How To: Unshrink Jeans & Other Clothes That Shrunk in the Dryer

Is your cotton tank top or beloved pair of jeans feeling a bit tighter than usual? If you need to un-shrink an article of clothing that has been left in the dryer for too long, then you can use baby shampoo, hair conditioner, or simply water to gently stretch and pull the fabric back into its original shape.

For clothing made of cotton, wool or cashmere, you can soak the article of clothing in baby shampoo or hair conditioner, roll between two dry towels, and then hang dry to let gravity stretch the fabric back to its original size as much as possible.

If you are really determined to save your too-small jeans, you can put on the pair of jeans as best as you can and sit in a bathtub full of warm water for 15 minutes. Afterwards, do a couple of lunges over dry towels and hang dry.

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