Tips for shrinking your favorite clothes at home

Who hasn't bought a garment online and when it arrives home, it's the wrong size. This is where many people think about throwing them away or leaving them stored in the closet for years. If this is your case or you have lost weight and your favorite pants or sweater look good on you, here are the most effective home tricks to shrink your clothes without damaging them in the process.

These useful tips will help you avoid excessive shrinkage or permanent damage. Pay attention to save money on a tailor to reduce the size of your favorite garment.

Tips to Shrink Clothes Based on Fabric Type

1. Cotton or Polyester

• To shrink clothes made of this material, put them in the washing machine inside out.
• Set the cycle to the highest temperature and then repeat the process in the dryer.
• Polyester takes longer to shrink than cotton, so you may need to repeat the process several times.
• Another trick explained by Business Insider is to boil a pot of water and leave the clothes inside for half an hour. Then, put them in the dryer at high temperature to shrink them even more.

2. Nylon

• For this fabric, avoid applying excessive heat as it can break.
• The ideal method is to put the garment inside out in a container with hot water and a little ammonia, which will help preserve the color.
• Soak it for an hour.
• Finally, put it in the dryer at medium temperature.

3. Wool

• Put the garment inside out in a container with warm water until it is completely soaked.
• Wrap the clothes in a towel to absorb the excess water and take it to the dryer.
• If you choose a program with high temperatures, the garment will shrink much more. For a slight shrinkage, use medium temperature.
• Repeat the process until you achieve the desired size.

While these home tricks are effective for shrinking clothes, it is better to try them first with inexpensive or non-sentimental garments in case they shrink too much. If you have doubts, it is best to go to a dry cleaner or a professional tailor to have it adjusted to your size.

How to Prevent Garments from Stretching?

• Once you have applied these home tricks and achieved the desired result, it is important to preserve it for longer. Avoid hanging the garment on a clothesline, as it can ruin the whole process.
• Also, do not hang wool sweaters or shirts on hangers, as this material is more prone to stretching due to their weight.