How to Unshrink Jeans

Co-authored by Kamel Almani

Last Updated: September 15, 2021

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.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Spraying with Lukewarm Water

1
Fill a spray bottle with lukewarm water. 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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2
Lay the jeans out on the floor. 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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3
Pull on the jeans as you spray them. 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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4
Let the jeans air dry. 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

1
Add baby shampoo to a bucket of water. 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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2
Work through the jeans with your hands. 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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3
Squeeze out the excess water. 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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4
Roll the jeans up in a clean towel. 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.
5
Pull on the jeans as they dry. 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.
6
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

1
Put on the jeans. 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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2
Fill a bath with warm water. 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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3
Sit down in the tub while wearing the jeans. 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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4
Hang the jeans up to dry. 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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Expert Q&A

Question

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.
Question

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.