How to Fix Baggy Knees in Pants - Jeans, Leggings & Joggers

Co-authored by Amber Crain

Last Updated: March 20, 2021 References

It can be a real bummer when you notice baggy knees on your favorite pair of pants, but don't shell out money for a new pair just yet! Whether you're dealing with jeans, joggers, or leggings, there are a number of simple tricks you can try to snap those baggy knees back into place. If baggy knees are a persistent problem, try wearing pants in a different style, cut, or material to see if that helps.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Jeans

1
Spray the knees with fabric softener and wash the jeans to shrink them. Mix 1/4 cup (60 ml) of liquid fabric softener and 3/4 cup (177 ml) of hot water in a spray bottle and spritz it on the knees of your pants. Then, pop your jeans in the washer and run a hot cycle.^{[1]
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2
Turn them inside-out and dry them for 20 minutes for a quick fix. Set your dryer to tumble dry on regular heat. Then, turn your jeans inside-out and toss them in the dryer with a few fluffy towels or a just-washed load of clothes for 20 minutes to shrink the knees.^{[2]
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- Avoid putting jeans in the dryer by themselves since they won’t tumble properly.
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3
Wash the jeans in cold water to shrink the knees when you get home. If your jeans are dirty, wash them using the cold water setting to shrink the knees back into place. To preserve their shape even more, avoid washing your jeans after every wear.^{[3]
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- Washing jeans in hot water is great if you want to shrink them all over, but use cool water if you just want to shrink a troublesome spot.^{[4]
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- Washing denim too frequently makes jeans lose their shape. Try washing them after every 3-4 wears instead.
4
Air-dry jeans after washing them unless you need to shrink them a lot. Popping dry jeans in the dryer for a few minutes is great for a quick refresh, but don’t put freshly-washed jeans in there. The cold-water wash already shrunk the baggy knees back into place, so just lay them out flat and let them air-dry to preserve their shape.^{[5]
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- If you want to shrink your pants all over, feel free to dry them in your dryer! Don't do this too often, though, since the dryer wears out denim.
- Once they're dry, fold your jeans and store them flat instead of hanging them up. Hanging jeans can stretch out the material.
5
Put on a belt or tuck your pant legs into boots to improve the fit. If the issue is fit, tucking your pant legs into the tops of your boots can smooth the material and prevent bunching in the knee area. If you don’t happen to be wearing boots today, putting on a belt can also pull the fabric taut.^{[6]
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6
Hitch your pant legs up a bit before you sit down at home or work. If the knees of your jeans are starting to look baggy, pinch the legs and pull them up a few inches right before you sit down. Keep your back straight and don't cross your legs so the baggy knees won't get any worse during the day.^{[7]
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- Get up and move around often since sitting for long periods can make baggy knees worse.
7
Try a more relaxed fit or style if baggy knees are a persistent problem. If your skinny jeans tend to get baggy in the knees, they might be too tight in the knee area to begin with. Avoid skinnies and try a straight-leg style or relaxed cut instead.^{[8]
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- If your denim doesn’t have any stretch to it at all, that could also be the problem, especially if you sit at a desk most of the day! Try a stretchy pair and see if that helps.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Leggings and Joggers

1
Dampen the knees with vinegar and iron the fabric for a quick fix. Pour distilled white vinegar into a spray bottle and lightly mist the knees of your joggers or leggings. Straighten the material out on a hard surface and iron it like you normally would to get rid of bags and creases.^{[9]
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- Don't soak the knees of your pants in vinegar! A light spritz is all you need to dampen the material. Don't worry—the vinegar scent fades quickly.
- If you don’t have any vinegar on hand, plain water also works.
- If the fabric is delicate, spread a towel over the material before ironing it.
2
Wet the knees and blast them with hot air from a blow dryer in a pinch. If you don’t have time to iron your pants, drape them over a hanger and spritz the knee areas with water until they’re damp. Set your blow dryer to HIGH and hit them with the hot stream of air for a few minutes until the material feels dry.^{[10]
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- This works for any area that you want to shrink.
3
Wash pants in hot water when you have time to snap the material back. Hot water is safe for pants made out of nylon, spandex, cotton, and polyester blends. Put your pants in the washing machine, set it to the hottest cycle possible, and let the cycle run like normal.
- If your leggings are 100% spandex or Lycra, heat probably won't shrink them much since the material is tightly woven.^{[11]
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- Always check the care tag for special instructions before washing pants.
4
Pop just-washed pants in the dryer for 10-30 minutes to reshape them. Heat can shrink pants too much, so set the dryer to "regular" and tumble-dry your pants in 10- to 15-minute intervals. Try them on after each interval and stop drying them once they fit the way you want them to.^{[12]
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- If the pants are still damp, lay them flat and let them air-dry the rest of the way.
- To avoid damaging your pants, avoid drying them for longer than 30 minutes.