How to "unshrink" clothes

[Red Squirrel]

I noticed whenever I wash any pants, whether it's jeans or cackies, they shrink. Every single time. I use only cold water. Now they're at a point where I'm really not comfortable in them. Is there any way to unshrink them? Maybe if I let them dry naturally or something? I am planning to buy new ones eventually but I really want to wait till the mall rage is over.

 

[shortylickens]

Shove something solid in them to stretch em out. Ideally before they are completely dry.

 

[Lonyo]

Lose some weight.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Lose some weight.

That's not the problem, they shrink when they're washed, so after I wash them and go to put them on, they're tighter. I weigh like 130 pounds.

 

[SpatiallyAware]

I started drying my clothes on 'low' heat which helped a lot.

 

[Red Squirrel]

I started drying my clothes on 'low' heat which helped a lot.

Hmmm I'll see if my dryer has this option. At least for when I buy new pants so the same thing does not happen.

 

[Regs]

I always have a problem with this after the Holidays.

On a more serious note, it helps to keep the water at room temp.

 

[Juddog]

Dry on medium heat with cooldown cycle.

If that setting isn't available, dry on medium and pull out the clothes about 25 minutes after the cycle starts, then hang up right away, letting the other clothes continue to dry.

 

[blackdogdeek]

khakis.

dry on low heat or hang dry. it's the drying process that shrinks clothes, iirc.

 

[DrawninwarD]

*cackles*

 

[darkxshade]

Put them on wet and stand in front of an industrial fan. Wear several layers underneath so it doesn't shink into a compression fit. :awe:

 

[Bulk Beef]

That's not the problem, they shrink when they're washed, so after I wash them and go to put them on, they're tighter. I weigh like 130 pounds.

Whatever. Lay off the cheeseburgers fatty.

 

[Rubycon]

Cackies crawling up the crackies, eh?

Buy a size too big and they'll shrink to your size?

 

[Red Squirrel]

So hanging to dry seems to be best bet. Think I'll try this. Does it matter if the air around is cold or not? If I leave them in the basement it will be much colder then if i bring them upstairs.

I actually wish my weight was the problem, I've been trying to gain so I can stop being underweight. I always have trouble shopping for pants since most pants start at like 30 or 32.

 

[Gonz]

haha cackies. I could use a lil cack right about now...er wait nm. Khakis man, khakis

 

[Red Squirrel]

Buy a size too big and they'll shrink to your size?

That's usually what I do, but these are like a year old and it seems they still shrink more every time.

 

[BoomerD]

Your clothes shouldn't continue shrinking past the first couple of wash/dry cycles. Cotton normally shrinks 1-2% and that's all. Most other fabrics won't shrink in the laundry cycle.

What really pisses me off is when the dammed trousers shrink while hanging in the closet...

 

[wwswimming]

i have pants that fit, pants that don't fit, and pants that are too loose (i call those my "fat pants").

my normal pants, when i'm putting them on after air-drying them, i grab them at the waist and pull them apart, sort of like a gym exercise. i have a 36" waist, so i have to do it 3 or 4 times, just expanding one section of fabric at a time.

they have things like this for shoes, shoe-stretcher things. maybe there's something like that for slacks.

 

[huberm]

I had this problem with shirts. I could never dry them or they would shrink. I just recently got a new high efficieny front load set, and my clothes dont shrink anymore.

That is definitely not a short term solution, but if you keep experiencing shrinking clothes like I did I recommend looking into it.

 

[Gillbot]

Pants Stretcher

 

[SlitheryDee]

I just buy clothes big enough so that when they shrink they're not too tight.

Edit: To be somewhat helpful, I've noticed that hooking my thumbs into the waistband and pushing the jeans really hard until I almost think the button is about to pop out helps a bit. I've rarely had this problem unless I'm putting on weight, though.

 

[destrekor]

Are you washing your pants after wearing them once?
They'll feel tight every time they are freshly laundered, at least my pants always do. The process of wearing them gets them back to feeling like normal.

 

[sandorski]

Wash in Cold or Warm water, never use Hot(unless washing White or light colour Sheets). The biggest concern when washing new Jeans shouldn't be shrinkage, but colour running onto other clothes. Only wash New Jeans with Old Jeans or by themselves.

 

[coldmeat]

They are probably just stretching as you wear them, then when you wash them they go back to their normal size, giving you the impression that they shrunk. And/or you gained weight.

 

[CRXican]

stop washing them