Apparently, You Can ‘Un-Shrink’ Cotton Clothes—Here’s How

Home Cleaning Laundry Apparently, You Can ‘Un-Shrink’ Cotton Clothes—Here’s How This genius laundry hack helps to revive shrunken cotton clothing. By Rachel Sylvester Rachel Sylvester Instagram Website Rachel Sylvester is a senior lifestyle editor at REAL SIMPLE, and has been writing and editing lifestyle content for more than a decade. Before joining REAL SIMPLE, Rachel began her editorial career at The Knot, where she served as an editorial intern, editorial assistant, associate editor, and finally, real weddings editor for the brand. Her writing has been published in Marie Claire, Women’s Health, Food & Wine, Southern Living, and Travel & Leisure. She has also appeared as a guest on Good Morning America, The TODAY Show, NBC News, QVC, Pix 11 News, Fox 29 News, Yahoo! Finance, Cheddar, and Good Morning Arizona. Real Simple’s Editorial Guidelines Updated on June 9, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Even the most adept laundry pros fall victim to the occasional cleaning blunder—bleach stains and pink sheets included. (What is it with red socks?) But perhaps the number one laundry mistake involves shrinking our most cherished cotton clothing. No matter how much of a skilled laundress you claim to be, shrunken clothes are simply unavoidable, and this laundry gaffe has left us with too many misshapen t-shirts to count. Fortunately, all is not lost when you’ve inflicted unintentional heat damage. According to fabric expert Suzanne Holmes of Cotton Incorporated, because cotton is a natural, breathable fiber, it may shrink when heated. If you find yourself with a teeny, tiny top in your hands, fully saturate the damaged shirt in water. Holmes then suggests gently stretching your wet shirt out on a flat surface or drying rack to the desired size. “Keep the shirt in place with household weights like heavy jars or cans,” Holmes says. Take extra care with this step, since too many tugs may further distort the shape of the garment you’re trying to salvage. Once you get the piece to its desired size, leave the garment out to air dry. Getty Images 12 Laundry Mistakes You’re Probably Making If your clothes still seem to get smaller with every wash, Holmes suggests taking cotton pieces out of the dryer while they’re still damp and air drying them the rest of the way. Aside from keeping your clothing in tip-top shape, you’re also conserving energy. As for the most important laundry lesson we could all stand to learn? Always, always review an item of clothing’s label before tossing it in the wash. “When buying clothes, opt for quality cotton pieces that fit,” she says. “And you should check the label and follow care instructions closely to keep your cotton items newer, longer.” Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit