How to Shrink Cotton - Jutebag (2024)

Cotton, a natural vegetable fibre derived from the cotton plant’s seedpod, is a temperamental fabric. Cotton has a tendency to expand while wet and shrink as it dries. It’s not unlikely to hear a story about cotton washing disasters, from shrunken shirts to too-tight trousers.

However, there are moments when it is necessary to shrink cotton cloth on purpose. Fortunately, there are a few straightforward strategies to accomplish that aim.

Here are three simple methods for shrinking cotton clothing, such as jeans, sweaters, and, of course, T-shirts, so you don’t have to spend money on new versions of items you already own.

Boiling Water Shrinking

1. Choose your fabric. Make sure your cloth is made entirely of cotton. Keep in mind that the shrinking procedure is irreversible, so be sure you actually want to downsize the fabric you’re performing this approach on.Your troubles may or may not be in vain if the labelling indicates “pre-shrunk.” Give it a shot, but keep in mind that any downsizing strategy will fall short. It might potentially shrink in certain areas while not shrinking in others. Worth a shot?

2. Boil a large, clean pot of fresh water. Make sure there’s enough space in the container for your cloth to fit without the water spilling. You can add a cup of white vinegar to protect the colours from bleeding if desired.
3. Soak the cotton item for around 5 minutes in hot water. Because some colour loss is possible, it’s best to downsize your things separately (unless they’re all the same colour). To ensure that the cloth is fully saturated, you may want to mix it with a wooden spoon.

4. Place the item in the dryer after carefully removing it from the water. Set your dryer to the highest setting available and tumble dry the garment until it is entirely dry. Right now, you’re working with highly heated items. Take care! Protect your hands with oven gloves, potholder, or towel; don’t grab it directly until it has cooled.
5. Repeat these procedures as needed until your cloth reaches the desired size. The initial boil will shrink it the most, but it could still shrink a little more with each subsequent boil.

Hot Wash/Hot Dry Shrinking

1. Pick your garment. Make sure your cloth is 100 percent cotton and that you want it shrunk in the first place. It could still shrink if it isn’t 100 percent, although probably not as much. You’ll have to balance your alternatives if it’s 100 percent cotton but “pre-shrunk.”

2. In the washing machine, only put the cloth you want to shrink. Other items or textiles that don’t have to be shrunk or that could bleed in the wash should not be washed with them. Colours are more prone to bleed in hot conditions; therefore, it’s better to avoid them.
3. Start the washer with the desired water temperature to “hot” for the washing and rinsing cycles. Some people suggest putting an enzyme solution in the wash, although this hasn’t been proven. If you’re worried about the colour loss, you may add a cup of white vinegar.
4. After you’ve finished washing your clothes, put them in the dryer. Turn the dryer to the highest temperature setting available once again and wait until your cloth is dry. However, if you want it to shrink 1/2 to 1 size, inspect it halfway through. You wouldn’t want it to get too little!
5. Repeat these processes till your cloth reaches the desired size. The first time you downsize it, it would be the most effective, but you may get it much smaller with a few more washes.

Iron Shrinking

1. Bring the cotton fabric item to a boil in a pot of water. For this stage, use one of the two approaches listed above.
2. Place the boiling fabric on the ironing board once it has been removed.
3. Cover the cotton item with a cloth. This is necessary to prevent it from being damaged by direct heat.
4. You should iron the cotton material until the object is entirely dry. It will have shrunk now.