What to do if clothes and things shrink after washing: shirt, blouse, T-shirt, coat, dress, pants, trousers, sneakers

An incorrectly selected washing temperature can cause clothes to shrink. If this happens, don’t be upset. Just a few simple rules will help return your clothes to their original appearance in a minimum of time, without the use of expensive products.

First, let's find out: why do things shrink?

The reasons for shrinkage are varied. We suggest considering the most common ones:

failure to follow the washing machine spin rules. On the reverse side of the clothes there is a sign indicating the recommended speed and nature of the spin cycle;
The temperature is set incorrectly. Increasing degrees to high levels provokes deformation of clothing;
fabric characteristics. Synthetics shrink less than natural fabrics.

It is worth taking into account: neglecting the temperature rules has a negative impact on the structure of clothing. In addition, the impact of the drum increases these risks several times.

Why do clothes shrink after washing?

Main reasons:

non-compliance with temperature conditions. Each material is washed at a certain water temperature. If you neglect this rule, then the trousers, shirt or other item will decrease in size due to deformation of the fabric fibers;
setting high spin speeds when washing in an automatic machine. Extensive manual squeezing can also ruin delicate fabrics;
features of types of fabrics and their fibers;
drying on heating devices or in an automatic machine.

Any fabric can stretch or shrink when washed. The degree of its deformation directly depends on the amount of natural fibers in the composition. As a rule, natural fabrics shrink during the first wash if washed in too hot water.

Such materials include: 100% cotton, wool, linen and even synthetic materials with the addition of natural fibers. Products made from calico, cambric, chintz, poplin and teak are less susceptible to shrinkage. But if you strictly follow the manufacturer’s recommendations on the label, you can avoid problems.

Using a spray bottle (without getting completely wet)

This method is similar to the previous one, but does not involve completely wetting the fabric. Suitable for cold seasons and cool rooms.

It is enough to spray the part of the product that needs to be stretched with a spray bottle until it is completely wet. The water should not be too hot. And stretch the fabric for some time in the place where the pants are too small. At the end of the procedure, leave to dry. Try repeating the steps if they did not bring the desired result. But if the jeans are too worn and torn, then you should not stretch them using this method.

Worth knowing:

To quickly and easily stretch the product in the buttocks and waistband area, you need to pull out the seam that is under the waistband and “goes” from the back to the front of the jeans.
To increase the length, you need to wet the area from the knees to the very bottom.
If you need to stretch the belt, then the zippers and buttons should be undone.
Do not pull on pockets or fittings.

How to prevent fabric shrinkage

To avoid having to deal with problems with items becoming deformed after washing, you must follow the basic washing rules. To know them, you need to leave a label on your clothing with the manufacturer’s recommendations. It contains useful information on what water temperature the product can be washed at, whether it is allowed to use an automatic machine or whether the item can only be washed by hand, whether it is permissible to wring it out and use bleaches and stain removers.

Attention: preventing items from becoming deformed is much easier than returning them to their original condition after washing.

To prevent tissue shrinkage, experts recommend:

pay attention to the manufacturer’s recommendations on the label of shrunken clothing;
wash at a temperature of no more than 30 degrees;
Buy wool products one size larger, since after the first wash they will shrink anyway.

How to embroider, widen skinny jeans in the legs: tips, methods

You can widen jeans by inserting stripes or inserts.
If the trousers are narrow in the legs and the material no longer stretches, they can be widened using a sewing machine.

Method 1. Increase due to undercuts

Let's start doing it in the following order:

Turn the jeans inside out.
Open the side seams of the trousers at the bottom, where they are narrow.
Draw seams in a new place with chalk.
Sew jeans using a needle and thread using large stitches.
Sew the seams with a sewing machine.
This way you can increase your jeans by about half a size (1.0-1.5 cm).

Method 2. Increase due to stripes

With the help of stripes on the sides you can increase your jeans size by 2 sizes. The result can be amazing if you choose the right inserts.

