.
- Select the “gentle/delicate” wash cycle because it uses a slower spin speed and shorter wash period to avoid damage.
- Don’t air-dry the clothes; it may reverse the shrinkage.
Shrink your Clothes with a Machine Dryer
Drying your clothes usually follows washing but particularly when you’re shrinking them. When you expose your clothes to cool air after shrinking in the washing machine, the shrinking may start to unravel and reverse.
Place your clothes in the dryer to dry and shrink further.
Procedure:
- Put your wet clothes into the dryer.
- If you want to shrink clothes without washing them, you should run them under warm water before placing them in the dryer.
- Check the care label instructions to know which heat setting to choose. Cotton can withstand high heat, so choose the highest heat setting available on the dryer, but for silk and wool, use low or medium heat.
- Let the cotton clothes dry for 30 minutes before removing them, but silk and wool should have shorter times, like 10 to 15 minutes.
- If the clothes shrink past your preferred size, soak them in cold water for a few minutes and then air-dry.
Shrink your Clothes with Boiling Water.
This method is more intense than the washing machine because of the water temperature. It is not suitable for delicate fabrics like wool and silk.
However, synthetic fabrics like polyester and nylon that are near-impossible to shrink will benefit.
Procedure:
- Pour water into a large pot until it is ¾ full.
- Bring the water to a boil; when it starts bubbling, turn off the heat.
- Transfer the large pot to a comfortable area.
- Use a large metal tong or a wooden spoon to submerge the clothes in the boiling water.
- Trap the heat in the large pot by covering it with the lid.
- Leave the clothes to soak for at least 30 minutes.
- Remove the clothes from the pot with a tong and place them inside the sink.
- Allow the clothes to cool until you can touch them.
- Remove excess water by gently pressing the clothes; don’t twist, wring, or squeeze to avoid stretching them out.
- Afterward, dry the clothes using the drying method above.
Factors that May Affect Shrinking
- The Manufacturing Process
Some manufacturers take the extra step of pre-shrinking the clothes during production. It is why you comfortably wash your clothes without them shrinking.
Pre-shrunken clothes will benefit from the boiling water method like synthetic fabrics.
- The Age of the Clothes
Sometimes, old clothes have nowhere else to shrink, and there is no more space between the fibers.