How to Shrink Sweatpants

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In this Article:Shrinking Sweatpants in the Washing Machine Using Boiling Water to Shrink Sweatpants Blow Drying Your Sweatpants to Shrink Them Community Q&A 20 References

Sweatpants are super comfortable and loose-fitting. They’re perfect for wearing while you sleep, exercise, or lounge around the house.

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^[1] It’s pretty common, though, for sweatpants to stretch out a bit over time and become too big and baggy, especially if you wear them a lot. Luckily, there are several quick and easy fixes to help shrink your sweatpants back down to the right size.

1 Place the sweatpants in the washing machine. Add any other garments you want to wash hot in with them. Towels and socks are a great option, as they are designed to be washed hot without being damaged or shrinking.
2 Add a color-safe laundry detergent. Be sure to follow the instructions on the label of the sweatpants, if any are included. Following the provided garment instructions will prevent the hot water from altering the color of your pants.^[3]
3 Select the hottest setting on the washing machine. Most washers have fairly simple heat settings. Usually, your options are “cold,” “warm,” and “hot.”^[4] Whatever your washer’s settings, opt for the hottest one.
- During the manufacturing process, the threads that make up fabrics are put under stress, constantly being pulled and stretched. Exposing the fabric to heat will relieve some of this stress, causing the treads to shorten.^[5]
4 Set the washer for its longest available wash cycle. Many washers have a “heavy duty” spin cycle option, which tends to be the longest and most intense cycle.^[6] If the washer you’re using doesn’t have this option, you can use the “normal” or “bulky” option.
5 Take the sweatpants and other items out and put them in the dryer. You want to keep the sweatpants under consistent heat while you’re trying to shrink them. For this reason, it’s a good idea not to leave them in the washing machine for too long after the wash cycle is complete.^[7]
- If there are any items you don’t want to run through the dryer, take them out and hang them on a clothesline to air dry.
6 Select the hottest setting and the longest drying time available. Depending on the dryer you’re using, you’ll probably want to select the “regular/heavy” setting.^[8] On other dryers, there will be a dial, and you’ll want to turn it to “more dry” or “very dry” in the section designed for cottons and other items that can be washed hot.
- If you’re not happy with the results, simply repeat the process until your sweatpants have shrunk to your desired size.