It’s a common laundry mistake, but accidentally shrinking your clothes isn’t the end of the world.
WATCH: Laundry hack that will save you hours
Different types of fabrics shrink for different reasons, but the main culprit is exposure to heat. Basically, fibres are stressed and stretched to make clothing. The heat that comes with a laundry cycle acts a stress reliever, causing the fabrics to return to their original state.
Turns out washing your clothes in hot water isn’t always the best idea!
Simple steps to unshrink your clothes
So is it possible to unshrink your clothes? Yes! Even if they have shrunk in the dryer. All you need is some conditioner.
Nicole Gibson is the Laundry Queen at Söka Australia. She says that prevention is definitely the key to shrunken clothes. Still, it is possible to unshrink clothes, to some degree.
How to unshrink your clothes: steps
Here are Nicole’s easy-to-follow steps for unshrinking your clothes quickly:
- Fill a tub, like the Soka Tub, with warm water.
- Add one or two Tbs of conditioner.
- Place the garment in the water and leave to soak anywhere between 20 mins and two hours.
- Gently stretch the fabric out underwater.
- Take your item of clothing out of the water but don’t rinse it.
- Stretch it out again using props to help keep its shape. For example, a towel or books wrapped in a waterproof bag can be placed inside a shrunken jumper or t-shirt.
- Allow to dry.
You may need to repeat the process a few times.
Do shrunken clothes back to normal?
Nicole says the conditioner makes the water denser, helping to relax and stretch the clothes back to the size they were when you bought them.
“The weight of the conditioner changes the water consistency, and the fibres get heavier, and they relax more,” she says. “When you give them a bit of a pull under the water, they stretch out again because they are getting filled with a heavier product.”
Still no luck? Try taking a bath
For jeans and pants that have shrunk, Nicole recommends something a little unconventional: wear them in the bath.
“Wear clothes that have shrunk and get in the bath,” says Nicole. “Warm water and gently stretch them back out.”
If you have a stubborn stains you need help removing, Nicole is happy to help. Contact her via the @sokaaustalia Instagram page.
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