A correctly selected insert is:

Combination of color inserts with the main material
The density of the insert is the same as that of the main material

For insertion, you need to select a strip of fabric, width 50 cm, length - according to the height of the trousers, in double size.

Making inserts:

We measure the width of our waist and hips.
We determine how many centimeters the insert should be by measuring the width of the jeans.
We add another 2 cm to the insert - for reserve.
Cut 2 strips of fabric along the length of the trousers.
Rip out the side seams.
Sew with a needle and thread using large stitches.
We sew the seams with a sewing machine.

Now we know how to stretch jeans if they have shrunk after drying, or if you bought tight jeans.

How to stretch a shrunken item

Before you begin the stretching process, you need to decide whether the type of fabric is suitable for the chosen method or not.

Mechanical stretch

Soak the shrunken item in cold water for a quarter of an hour. Then, without squeezing, lay it out on a terry towel or something similar. Gently stretch the fabric with your hands in the desired directions, and then wait until it dries.
You can return your favorite dress or jacket to its original shape by washing it in an automatic machine on a gentle cycle. The main thing is to set the minimum temperature and turn off the spin. No detergent is added; the product is washed in lukewarm, clean water. After this, the clothes are taken out of the drum and hung on hangers. Until it dries completely, manually pull it in the desired directions from time to time.

Stretch with an iron

To do this, you need an iron with a steam function. Clothes are pre-soaked in cold water and laid out horizontally. During drying, it must be periodically ironed and steamed with an iron. You should not put pressure on the product during ironing. After this, your favorite dress or jacket is left to dry completely naturally.

Attention: if the item cannot be ironed, then it is treated with steam after pre-soaking.

Chemical stretch

Dilute 6 teaspoons of hydrogen peroxide into 10 liters of cold water. The shrunken item is soaked in a basin for an hour, and then machine washed on a delicate cycle.
For 5 liters of cool water add 1 tbsp. spoon of vodka, 3 tbsp. spoons of ammonia and 1 tbsp. spoon of turpentine. The shrunken product is rinsed well in the prepared solution and hung on hangers until it dries completely naturally.
Dissolve 10 grams of soda in 1 liter of water. The item is soaked in the resulting solution for 12 hours. Then it is washed in lukewarm water with powder. After this, prepare a solution of 10 tablespoons of vinegar and 2 liters of water, and soak the product for another 2 hours. Next, the clothes are thoroughly rinsed in cold water and dried.
3% vinegar is dissolved in cool water, this product is applied to shrunken clothes using a sponge. In this case, the dress or jacket must be stretched with your hands. The treated clothes are hung on hangers to dry. To ensure that the fabric fibers are fully straightened, it is recommended to use hair conditioner after the vinegar bath. After this, the product should be thoroughly rinsed in cool water to eliminate the unpleasant odor of acetic acid, and hand washed in slightly warm water with a small amount of conditioner.
Regular washing powder can also solve problems with shrunken clothes. To do this, dissolve a small amount of powder in warm water and soak the product for half an hour. Next, the outfit is rinsed and wrapped in polyethylene. After this, the item is sent to the freezer for a day. To defrost the outfit, it must be laid out in a horizontal position.

Important: before using any of these methods of stretching clothes, you need to test the effect of the prepared composition on a small area of fabric. Some household products can negatively affect the material, changing its structure and original color.

Other pharmaceutical chemistry

There is another way, namely, “heavy artillery” - ammonia and turpentine. You can purchase the products at a pharmacy or hardware store. To prepare the solution, you will need water at a temperature of 20-22°C and two basins.

Pour 6 liters of water into the first container, add 150 ml of ammonia and 50 ml of turpentine. The wool product is soaked in the solution for literally 30 minutes. Next, you need to transfer the item into a second basin with clean water at room temperature and rinse.

When exposed to turpentine, wool fibers become pliable and can be easily stretched.

After this treatment, the wool is dried in a horizontal position. The product should be straightened periodically to increase its size.

