Washing clothes with hot water and drying them in the dryer can be a risky game to play! There are high chances to shrink your clothes by accident.
Some people might use this phenomenon in their favor in case they need to tighten their clothes a little bit, but most people didn’t expect their clothes to be smaller after a deep cleanse.
But, can you unshrink clothes after this happened? Let’s see some tips you can easily try at home.
Why do clothes shrink in the dryer?
All clothes are prone to shrink in the dryer, but especially those made with cotton or natural fibers.
We are not saying you shouldn’t use them in the drying machine, but you should be very careful not to leave them for longer than necessary or at a very temperature.
Also, keep in mind that shrinkage can happen in the washing machine too if the water is too hot.
When the clothes are exposed to high temperatures for a long time, the fibers in the fabric will start to get shorter and affect the whole piece, leaving you with a T-shirt that can be two or three sizes smaller.
Can you unshrink clothes?
Virtually, yes, but we have to warn you: this method might not work on all kinds of fabric, and sometimes it may work partially, not getting the clothes completely back in shape.
However, you can try and repeat this process several times to see how far you can get.
How to unshrink clothes without damaging them
The process to unshrink clothes isn’t a harsh one, so do not worry about the quality of your clothes after performing it. In fact, you don’t need expensive or hard to get ingredients, as it’s a mechanical process. It’s easy to do!
1# Wash your clothes
How to unshrink a T-shirt? It’s easy. The first thing you need to do is wash it. Do not use water that is too hot or too cold, warm is okay.
Then let it soak for about 30 minutes with a laundry softener.
2# Stretch them
How to fix shrunken clothes? The secret is pulling! While your clothes are still dripping damp, grab the top and bottom of your t-shirt and gently pull in opposite directions. Repeat the process pulling from side to side.
3# Hang them
In this case, you are not going to dry your clothes in the dryer. Hang them from a cord or in a clothes hanger and leave it to air dry. Remember not to squeeze or wring the clothes to remove water. When hanging the clothes, the water will create a mild weight that will help the piece stretch while drying. Besides, hang them tensely with clothespins to keep them extended.
When the clothes are fully dried, hopefully you’ll see that they have recovered, at least, part of their original size. Besides, after wearing, they might stretch a little bit more.
So, the answer to the question “can you unshrink clothes?” is: hopefully, yes! Let us know if this method worked for you and if you are wearing your favorite clothes again!