How to Shrink a Shirt: 3 Methods for Different Fabrics

Fabrics that shrink easily include cotton, wool, silk, linen, and hemp. Fabrics made from natural fibers are more prone to shrinkage than clothes made from synthetic fibers, such as nylon and polyester. However, spandex will shrink in the dryer. For this reason, most athleisure companies recommend air-drying their clothing.

All articles of clothing shrink a percentage over time if you subject them to countless cycles in the washing machine and dryer. A cotton T-shirt is the easiest shirt to purposefully shrink. Cotton can shrink up to twenty percent from its original size when you place it in hot water or subject it to high heat conditions. This does not apply to a cotton-blend tee made with polyester.

Polyester shrinks less than three percent in a hot wash. On a similar note, preshrunk shirts—which undergo a shrinking process before they leave the manufacturer—are capable of shrinking a maximum of three percent when you put them through a typical shrinking process at home. Nylon, acetate, acrylic, and polypropylene-heavy fabrics will likely shrink anywhere from three to four percent under the right conditions. Rayon, made from wood pulp, is an exception and can shrink up to ten percent from its original size.

Here are three DIY methods for shrinking a shirt, and they all have one thing in common—high heat.

1. 1. Boil the shirt. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Then turn the stove off and place your shirt in the boiling water. Leave the clothing item in the hot water for at least five minutes and up to twenty minutes. The longer the shirt sits in the water, the more it will shrink. Remove the shirt from the water with a pair of kitchen tongs or a wooden spoon. You can place it in a sink or bathtub to let it cool. Once the shirt is cool enough for you to handle it safely, wring out the shirt and lay it flat or hang it where it can air-dry. If this does not yield your desired shrinkage, you can repeat the process until the shirt is the perfect size.
2. 2. Dry the shirt with hot air. Place your shirt in a washing machine and wash it in hot water on a high agitation setting. At the end of the wash cycle, remove the shirt from the washer and tumble-dry it using the dryer’s highest heat setting. If you want to shrink the shirt further, you can repeat this process more than once.
3. 3. Steam the shirt. An effective way to shrink wool, silk, or linen is to use a clothing steamer on high heat over the entire piece of clothing. Although these delicate fabrics will also shrink if you place them under an iron, it’s not advisable to do so—these materials burn easily, so you would risk ruining your shirt altogether.

There are a few ways to stretch a garment back to its original size if you shrink it, whether intentionally or unintentionally. First, check the label on your garment to determine its fabric composition, as different materials respond differently to shrinking and unshrinking methods.

• Cotton: To unshrink cotton garments, fill your kitchen sink with warm water. Then add two tablespoons of hair conditioner to the water and soak the garment for thirty minutes. Remove the cotton garment from the water, wring it out, and let it air-dry.
• Cashmere or wool: To unshrink animal fibers like cashmere or wool, fill your kitchen sink with warm water and add two tablespoons of vinegar per quart of water (this can be an estimate). Stretch the clothing item manually while it soaks in the water. Once the item is fully soaked, squeeze out the excess water. Then stuff the garment with towels to continue the stretching process. Allow it to air-dry.
• Polyester or rayon: To unshrink synthetic fibers, fill your kitchen sink with warm water. Then add one tablespoon of hair conditioner per quart of water and soak the garment for thirty minutes. Remove the garment from the water, squeeze out the excess water. Avoid wringing out the fabric, but while the clothing is still damp, stretch the fabric to its original or your desired size. If you find that stretching the material is difficult, you can use a clothing steamer to relax the fibers even further. Let the garment air-dry.

Get a MasterClass Annual Membership and let Tan France be your very own style maestro. Queer Eye’s fashion guru spills everything he knows about building a capsule collection, finding a signature look, understanding proportions, and more (including why it’s important to wear underwear to bed)—all in a soothing British accent, no less.