Mending shrunken clothing

Video: HOW TO: UNSHRINK YOUR CLOTHES (EASY) | DIY TUTORIAL | JAIRWOO

Content

To step
Method 1 of 3: Soak knitted fabrics in baby shampoo
Method 2 of 3: Use borax or vinegar on wool and cashmere
Method 3 of 3: Stretch jeans with warm water
Tips
Warnings
Necessities
Soak knitted fabrics in baby shampoo
Use borax or vinegar on wool and cashmere
Stretch jeans with warm water

If you put your favorite sweater or jeans in the dryer, it might come out a size smaller. This happens to everyone and theoretically it is not possible to "unshrink" clothes. Fortunately, you can let the fibers relax and make them more flexible so that you can stretch them back to their original shape. With most substances you can easily do this with water and baby shampoo. Borax and vinegar can help stretch wool and cashmere. If you're trying to save a pair of jeans, you may be able to do so by submerging them in warm water. After washing and drying the garment, put it on again and you will see that it fits you again.

To step

Method 1 of 3: Soak knitted fabrics in baby shampoo

Fill a sink with lukewarm water. If you can't use your sink or sink, use a bucket, washtub, or even the bathtub. Put at least 1 liter of lukewarm water in the sink, enough to submerge the garment. Make sure the water is at room temperature or slightly warmer than that so that it allows the fibers of the fabric to relax properly.
- Cold water does not help to stretch clothes. Hot water, on the other hand, will shrink and damage your clothes, so don't use hot water now.
- Know that knits such as cotton, wool and cashmere respond better to this technique than other types of fabric. Tightly woven fabrics such as silk, viscose and polyester will be more difficult to repair.
Stretch the garment by hand to reshape it. Unroll the towel and place the garment on a second dry towel on a flat surface. Pull on the edges of the damp garment with your hands. Be careful not to damage the fibers of the fabric. The garment may not fully recover, but try to get it back to its original shape and size as best you can.
- Create a template to help you estimate the old size and shape of your garment. Find an item of clothing that is about the same size and trace it on wrapping paper. Then place the shrunken garment on the template and stretch it.
- If it is difficult for you to stretch the garment, use the steam function of your iron. The steam softens the stiff fabric.
Hold the garment in place with books and other heavy objects. Leave the garment on the towel. Always treat one part of the garment at a time so that you can keep the parts in place during shaping. If you don't have heavy books, use paperweights, coffee mugs, or other heavy items you have around the house. Your garment will eventually be covered with heavy objects so that the fabric cannot move and shrink again.
- If you don't have any heavy objects to use, hold the garment in place with clothespins.
- You can leave the garment like this until it is dry. If the garment has shrunk badly, check it every half hour and stretch it again.
Wash and dry the garment again if necessary. If you want the garment to dry faster, hang it up to let it air dry. Hang it over a curtain rod, on a clothes hanger, or hang it in another open area without direct heat and sunlight. You don't have to rinse the shampoo, but you can hand wash your garment as usual if you think the texture feels strange.
- Know what happens when you hang the garment to dry. Gravity pulls the garment down slightly, especially when wet. This can help stretch the garment.
- Repeat the treatment if the garment is not stretched enough. You may have to treat the garment several times if it has shrunk badly.

Method 2 of 3: Use borax or vinegar on wool and cashmere

Fill a sink with lukewarm water. Put at least 1 liter of lukewarm water in the sink. Make sure the water is deep enough to submerge the garment. The water also needs to be at room temperature to stretch the fibers of the fabric without damaging them.
- Borax and vinegar are recommended for fabrics made from animal fibers such as wool and cashmere. Vegetable fiber fabrics such as cotton may also benefit from this treatment, but do not perform this treatment on synthetics and tightly woven natural fabrics.
Let the garment dry in the open air for at least 15 minutes. Leave the towels in your garments for up to half an hour to help dry it. Put some extra towels underneath to make it dry faster. You can also shake out the garment if you manage to keep the rolled up towels in it.
- Check the shape of the garment while you wait for it to dry. If necessary, gently pull on the edges of the fabric.
Hang the garment to dry and then wash it if necessary. Put a hanger in the garment, but do not remove the towels. Hang the garment in an open area away from direct heat and sunlight. Use a rod or rod. When the garment is dry, you can hand wash it in cold water if it doesn't feel as soft and smooth as usual.
- If you are worried about damaging the garment, put it on a towel to dry. Wool and cashmere are delicate, so be careful when handling a particularly valuable item of clothing.
- If the garment is not stretched enough, repeat the treatment several times until you are satisfied with the result.

Method 3 of 3: Stretch jeans with warm water

Fill the bathtub with lukewarm water. Fill it at least one-third with water, enough to cover your legs. Make sure the water is warm enough to sit comfortably in. Hot and cold water are not only unpleasant, but also damage jeans.
- If you don't have a bathtub, you can still stretch your jeans. Fill a sink or bucket with warm water.
- If you only want to stretch a few spots, spray them with warm water and pull to shape them.
Put on the jeans to start stretching it. After you put on the jeans, zip and button them if possible. If the jeans no longer fit you at all, you will have to wash them by hand. Close the zipper and fasten the buttons before trying to stretch the fabric.
- Try to restore the original shape of the jeans as much as possible. It's easier if you can put on the jeans, but sometimes you just don't want to. Do not put on the jeans if they are too tight.
Take off the jeans and hang them to dry. Hang your wet jeans on a clothesline or drying rack. Keep it away from direct heat and sunlight, but try to find a spot with good air circulation. That will help the fabric to dry out. As the jeans dry, they are also pulled down by gravity so that they stretch even more.
- Do not put the jeans in the dryer. Heat will shrink your clothes. Direct sunlight can also cause good jeans to fade.

Tips

Clothing often shrinks due to the intense heat in the dryer, so don't set your dryer to too high a temperature. If necessary, wash your clothes with the delicates program and cold water or wash them by hand.
Keep in mind that you cannot reverse the damage caused by shrinking and so stretching does not always work. You may have to perform the treatment a few times before the shrunken garment is as large as it was before.
It is better to prevent your clothes from shrinking than to repair the damage afterwards. So look for methods to maintain the shape of your clothes. Wash and dry your clothes properly so that they are not damaged.