How to Shrink Denim

It is easy to shrink denim jeans and jackets, because denim is made from cotton. Whether you want to shrink the entire piece, or just bring stretched out places back into shape, you can shrink denim at home using heat.

Method 1
Method 1 of 3:

Shrinking an Entire Piece of Denim Clothing

  1. Image titled Shrink Denim Step 1
    1
    Boil your denim. Fill a pot with water. The pot should be large enough for your denim to be completely submerged in the water. Heat the water to a rolling boil, and put the denim in. Keep the denim boiling for 15-20 minutes.[1] If you don’t want to shrink the denim as much, or don’t want to boil it, you can use your washing machine. Wash the denim in the washing machine on hot or warm. If you just want a touch of shrinkage, use warm water in the wash. If you want more shrinkage in your denim, use hot water.[2]
    • Boiling the denim is the fastest way to shrink it. Boiling the denim is also the best way to shrink the fabric as much as possible.
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    2
    Remove the denim from the pot. After you have finished boiling the denim, you will need to remove it from the pot before drying it. Use a pasta strainer or a colander to drain the water from the denim. Do not wring the extra water out, since this would stretch the fabric out again. Transfer the denim directly to the dryer or clothesline using the colander to carry the wet denim.
    • The denim will retain heat for a few minutes, so don’t burn your hands! Use tongs to take the denim out of the colander.
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    3
    Dry the denim using high heat. Put the clean and freshly boiled or freshly washed denim into a dryer. Dry it on high heat as long as it takes to dry the denim completely. This will produce the maximum amount of shrinking possible.
    • If you don’t want to shrink the denim a lot, you can also hang the denim to dry rather than using the dryer. Hang the wet denim from a clothesline, or on a hanger and let drip dry. [3]
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Method 2
Method 2 of 3:

Shrinking Denim to Fit Your Specific Shape

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    1
    Wear the denim while soaking in a very hot bath. Yes, you read that correctly: get into the bathtub while wearing your denim. Have the water as hot as you can stand without damaging your skin of course! Don't use soap or bubble bath, just the hot water. This will help the denim conform to your specific shape as it shrinks. Stay in the hot water at least 20-30 minutes while wearing the denim. [4]
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    2
    Let the denim drip a little while still wearing it. Just stand in the tub while the water drains out: this will let the water drain off the material a bit, and help with the drying process.[5]
    • Do not wring the denim out. This would stretch it out again in the twisted places.
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    3
    Lay the denim out flat to dry. Don't use the dryer at all. Just lay the denim out on a flat surface and let it air-dry. Laying the denim flat in the sun is the best way to dry it quickly. If you are concerned about color fading, use any flat surface inside your home rather than in the sun: put a towel flat on a table or floor space, and put the denim flat on top of the towel.[6]
    • Drying flat inside will take longer than laying the denim out in the sun. If you are in any sort of hurry, use the sun! If it is cold out, try laying the denim out by a window, so that the sun still warms it while it lays flat.
    • You can also wear the denim while it dries. Letting the denim dry while on still will increase the fitted nature of the denim to your specific shape. Of course, you don't want your furniture to get wet, so be ready to stand up a while. Go outside if possible, so the sun helps to dry the denim faster. Doing this in summer is best, so you feel comfortable in the cooling wet fabric.[7]
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Method 3
Method 3 of 3:

Shrinking Denim Only in Specific Spots

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    1
    Spray the specific areas of the denim with hot water. When you just need to shrink one part of the denim, say the knees on your favorite pair of jeans, or the elbows of a jacket, use a spray bottle full of hot water to target those areas. Fill the bottle with hot water, and spray just those areas of the denim you want to shrink back into shape. Spray the areas until they are fully soaked. [8]
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    2
    Hang the denim to dry until it is partially dry. Hang the denim on a hanger, or clothesline. Do not wring the fabric out, and do not let the denim dry completely. While the denim is still damp take it off the hanger and put it on a flat surface or ironing board.[9]
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    3
    Use an iron on the denim to complete the drying process. Using slow and steady motions, iron the denim from top to bottom. Use the iron on high heat for this, and iron the denim until it is completely dry. [10]
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References

  1. ↑ https://www.littlethings.com/how-to-shrink-jeans/3
  2. ↑ https://www.fashionbeans.com/article/how-to-shrink-jeans/
  3. ↑ https://www.littlethings.com/how-to-shrink-jeans/3
  4. ↑ https://www.fashionbeans.com/article/how-to-shrink-jeans/
  5. ↑ https://www.fashionbeans.com/article/how-to-shrink-jeans/
  6. ↑ https://www.entitymag.com/6-shrink-your-jeans-easy-methods/
  7. ↑ https://www.fashionbeans.com/article/how-to-shrink-jeans/
  8. ↑ https://www.entitymag.com/6-shrink-your-jeans-easy-methods/
  9. ↑ https://www.littlethings.com/how-to-shrink-jeans/3
  1. ↑ https://www.littlethings.com/how-to-shrink-jeans/3

About This Article

wikiHow Staff
Co-authored by:
wikiHow Staff
wikiHow Staff Writer
This article was co-authored by wikiHow Staff. Our trained team of editors and researchers validate articles for accuracy and comprehensiveness. wikiHow's Content Management Team carefully monitors the work from our editorial staff to ensure that each article is backed by trusted research and meets our high quality standards. This article has been viewed 13,739 times.
4 votes - 100%
Co-authors: 2
Updated: May 13, 2019
Views: 13,739
Categories: Denim
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