Fabric types

Most often, linen, cotton, silk, wool and some synthetic materials shrink when washed. To avoid fabric shrinkage, you need to know how to care for it. If it was not possible to prevent deformation, then you will need to choose the correct restoration method.

Cotton

You can restore the shape of cotton clothes using a regular vinegar solution:

Dilute 3 tablespoons of vinegar per 10 liters of water.
The product is dipped into the prepared solution for 10 minutes.
Next, they are machine washed on a delicate cycle and hung to dry on hangers.

Attention: wet cotton is periodically straightened and stretched by hand.

Cotton clothing needs proper care:

it cannot be washed at water temperatures above 60 degrees;
stains are eliminated before loading into the machine;
new cotton items are washed in cold water and dried naturally;
Thin fabrics are washed in a machine in the delicate or hand wash mode.

Linen

Shrunken linen products are restored:

rinsing in cool water;
drying in fresh air without pre-squeezing;
ironing with slightly stretching movements.

Important: aggressive agents and hard water negatively affect flax. The higher the quality of the material, the more resistant it is to deformation.

Recommendations for washing linen:

clothes are washed only on a delicate cycle or by hand;
the water temperature should not exceed 40 degrees;
It is not recommended to squeeze things out with your hands.

Wool

The easiest way to return shrunken woolen clothes to their original shape is to use conditioners:

Dilute several caps of a properly selected product in a bowl of warm water.
Soak the item for 15 minutes.
Remove from the water and hang until it drains completely.
Place on a terry towel until completely dry.
Place on a dry towel and pin to it with pins or snaps for stretching.

Attention: the most radical method is to put wet woolen clothes on the body. So you need to walk around the apartment until the clothes are completely dry. However, instead of a person, you can use a mannequin. In this case, small weights are hung from the sleeves so that they stretch.

To prevent woolen items from becoming deformed during the washing process, you need to:

wash things at a temperature not exceeding 30 degrees;
use gentle detergents without aggressive substances;
do not machine wash;
use special household chemicals for woolen clothes;
Take woolen coats to the dry cleaner.

Silk and synthetics

To prevent silk and synthetic items from shrinking during the washing process, you should:

do not use aggressive detergents;
wash in lukewarm water;
do not use rough mechanical force;
hand wash only;
rinse at least 2 times in cool water with the addition of a suitable fabric softener.

Please note: Nylon and polyester clothing shrink the most. We recommend washing it at a water temperature of no higher than 40 degrees. Lycra, spandex and acrylic do not warp or shrink.

Do jeans stretch?

High-quality jeans can be stretched by 1-2 sizes.
Jeans are sewn from denim . This is a durable fabric, but has little elasticity. To make the material elastic, various synthetic threads are added to it. This material stretches, and after it has been washed, it narrows, so you can stretch it by about 1-2 sizes.

You can stretch your jeans in the following ways:

Soak in water, twist and then stretch by hand
Stretch wet jeans with a special expander
Spray with water and iron with a hot iron

Jeans stretch well in width, but in length they stretch less.

What to do if the item consists of different fabrics

If a shrunken shirt or dress is made from different fabrics, you can stretch them as follows:

Soak the product in cool water for 15 minutes and then put it in the machine. Wash without powder on delicate cycle. The fibers of the fabric should stretch a little. Then you need to take the item out of the machine and hang it up to dry. Wet things are shaped by hand. Clothes should dry in the fresh air or in a well-ventilated area.
You can dilute 3 tablespoons of 3 percent hydrogen peroxide in 10 liters of water and soak the clothes for one hour. Next, the laundry is taken out of the basin and dried in the fresh air.

It's good to have an expander

Suitable for stretching denim and stretch items. The method is simple, but the procedure may need to be repeated after each wash.

Wet the problem area with water, you can use a spray bottle and fasten it.
Insert the expander into the product and fix it in width, gradually increasing its length. Pin.
Wait for the fabric to dry.

