How to Make a T-Shirt Small from Cotton Fabric

If the T-shirt you got as a gift at an event or the cool shirt you just bought is too big, don’t be so cool! The cotton fabric is shrinkable, so it’s easy to make that shirt a few sizes down. Read on to learn what causes cotton to shrink and a few techniques you can use to shrink cotton fabrics safely and quickly.

Table of Contents

Using Hot Water

Prepare a large pot of boiling water. Clothing companies often stretch their finished fabric to reduce the amount of fabric needed to make the shirt. ^{[1] X Research Source} Washing a cotton shirt, or soaking it, in hot water will help the fabric shrink back to its natural state.

If you want to avoid the hassle of buying a shirt that’s too big and having to shrink it yourself, when you shop, look for garments that have been stretch-treated before being sewn into clothing. Stretch-treated shirts are quite popular now.

When the pot of water is boiling, remove it from the stove and dip the shirt in it. The hotter the water, the more the shirt shrinks. ^{[1] X Research Source}

If you want your shirt to shrink by 1-2 numbers, put your shirt in the pot as soon as you take it out of the stove.
If you want your shirt to shrink by about 1/2-1 number, wait 5 minutes before putting it in the water.
If you want your shirt to shrink by about 1/4-1/2 number, wait 10-15 minutes before putting it in the water.

Soak the shirt in water for about 20 minutes. You can change the time depending on the shirt size. Again, the longer the shirt is soaked in hot water, the more it will shrink.

Drain and let the shirt cool slightly before handling. Be careful not to get burned by the hot water.

Dry the shirt. If you want the shirt to shrink slightly to moderate, wring it out and hang it outside. To shrink the shirt to about 2 or 3 sizes from its original size, use a tumble dryer instead, as the agitation in the dryer also causes the shirt to shrink.

Using a Clothes Washer/Dryer

Wash the shirt you want to shrink in the washing machine with hot water. Many people think that the heat of the dryer can shrink clothes, but that is not the case! According to a fabric technologist who works for Whirlpop, the shrinkage of the fabric is caused by jostling against the walls of washers and dryers. ^{[1] X Research Source}

The movement of clothes in the washing machine also affects the stretch of the fabric. Front-loading washing machines, i.e. washing machines with front loading and unloading doors, produce less vibration, and therefore less shrinkage, than top loaders. ^{[1] X Research Source}

Transfer the shirt to the tumble dryer and dry completely. Remember, you don’t need to blow hot air onto your cotton shirt (it’s the mixing that causes the fabric to shrink), so use moderate heat to dry the shirt.

Remember that machine drying your shirt can affect its appearance. Dark clothes quickly lose their new feel when put in the dryer and are constantly being turned around. The reason is that mixing increases the amount of microfibers, making them look “dusty”. ^{[1] X Research Source}

Wear the shirt you just made smaller. Enjoy your shirt that fits better than before!

Advice

This method does not work on all fabrics. Works best only on 100% cotton and certain types of wool.
Wash a variety of clothes that you plan to shrink at once.
Wait a while for the hot water to cool down to avoid burning yourself when you handle the clothes.
Be sure to dry the shirt outside after a hot soak or put it in the dryer on low.
After you shrink the shirt once, it will not be able to shrink any more.
Add a cup of white vinegar to the water to prevent the color from fading. Discoloration of clothes is inevitable, so you should wash clothes that need shrinking separately.
A quick and easy way to shrink a shirt (any material) just put it on, grab a hair band/ elastic band and tie the bottom of the shirt. Tuck the tied part into the shirt.
Shirts labeled “stretch treated” cannot be stretched any further.
Some people put alum (bought at the aromatherapy counter in the grocery store) in the washing machine to shrink clothes. It’s still not clear if this will work, and can weaken the fabric if used too much, so you’re at your own risk if you try this. ^{[2] X Research Source}

Warning

Don’t try this on shirts with prints – the prints may bleed.
The shirt may shrink unevenly. This technique may not keep the fit for women’s tops.

Steps

Using Hot Water

Using a Clothes Washer/Dryer

Advice

Warning

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