How to Shrink Clothes the Right Way

The majority of the time, perfecting the art of doing laundry means avoiding shrinking clothing at all costs. But occasionally, there are exceptions. Perhaps you accidentally purchased an oversized item or you snagged a pair of denim on sale—but they happen to be too big. Maybe you recently lost some weight, and you don’t want to invest in a whole new wardrobe. Or you simply want to repair some stretched-out fibers. It’s possible to slim down your clothing, but to limit any risk of damage, you’ll want to learn exactly how to shrink clothes properly before getting started.

To find out everything there is to know about shrinking clothes, we spoke to two of the nation’s top laundering pros: LaundryTok expert Melissa Dilkes Pateras and Mary Gagliardi, aka “Dr. Laundry,” Clorox’s in-house scientist and cleaning expert. They shared their insights and tips on successfully shrinking many types of garments, how to wash them and whether it’s best to air-dry or machine-dry when doing some purposeful shrinking. Here’s what you need to know.

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What to consider before shrinking clothes

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Before you attempt to shrink your clothes, understanding why and how clothes shrink is essential. Fiber type and garment quality can affect shrinking. And if you’re not careful, you can ruin the cozy texture or even downsize a sweater to fit a Barbie. The following factors can determine why and how much your garment will shrink.

Fiber type

Fiber type has a big impact on potential shrinkage, according to Gagliardi. Fibers that easily absorb moisture—such as cotton and wool—are more prone to shrinkage. Synthetics like polyester or spandex, on the other hand, are hydrophobic and much less prone to shrinkage because they don’t “relax” the same way when they make contact with heat and moisture, Pateras says. While machine-washing and drying could cause some shrinkage in the length, it’s not possible to make a polyester or spandex item shrink a full size.

Tension

Another factor that can contribute to shrinkage is how much tension a yarn is under when a fabric is woven or knitted or throughout the production process. “Yarns that are stretched tight during fabric construction will reduce in size once they get wet unless a finish is applied to prevent this,” Gagliardi explains.

“As with yarn, fabric that was held under tension during production will relax when it gets wet, in a process known as relaxation shrinkage,” Gagliardi says. Like with yarn, a finish can be applied during fabric production to reduce the impact. “In general, if a garment is going to have any relaxation shrinkage, you will see most of it the first time the garment is washed.”

Quality of clothing

The higher the quality of clothing, the less likely it is to shrink. “Special finishes and production techniques that prevent shrinkage are often used by better quality manufacturers because most people don’t want their clothing to shrink,” Gagliardi points out. “They want to be able to wash it and wear it again and again and have it look the same as when they bought it.”

Lower-quality clothing is also more likely to fade and show pillage after shrinking, since the process requires using higher dryer temperature, Gagliardi says.

How to shrink clothes

The most common method for shrinking clothes is to machine-wash them with hot water and dry them with a high-heat setting. But the process may vary depending on the garment’s fabric type. “Hotter water and higher dryer heat will increase the rate of shrinkage for any item that hasn’t been treated to prevent shrinkage,” Gagliardi explains. (That’s just one reason it’s important to know the best water temperature for each garment when trying to prevent shrinkage.) Below, Gagliardi and Pateras share more specific instructions for shrinking cotton, denim, polyester and more.

How to shrink cotton

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Cotton is the machine-washable fiber most likely to shrink using the standard shrinking process (washing in a hot water cycle followed by a high heat cycle in the dryer). Follow these steps to shrink a cotton garment.

1. Wash the item of clothing in the washing machine using a hot water cycle.
2. Dry the garment on high heat for up to 60 minutes, checking on it in five-minute intervals to monitor how quickly it shrinks.
3. Remove the item when you believe it has shrunk to the desired size.
4. If the item is still damp, hang it in a well-ventilated space to air-dry.
5. Once the item is dry, try it on and check that it is the right size.
6. If you’d like to shrink the item more, repeat steps 1 to 5.
7. Once the item is the right size, use only low heat when laundering it to avoid further shrinkage.

How to shrink denim

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Shrinking a denim item requires a similar process to shrinking cotton, because denim is made with the same materials, Gagliardi says. She recommends taking the following steps to shrink denim.

1. Wash the denim in the washing machine using a hot water cycle.
2. Dry the garment on high heat for up to 60 minutes, checking on it in five-minute intervals to monitor how quickly it shrinks.
3. Remove the item when you believe it has shrunk to the desired size.
4. If the item is still damp, hang it in a well-ventilated space to air-dry.
5. Once the item is dry, try it on and check that it is the right size.
6. If you’d like to shrink the item more, repeat steps 1 to 5.
7. Once the item is the right size, use only low heat when laundering it to avoid further shrinkage.

How to shrink wool

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Although it is possible to shrink wool clothing, Gagliardi advises using caution as the process can damage the garment. Gagliardi shrinks her wool hiking socks, for example, by carefully tumble-drying them only once and air-drying them after that. Here’s how to shrink wool.