An expander helps to increase the width of jeans, but it is not suitable for increasing length. To ensure the effectiveness of the method, you can first take measurements from the belt.

Wardrobe items

Any wardrobe items can sit down after washing: dresses, shirts, trousers, T-shirts, T-shirts and even your favorite sneakers. The way out of the situation depends on the materials from which the clothes are made.

The coat shrank after washing - what to do?

Not only woolen coats can fit, but also those made from any natural or synthetic fibers. You can return to the original form as follows:

Rinse the coat in cool water and squeeze lightly with your hands.
Prepare a flat surface (preferably a table) covered with a terry towel or sheet.
Place a damp coat on top and cover it with a second towel.
As soon as the product begins to dry, you will need to periodically stretch its edges.

You can also stretch the coat using an iron :

A cotton cloth is placed on the wet coat and the product is ironed.
During ironing, its edges are pulled to the sides.
To soften the fibers and improve stretching, it is recommended to use steaming.

How to stretch a shrunken dress

To return the dress to its original shape, it must be revived with cold water and an iron. First, soak it in cold water for a quarter of an hour, then wait until the water stops flowing and place it on a table or clean floor. After drying, iron the dress with a hot iron through gauze or thin fabric, while simultaneously pulling out its edges with your hands.

Important: you can save shrunken dresses made from different fabrics. To do this, just arm yourself with a steam generator and stretch the material.

How to stretch a T-shirt

A universal method for stretching a T-shirt or tank top that has shrunk after washing, regardless of the fabric:

The T-shirt is soaked for 10 minutes in water no hotter than 40 degrees, lightly wrung out and shaken.
If there are stickers, inscriptions and pictures on the T-shirt, then you should handle it carefully so that the design is not damaged or faded.
A damp T-shirt is laid out on an ironing board, gauze folded in several layers is placed on top, and the clothes are steamed with an iron from a distance of 10-15 centimeters. In this case, the T-shirt should be pulled with your hands in different directions.
Places with inscriptions and stickers should not be steamed, let alone stretched.
While steaming a T-shirt, do not dry it completely. It is better to hang it in the fresh air with the neck down. In this case, you will need to once again carefully pull the material with your hands in the right directions.

To stretch a T-shirt one size, you need to:

Soak it in cold water with a little shampoo.
Squeeze lightly with your hands and place on an ironing board.
Stretch and secure with pins.
Wait until it dries like this.

My shirt shrunk after washing - what to do?

Recommendations:

Soak the shirt in cold water for half an hour. Remove it from the water and lay it out on a towel without wrung out. So it should dry by periodically changing the towel to a dry one. In this case, the shirt must be stretched in different directions with your hands from time to time. This is a universal method suitable for all types of fabrics.
Cotton shirts are stretched by soaking in cool water for 10 minutes and placing on the body or mannequin until completely dry. This will allow the shirt to fully stretch to fit your body and regain its lost shape.
White shirts are soaked in milk for half an hour, then rinsed in cool water and laid out to dry horizontally on a terry sheet or towel.

What to do if your blouse shrinks after washing

Methods for restoring clothing directly depend on the type of fabric:

You can return a cotton blouse to its original shape using vinegar. To do this, add 45 ml of 3% vinegar to 10 liters of water, and the product is lowered into a basin with the mixture for 10 minutes. After this, the blouse is machine washed on a delicate cycle. Next, it is hung in the fresh air and, during the drying process, it is periodically stretched with its hands in different directions;
a denim blouse is restored by ironing and steaming;
viscose is soaked in cold water for several minutes and hung over the bath until the moisture is completely drained. After this, the blouse is dried in a horizontal position in a well-ventilated area. From time to time it is necessary to stretch it with your hands in different directions.

Pants sat down, pants

We stretch pants or trousers that have shrunk after washing:

the trousers are briefly immersed in warm water, hung over the bathtub and stretched on a horizontal surface until they dry completely naturally;
in the warm season, the trousers can be wetted and put on the body by pulling the trouser legs from the bottom with attached weights. So you will need to wait until the trousers are completely dry.

