If you want to shrink your sweatpants, you can easily do it by exposing sweatpants to heat. Heat is what eases stress on the sweatpants’ fabric, making the threads shorten (shrink).
Five easy methods anyone can use to shrink sweatpants comprise; using a regular washing machine, soaking the sweatpants in boiling water, using a steam iron, using a wet piece of cloth and a dry iron, and using a hairdryer.
This article discusses how you can shrink your sweatpants using five different methods.
Method 1: Shrinking Sweatpants Using A Normal Washing Machine
What you will require
- Washing machine
- Detergent to use with the washing machine
- Dryer to dry the sweatpants
The Shrinking Process
Step 1: Put the sweatpants in the washing machine.
Step 2: Put the detergent in the washing machine.
Step 3: Set the washing machine’s water setting to the hottest temperature. The high temperature is essential in the shrinking process.
Step 4: Turn on the washing machine.
Step 5: Let the washing machine complete the washing cycle.
Step 6: As the sweatpants are washed in the washing machine, ensure that your dryer is empty and ready to be used to dry the sweatpants.
In addition, set the dryer to the high heat option. For many dryers, you will use the Regular/Heavy setting.
Step 7: Once the washing cycle is completed, remove the sweatpants from the washing machine and immediately put them in the dryer.
Step 8: After putting the sweatpants in the dryer, turn on the dryer.
Step 9: Leave the sweatpants in the drier and let them dry completely.
Step 10: Once the sweatpants are dry, wear them and find whether they fit you.
Step 11: If you find that the sweatpants still need to be smaller, repeat steps 1 – 10 until the point where the sweatpants get to the size you want.
Method 2: Soaking The Sweatpants In Boiling Water
What you will require
- A big pot
- Stove/cooker
- Water
- Wooden spoon or metal tongs
- Dryer or clothing line
- Lid or cover for the big pot
- Basin
The Shrinking Process
Step 1: Place the pot in the stove/cooker.
Step 2: Put water in the pot.
Step 3: Turn the stove/cooker on and set it to the highest temperature.
Step 4: Leave the water to boil – you can tell that the water is boiling as it starts to produce burbles.
Note: It is essential you make sure the water boils since the energy produced by boiling water will be crucial in making the sweatpants’ fabric shrink.
Step 5: Gently put the sweatpants in the boiling water with the water boiling.
To make sure that you don’t burn yourself and that the sweatpants are submerged in the boiling water, use a wooden spoon or metal tongs.
Step 6: Turn off the stove/cooker and leave the sweatpants in hot water for 15 minutes.
Make sure that you cover the big pot with a cover/lid so that no heat escapes.
Step 7: After 15 minutes have elapsed, take the sweatpants from the pot with hot water and put the pants in a basin.
Allow the sweatpants to cool a bit (for about 3 minutes). Then, press the sweatpants against the basin walls to ensure that excess water is removed from the fabric.
You can also try to squeeze the sweatpants tightly, even though this could be challenging as the pants will be hot.
When removing excess water from the sweatpants, make sure that you do not twist the sweatpants. Twisting the sweatpants could stretch them, making it impossible to shrink the garment.
Step 8: Dry the sweatpants in the clothing line or use a dryer.
Step 9: Put on the dry sweatpants and determine whether they have shrunk to the desired fit. If you need the sweatpants to shrink further, repeat steps 1 to 8 again.
Method 3: Using A Steam Iron To Shrink Sweatpants
What You Will Require
- Water
- Steam iron with good steam pressure
- Ironing board
The Shrinking Process
Step 1: Set up the ironing board.
Step 2: Fill the steam iron with water.
Step 3: Turn on the steam iron and set it to the highest temperature.
Step 4: Place the sweatpants on the iron board.
Step 5: Using the press function, hover the steam iron slightly above the fabric and gradually move the iron over the entire length of the sweatpants.
Step 6: Turn the sweatpants to the other side and repeat step 5.
Step 7: After steaming the pants, leave the pants to lay on a flat surface for about 5 minutes.
