Is it possible to unshrink clothing

If you want to unshrink clothes made out of a knitted fabric, start by filling a sink with warm water and then mixing in tablespoons of baby shampoo or gentle hair conditioner.

Submerge your clothes in the sink and let them sit for about 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, wring out your clothes and place them between 2 towels. Roll up the towels to remove excess moisture and then gently start stretching out the fabric with your hands. Once it is stretched, place heavy objects to keep the fabric in place and let it air dry.

To learn how to unshrink jeans, wool, or cashmere, scroll down! Did this summary help you? Yes No. Log in Social login does not work in incognito and private browsers. Please log in with your username or email to continue. No account yet? Create an account. Edit this Article. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. By using our site, you agree to our cookie policy. Cookie Settings. Learn why people trust wikiHow. Download Article Explore this Article methods.

Tips and Warnings. Things You'll Need. Related Articles. Article Summary. Method 1. All rights reserved. This image may not be used by other entities without the express written consent of wikiHow, Inc. Fill a sink with lukewarm water. Make sure the water is at room temperature or a little warmer than that so it effectively relaxes the fibers in the fabric.

On the other hand, hot water shrinks and damages clothing, so avoid using it here. Note that knitted clothes, including cotton, wool, and cashmere garments, respond to this tactic better than other types of fabric. Fabrics with tight weaves, such as silk, rayon, or polyester, will be more difficult to reshape.

Mix 1 US tbsp 15 mL of baby shampoo or conditioner into the water. You can use any gentle hair conditioner, but baby shampoo is the softest on clothing. Mixing in a little extra is safe and even helpful if your garment shrunk a lot.

Soak the clothing in the water for up to 30 minutes. No matter what you mixed into the water, immerse the shrunken garment in it. The water has to be somewhat warm at this point for the shampoo or conditioner to be effective, so empty and refill the sink if you need to. Squeeze the garment to wring out excess water. Roll your clothing up into a ball. Instead, put pressure on it to force out as much of the moisture as you can. Roll the garment up inside a large towels.

Lay a clean, dry towel out flat and place the garment on top of it. Make sure it fits on the towel. Then, gradually roll the towel up from one end. The pressure will squeeze out the rest of the excess moisture. You can leave the clothing inside the towel for up to 10 minutes. Stretch the clothing out by hand to reshape it.

Unroll the towel, then move the garment to a second dry towel spread out over a flat surface. Use your hands to tug on the edges of the damp clothing. It may not be exactly the same as it was before it shrunk, but try to get the clothing as close as possible to its original shape. Find a similarly-sized garment and use it to trace an outline on parchment paper.

The steam softens stiff fabric. Pin the clothing in place with books and other heavy objects. Instead, squeeze as much water out as you delicately can, then lay the article of clothing out on your dry towel. Roll the item up in the towel, pressing as much as possible to remove the excess water. Afterward, the fabric should feel damp, but not soaking. To keep the material from coiling back up, feel free to place heavier items like books or paperweights on the clothing to keep it taut.

Follow these steps to make those wardrobe go-tos comfortable and flattering again. STEP 1 Fill a large, clean bucket or plugged sink with lukewarm water. Conditioner, used to soften and relax hair, can have the same effect on clothing fibers and allow them to stretch. In the case of baby shampoo, its extra soothing formula can accomplish similar results. STEP 2 Immerse the article of clothing completely in the lukewarm water and let it sit undisturbed for between 30 minutes and one hour.

STEP 3 Remove the garment, and give it a minute for excess water too drip back into the sink or bucket. Do not wring or rinse—let the hair product remain in the clothing to continue to relax the fibers. Fill a sink or tub with lukewarm water and add a capful of baby shampoo or hair conditioner.

You may also try using the same amount of laundry detergent formulated for delicate cycles. Gently remove water from the clothing. When time is up, gently squeeze water from the clothing, but do not rinse the items.