How to Shrink Sweatpants? 6 Proven Methods!

Sweatpants come in a variety of styles, but they all feature a loose fit, a soft feel, and lots of room for movement. But sometimes you might want to know how to shrink sweatpants.

Using hot water and hot air will shrink your sweatpants the best. The heat will cause the fabric, which is primarily cotton, to change and shrink.

Here are six ways you can use to shrink your sweatpants, keep reading and find out more.

Can You Shrink Sweatpants?

You can usually shrink sweatpants by at least one size by applying heat and moisture, but this does depend on the type of sweat to some degree.

Your pants’ design and fabric composition have a significant impact on how much the sweats can shrink.

Also Read: Do Corduroy Pants Shrink?

How to Shrink Sweatpants: 6 Methods

Below are six methods you can use to shrink your sweatpants and make them fit much better from the waist down to the ankles.

1. In the Washer

Running your sweatpants through the washing machine is one of the quickest and easiest ways to cause them to lose up to one size.

1. First, check your computer’s settings. Be sure to choose hot water. You can even add a hot-water soak before the washing cycle if you want to shrink your pants as much as possible.
2. Next, be sure to use a color-fast detergent. Your pants may occasionally fade in hot water if you don’t use this particular detergent.
3. So that you don’t miss the conclusion of the washing cycle, set a timer for yourself. Before your pants can cool off from the hot water, you should put them in the dryer right away. Alternatively, if all you wanted to do was slightly shrink your sweats, take them out of the washer and spread them out on a fresh towel to air dry.
4. To determine how much your pants shrank, dry them in the dryer or let them air dry before putting them on.

If you find that your pants did not get small enough, you can always repeat this process from beginning to end.

Because the fibers can only expand and contract so much, keep in mind that most clothing can only shrink by about one size.

2. In the Dryer

The dryer is one of your best options for easily shrinking clothing like cotton fleece sweatpants. It generates heat and friction at the same time.

1. I recall drying one or two pairs of sweatpants at a time so I could keep an eye on how much they were shrinking.
2. Spray the sweatpants you want to shrink with water after adding it to a spray bottle. The sweatpants will shrink even more in the dryer as a result of the additional moisture.
3. Joggers should first spend 20 minutes in the dryer set to the highest temperature. You’ll need to try them on because they can shrink down one size, so this 20-minute period is to determine how much they shrink.
4. If after trying them on they are still too baggy. Depending on how tight you want them, put them in for the next 5–10–15–20 minutes. Don’t forget to check their fit after each drying cycle.

3. Steamer

With the help of a handheld garment steamer, you can apply concentrated heat and moisture to specific areas of your sweatpants, which might result in a tiny amount of shrinkage.

The results of this gentle method won’t be particularly noticeable because a clothing steamer won’t apply a lot of heat. However, if you find that your pants’ knees always appear saggy after a while, you might want to give this technique a shot!

1. The directions on the package should be followed when setting up your steamer. Some steamers require quick access to an electrical outlet. Use distilled water for some things if necessary.
2. Your steamer should be turned on and allowed to warm up. Pick the hottest setting if it has any.
3. So that you can access your sweats with the steamer easily, hang your sweats up on a curtain rod or shower curtain rod.
4. Run the nozzle back and forth over the areas you want to target as soon as steam starts to come out of the nozzle. To get the full effect of the steam, stay as close as you can without touching the fabric with the nozzle.
5. For several minutes, move the steamer back and forth over the desired locations.
6. The steamer should be turned off and left to cool down in a secure location.
7. On a flat surface, such as a clean bath towel, let your pants air dry.

4. Boiling Water

Nearly any type of fabric can shrink when exposed to boiling water, which reaches a temperature of 212°F!

The only method that will consistently work on sweatpants made of polyester is this extreme technique, which does call for some careful handling of very hot objects.

1. Make sure your pants can fit comfortably inside a large pot that you find. The pot should be about three-quarters full of water when the pants are taken off.
2. Put the pot on the stovetop and heat the water to a rolling boil. When the water reaches 212 degrees Fahrenheit, you can use a thermometer to measure it, but once it reaches a rolling boil, you will also notice frothing bubbles on its surface.
3. Carefully lower the pants into the water using salad tongs or grilling implements. Remove the pot from the hot burner after you have submerged every area of the fabric in the water.
4. For five to twenty minutes, place the pants in the pot of hot water to soak. Their shrinkage will increase with the amount of time they soak.
5. To move the pot to a sink and empty it, use potholders or dishtowels. The pants will continue to be extremely hot, so avoid touching them with bare hands.
6. Squeeze the pants between your hands to press out some water after they’ve had a chance to cool down a bit. Depending on how much you want the pants to shrink, you can either use the dryer method at this point or let them air dry.

5. With An Iron

You can also use an iron to focus on particular spots on your sweatpants. However, you must use caution with this technique because some sweatpants cannot withstand the heat.

To determine whether you can safely use an iron on your pants, look at the manufacturer’s label inside of the garment.

On rayon, nylon, or polyester pants, you shouldn’t use this technique. Any vinyl prints on your pants, such as a logo or decorative elements, should also be avoided being ironed directly on.

1. Your ironing board should be covered with your sweatpants. You could also set up on a flat surface, such as a kitchen table, in a pinch. Don’t forget to cover the table with some padding, like a bath towel.
2. Follow the directions on the package when preparing your iron. For the sake of preventing mineral buildup, many irons demand distilled water for the steamer reservoir.
3. Turn on your iron, select the highest steam setting, and wait until it indicates that it is heated up.
4. Slowly but continuously move the iron over the pants in this direction. As you move, the fabric will be penetrated by the steam as a result.
5. You can either iron over the entire pair of pants or concentrate on specific areas.
6. Turn the pants inside out after finishing one side and continue ironing from the opposite side of the fabric.
7. Allow the pants to cool down until they are cozy to the touch. After that, put them on to see if they shrank sufficiently. If not, try ironing once more.

6. Fabric Softener

There are a few different ways that fabric softener can be used to help shrink your clothing. Your clothing’s fibers shrink slightly as a result of fabric softener’s assistance in relaxing them.

This property can result in significant shrinkage when coupled with a heat source.

This method has two applications. For the dryer method, you can start by adding a fabric softener sheet.

Additionally, this will aid in preventing static buildup in your laundry as well!

The second option is to combine a tablespoon of fabric softener with warm water in a spray bottle. This mixture should be thoroughly sprayed onto the knees and waistband of your sweatpants. After that, use a hairdryer to completely dry the area.

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How Much Do Sweatpants Shrink?

In general, sweatpants will shrink no more than one full size in the washer or after trying any of the methods listed in this article.

When cotton sweatshirts are laundered as usual, they typically shrink by 3% overall. In a typical washing cycle, polyester pants typically shrink very little. But if you use the boiling water method, they might shrink by as much as one size.

If you love your sweats but they no longer fit you because they have grown a little worn out over time, shrinking them is a great idea.

You probably won’t be able to get the pants to shrink four sizes if you unintentionally purchased them four sizes too large.

The Bottom Line: How to Shrink Sweatpants

You can shrink sweatpants using a washer and dryer, your iron and ironing board, a clothes steamer, or even fabric softener!

The majority of sweatpants are made of cotton fleece with a knit surface that easily shrinks when exposed to heat and moisture. These types of sweatshirts frequently shrink down to one full size.

Ever try shrinking a pair of sweatpants? Leave a comment below to let us know if it was successful!

Read More: Are Joggers Sweatpants?

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