How to Unshrink Jeans

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Stretch out jeans that shrunk in the wash with our help

Co-authored by Kamel Almani

Last Updated: November 25, 2024

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Spraying Lukewarm Water

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Soaking in Baby Shampoo

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Wearing & Stretching Jeans in a Bath

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Expert Q&A

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Tips

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Warnings

It feels great to find a pair of jeans that fit just right, but it’s not so good when they unexpectedly shrink in the dryer. 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. Then, spray down the jeans, soak them in baby shampoo, or wear them in a bath filled with warm water to unshrink your jeans so they can fit just right again.

Best Way to Unshrink Jeans

Lay your jeans flat on a table and spray them lukewarm water until they're damp. Pull on your jeans in the areas where you want to stretch them out. Leave your jeans to air-dry before trying them on or stretching them more.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Spraying with Lukewarm Water

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Make sure the spray bottle is clean and free of leftover chemicals from previous uses. Fill it up with only lukewarm water. If you don’t have a spray bottle around, you can pour small amounts of water onto your jeans as you work on stretching them out.^{[1]
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Make sure the jeans are completely flat on the floor. Smooth the fabric out with your hands. Separate the legs of the jeans so you can easily work on one section at a time.^{[2]
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Spray the water on every part that needs to be stretched out. Once it is fairly damp, use your hands to pull and stretch that portion of the jeans. Repeat this until you have stretched out every part of the jeans that need to be stretched out.^{[3]
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You can leave the jeans laying out flat if you don’t want to move them. Or, you can hang them up to dry. Try on your jeans once they have dried to make sure they have been stretched out enough. If not, repeat the process or try another method.^{[4]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Soaking in Baby Shampoo

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Any type of baby shampoo will work. Pour a capful of the shampoo into a bucket filled with lukewarm water. Quickly run your hands through the water to thoroughly mix in the baby shampoo.^{[5]
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Put the jeans in the water and let them soak for a few minutes. Then, use your hands to work the baby shampoo and water thoroughly through the jeans. Doing this will help relax the fibers of your jeans.^{[6]
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Once you have worked the baby shampoo through your jeans, use your hands to squeeze out the excess water. You only need to squeeze gently. Don’t wring or rinse out the jeans.^{[7]
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Use a clean, dry towel that has been washed before so that the fibers of the towel don’t rub off on the jeans. Lay the wet jeans out flat on top of the towel. Roll the towel up while the jeans are inside it. Gently press on the towel so that the jeans absorb the excess moisture.
Get another clean, dry towel. Lay the jeans on top of the towel. They should still be damp at this point. Gently pull on the jeans to stretch them out. Work on every part of the jeans until the entire garment has been stretched.
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Allow the jeans to air dry. Leave the jeans on the same towel where stretched them out. Keep the jeans on the towel until they are completely dry. Inspect your jeans or try them on to see if they have been stretched out enough.^{[8]
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- You can put a fan in front of the towel to speed up the drying process.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Sitting in a Bath

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This method will only work if the jeans haven’t shrunk so much that you can’t put them on. If you can put them on, do so but leave them unbuttoned. It’s okay if you can’t pull the jeans up as high as usual.^{[9]
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The water should be warm, not hot. The water will loosen the fabric and threading. Fill it up enough so that your jeans are completely submerged in the water.^{[10]
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Soak in the tub for 30 minutes to one hour, or sit there until the water turns cold. You can just sit there or use your hands to gently pull on the fabric while you soak.^{[11]
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After you have soaked, get out of the tub and use a towel to pat off the excess water. Then, take off your jeans and hang them up to air dry. Try them on once they’ve dried to make sure they fit properly.^{[12]
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Join the Discussion...

How do I unshrink clothes I accidentally shrunk?

WikiFlamingoRider304

Asking for a friend here....I accidentally put one of my favorite shirts through the dryer when it's supposed to air-dry, and it totally shrunk. I'd really love to wear it again, but it just doesn't fit right anymore. Do I have to give this shirt up and get a new one, or is there some way I can unshrink it again without it looking weird?

Expert Q&A

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Is it possible to unshrink clothes that accidentally shrunk in the dryer?

Kamel Almani
Laundry & Cleaning Specialist
Kamel Almani is a Laundry and Cleaning Specialist and the Co-Owner of WashyWash, a toxin-free and eco-friendly laundry and dry clean service based in Amman, Jordan. Kamel and his staff at WashyWash use Blue Angel certified and dermatologically-tested detergents. They also combine EcoClean and digital technology to provide an eco-friendly, convenient, and quality cleaning service. Kamel holds a BA in Design from the University of Applied Science, Amman.

Kamel Almani

Laundry & Cleaning Specialist

Expert Answer

Depending on the fabric some can be reshaped using steam, either with a steam iron or from professional textiles tensioning machines.

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Why can't I just wash them in the washing machine and put them on while wet to stretch?

T. Chinsen

Top Answerer

Machine washing is an option versus sitting in a tub of water. When the jeans are wet they will be much harder to put on, as the dry skin sticks to wet fabric. The wet fabric will also feel cold to bare skin. Washing in the hot water cycle will also shrink the fabric, making the jeans even tighter to put on.

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Tips

It’s also an option to wet the jeans and wear them for about an hour to stretch them out.^{[13]
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Buy your jeans a size too big if they are made of a material that’s prone to shrinking.

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