1. Place the item in a bag for delicates or a pillowcase to protect the fibers from accidental damage or stretching.
2. Wash the item in warm water on a gentle cycle. Avoid using hot water, which could damage the fibers and cause them to felt.
3. Remove the garment from the bag and place it in the dryer.
4. Dry on a low heat setting for up to 30 minutes, checking every five minutes to monitor how much it shrinks.
5. Remove the garment once it has shrunk to the desired size.
6. Once the item is the correct size, you should air-dry it after washing to avoid further shrinkage.

How to shrink cashmere

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Cashmere has the same properties as wool, but it is even more susceptible to damage when shrinking. Attempting to shrink cashmere is not advised by Gagliardi. However, if you must, you’ll want to follow extra precautions.

1. Soak the cashmere garment in lukewarm or cold water for about 15 minutes.
2. Gently pat the item with a dry towel to remove excess water.
3. Place the item in the dryer on low heat until it is dry and/or shrinks to the appropriate size.
4. If the item is still damp, lay it flat to dry.

 How to shrink polyester

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As with many other clothing materials, heat is required to shrink polyester. But polyester is also more sensitive to high temperatures and requires careful handling, as outlined below:

1. Turn the polyester garment inside out to protect its colors from fading from the heat.
2. Wash the garment in the washing machine using a hot water cycle.
3. Dry the garment on high heat for 30 minutes, checking on it every five minutes or so to monitor how quickly it shrinks.
4. Remove the item when you believe it has shrunk to the desired size.
5. Repeat steps 1 to 4 if you’d like to shrink the garment more.

How to shrink silk

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Silk is among the most delicate clothing fabrics. Because machine-washing and tumble-drying can burn and distort the material, Gagliardi recommends having the item altered instead. If you must shrink a silk item, follow these instructions.

1. Soak the garment in warm water for five minutes.
2. Gently roll the wet garment in a dry towel like a burrito to remove excess water. Do not wring it out.
3. Hang the garment in a well-ventilated space and allow it to air-dry.
4. If you’d like to shrink the garment more, soak the garment again and then run it through the dryer on high heat.

FAQs

How many sizes can you shrink an item?

Garments will usually shrink by about 3% to 4%, which equates to a little less than one full size. On a pair of jeans with a 30-inch inseam, that would mean shrinking about one to one-and-a-quarter inches in the length. “But this will vary from brand to brand and style to style,” Gagliardi says. Shrinkage more than 5%, which is about one size or more, might indicate that the item is poorly made, according to Gagliardi.

You should also keep in mind that while you can shrink clothes by shortening their length, it’s more difficult to shrink their width. For example, if you buy a pair of pants and are hoping to knock them down a size all around, they may end up distorted. While you may be able to shorten them and reduce the waistline by washing and drying them in hot temps, their width might not change at all. This is because filling yarns, which run the width of the fabric, are much less prone to shrinkage than warp yarns that run the length of the fabric, Gagliardi explains. “Clothing shrinks in the length and waist because these pieces are usually cut along the length of the fabric,” she says.

Are there any materials you shouldn’t try to shrink?

While it is possible to shrink most materials, that doesn’t necessarily mean you should—or that you will be successful. Gagliardi warns against trying to shrink silk items. Machine-washing and tumble-drying can harm the delicate fabric, so she recommends having the garment altered by a tailor instead.

Gagliardi has similar concerns about shrinking wool and cashmere. When washed at high temperatures and with lots of agitation, items made of these materials will experience what’s called “felting.” “Felting is a physical phenomenon,” Gagliardi explains. Each hair fiber has scales that act like barbs on the exterior of the hair, and these barbs interlock the fibers under agitation. “So when a wool sweater that has not been treated to prevent this is machine-washed and -dried, it looks noticeably smaller. But it hasn’t shrunk, it has felted.”

And felting causes permanent damage. “You cannot unlock the fibers once they lock together, and the overall appearance is different—the garment doesn’t just get smaller, the surface is matted and the fabric loses its stretch.” Worse, you may inadvertently make it too small, Gagliardi says—shrinking laundry is, after all, one of the most common laundry mistakes. “Attempting to shrink wool or cashmere is not a good strategy, no matter how deeply discounted the sweater was!”

Can you unshrink clothes that you’ve shrunken too much?

If you shrink your clothes a little too much, fear not! It is possible to reverse the damage by learning to unshrink clothes.

Why trust us

At Reader’s Digest, we’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. For this piece, Leah Groth tapped her experience as a seasoned home and cleaning reporter. Then Mary Marlowe Leverette, a fabric-care, stain-removal and housekeeping expert with more than 40 years of industry experience, gave it a rigorous review to ensure that all information is accurate and offers the best possible advice to readers. For this piece, we relied on reputable primary sources, including professional organizations as well as our writers’ personal experience. We verified all facts and data and backed them with credible sourcing, and we will revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.

Sources:

• Mary Gagliardi, aka Dr. Laundry, in-house scientist and cleaning expert at Clorox; interviewed by Reader’s Digest
• Melissa Dilkes Pateras, LaundryTok expert and author of A Dirty Guide to a Clean Home; email interview, Jan. 5, 2024

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