How to stretch sneakers and other shrunken shoes

Width stretch

You can stretch your sneakers wider using thick woolen socks soaked in hot water. They are put on your feet (when they have cooled down a little), and sneakers are put on top. This will require you to walk around the house for at least an hour. If necessary, the procedure is repeated several times.

You can also stretch shrunk shoes with vodka, which is used to generously moisten the sneakers from the inside and put them on your feet.

Next, the shoes are moistened with vodka on the outside. It will take several hours to walk around the house in sneakers until they stretch well in width. This option is suitable for shoes made from natural fabric or non-elastic materials.

Length stretch

To slightly increase the length of sneakers that have shrunk after washing, you will need newspapers and steam. The shoes are kept over boiling water for several minutes until the material softens. Then wet newspapers are inserted into it. The main thing here is not to overdo it, so as not to deform the shoes.

In this position, the sneakers are left until completely dry at room temperature. It is strictly prohibited to speed up the drying process using heating devices or using a hair dryer. It is also not recommended to expose shoes to direct sunlight.

Attention: fabric shoes stretch much easier than suede and leather, but they also deform faster.

Experienced housewives offer methods for stretching shrunken shoes using:

ice _ Thick plastic bags are filled with water and placed in sneakers or sneakers. The shoes are placed in the freezer, and after the water has completely frozen, they are taken out of the freezer and left until the ice defrosts. After this, the bags of water are removed;
glass cleaners containing alcohol . The sneakers are generously sprayed inside and out with glass cleaner, then the owner puts on thick knitted socks and puts on the sneakers. This will require walking around the house for several hours.

Attention: you can only stretch the sneakers half a size.

It is easier to prevent things from stretching than to restore their shape later. To do this, you need to follow the manufacturers' recommendations and wash things only with gentle detergents and at the optimal temperature.

Hot steam

An iron with a steam function can help restore the shape of a woolen dress or sweater. This method does not require repeated washing, so clothes can be restored in the shortest possible time. The algorithm of actions is as follows:

turn the item inside out and place it on an ironing board;
straighten the product well;
cover the sweater with damp gauze;
run the iron over the jacket, dousing the fabric with steam.

After the iron mark, you need to immediately stretch the item. It is important not to overdo it and damage the wool fibers.

Prevention

To prevent things from shrinking in the future, you need to follow simple recommendations:

Pay attention to the information on the product label.
Wash items at a temperature not exceeding 30 degrees.
Buy cotton items 1.5 sizes larger, as they shrink the most.
Do not expose items to sunlight.
Use suitable detergents for washing and follow the spin speed recommendations.

Methods for stretch jeans

Stretch jeans have good stretch. If the product has become out of size, it can be stretched in the following ways:

Walking around in wet pants until the fabric dries, although this is not very pleasant or useful.
Steam with hot steam.
Stretch by hand.

Jeans must be of good quality and without holes. The water for soaking should not be too hot; boiling water is harmful to such fabric. Exposure to direct sunlight during drying will cause the material to burn out.

If you can't get your jeans to the right size, don't wear clothes that are too tight. It’s better to go to a studio to have stripes inserted, seams allowed, or inserts made at the knees.

Going to dry cleaning

If an expensive item has shrunk and there are concerns that trying to stretch it on your own may lead to damage, it is better to seek help from professionals.

Many dry cleaners provide a service to resize shrunken clothes . To do this, they have special steam dummies and safe chemicals available.

The cost of the work depends on its complexity. For example, you can help stretch a shrunken woolen sweater for 350-500 rubles, and a silk dress for 500-700 rubles. The price needs to be clarified in a specific establishment.

Before submitting an item for processing, you need to ask how long the item can be stretched and whether there is a guarantee that it will not be completely damaged. It is imperative to request a document confirming the fact of transfer of the product to third parties.