Step 8: Try the sweatpants and find whether they have shrunk to your desired fit. If not, repeat the above steps until you get the desired fit.
Method 4: Using a Wet Piece of Cloth And Iron To Shrink Sweatpants
What You Will Require
- Iron – preferably heavy dry iron.
- Iron board.
- Dampening fabric.
The Shrinking Process
Step 1: Turn on the iron.
Step 2: Place your sweatpants on the iron board.
Step 3: Place the dampened fabric on top of the sweatpants.
Step 4: Place the hot iron on the top of the dampening fabric and slowly move the iron over the entire length of the sweatpants.
Step 5: Turn the sweatpants on to the other size and repeat step 4
Step 6: Try on the pants and determine whether the shrinking exercise has achieved your desired size.
Step 7: If you have not achieved the size you wanted, repeat steps 1 – 4 until you achieve that size.
Method 5: Using A Blow Dryer To Shrink Sweatpants
What You Will Require
- Hot boiling water
- Blow drier.
- Sink or basin.
- Iron board or just a flat surface that is heat resistant.
- Metal tongs or a wooden spoon.
The Shrinking Process
Step 1: Put the hot boiling water in the sink or basin.
Step 2: Place your sweatpants inside the hot water. Use the wooden spoon or metal tongs to ensure the pants are fully submerged.
Step 3: Leave the sweatpants in hot water for at least 10 minutes. This is where the actual shrinking commences. Again, you must ensure that the sweatpants are immersed in hot water.
Step 4: Drain the hot water and gently squeeze the pants to get any extra water out.
Step 5: Lay the sweatpants down on the iron board or your heat-resistant surface.
Step 6: Connect your hair drier to the power supply.
Step 7: Tun the hair drier on and set it to the highest temperatures settings.
Step 8: Meticulously dry your sweatpants with the hairdryer concentrating on the different parts of the sweatpants.
Step 9: Turn the sweatpants to the other side and repeat step 8. If you want to shrink a specific part of the sweatpants, you should focus the hair dryer’s heat on that part.
Step 10: Wear the sweatpants that you have used a hairdryer to shrink to determine whether you have achieved the desired results. If the shrink is not yet the size you wanted, repeat the above steps.
How Much Do Sweatpants Shrink?
The extent to which sweatpants shrink is determined by the fabric used to make the sweatpants. Since most sweatpants are made of a cotton fleece material, the sweatpants can shrink between 4% – and 5%.
When you shrink your sweatpants and realize that you still did not get the size that you required, you can repeat the shrinking process until you are happy with the shrinking size.
What if I Want To Unshrink My Sweatpants?
If your sweatpants shrunk a lot and you want to unshrink them, here is how you can unshrink the sweatpants:
What You Will Require
- Lukewarm water
- Washing detergent
- Washing basin/Sink
- Flat surface
- Towel
How To Unshrink Sweatpants
Step 1: Put the lukewarm in the washing basin/sink.
Step 2: Add washing detergent to the lukewarm water.
Step 3: Put the sweatpants in lukewarm water and ensure that the pants are fully submerged in the water.
Step 4: Leave the sweatpants soaked in the lukewarm water for 25 – 30 minutes.
Step 5: Squeeze the lukewarm water from the sweatpants. Here you should carefully press the sweatpants against the basin walls and make sure the excess water is fully drawn-out from the sweatpants.
Step 6: Spread the towel on a flat surface.
Step 7: Put the sweatpants on the top of the towel.
Step 8: Roll the towel so that the sweatpants will be inside the rolled towel.
Step 9: Stretch the rolled towel and unshrink the sweatpants.
Step 10: Hang the sweatpants on a clothing line to dry.
Step 11: Repeat the whole process if the sweatpants did not unshrink to the size you wanted them to shrink.
Final Thoughts
By using any of the five methods discussed, you will be able to shrink your sweatpants to the desired fit. If you find that your first shrink is not what you expected, you can repeat the shrinking process a couple of times until you get your desired results. On the other hand, if you shrink the sweatpants a lot, you can unshrink the pants using the unshrinking process that I have discussed.
