# How do I shrink clothing? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 26, 2005, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-shrink-clothing/337230 "2005-12-26T05:41:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![chaoticbear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f07891/32.png) [@chaoticbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chaoticbear)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2005, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-shrink-clothing/337230/1 "2005-12-26T05:41:17Z")
I got a couple of awesome sweaters for Christmas, but they’re a little big. How can I shrink them, but not to cartoon-size, and also without distorting them? ---
**Author:** ![Chotii](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@Chotii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chotii)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2005, 7:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-shrink-clothing/337230/2 "2005-12-26T07:00:30Z")
Well, first of all, I’ll assume they can’t be exchanged, so what are they made of? Cotton sweaters probably won’t shrink, having been pre-shrunk before knitting. But washing and drying on hot will shink them if it’s at all possible. With cotton/ramie or silk blends that say ‘lie flat to dry’, it’s not shrinking you have to worry about so much as stretching. Wool and angora can be ‘shocked’ into shrinking by washing and drying on hot, but I see a lot of sweaters like this in thrift stores and it’s not pretty. What you need to do is ‘controlled shrinkage’: [http://www.mkeonline.com/story.asp?id=368944](http://www.mkeonline.com/story.asp?id=368944) The important thing is to do it slowly and gradually, or you’ll wind up with felt. They don’t call 'em “boiled wool” jackets for nothing. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2005, 7:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-shrink-clothing/337230/3 "2005-12-26T07:36:44Z")
Ooh, bad idea. Shrinking happens when the individual fibers contract. So you’ll have a sweater made with fibers that are no longer long, thin, and supple; but are now short, fat, and stiff. Exchange them, or wear them loose. Or eat a pie. Don’t shock-shrink them. ---
**Author:** ![TV\_time](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f17d59/32.png) [@TV\_time](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TV_time)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2005, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-shrink-clothing/337230/4 "2005-12-26T14:11:51Z")
> [@chaoticbear](#): > > How do I shrink clothing? Trust me - Let my mother-in-law wash them. One time when we went to visit her, she insisted on washing all our clothes. Let us just say, the trip became an excuse for buying new clothes. ---
**Author:** ![Corii](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/aeb1de/32.png) [@Corii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Corii)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2005, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-shrink-clothing/337230/5 "2005-12-26T18:38:52Z")
> [@chaoticbear](#): > > I got a couple of awesome sweaters for Christmas, but they’re a little big. How can I shrink them, but not to cartoon-size, and also without distorting them? What’s the material? If they’re made from acrylic or acrylic blends, they will not shrink. ---
**Author:** ![raindog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@raindog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raindog)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2005, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-shrink-clothing/337230/6 "2005-12-26T20:07:31Z")
**"How do I shrink clothing?"** Gain weight. It worked for me. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![chaoticbear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f07891/32.png) [@chaoticbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chaoticbear)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2005, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-shrink-clothing/337230/7 "2005-12-29T07:15:01Z")
Sweater 1: “Merino Wool” 2 and 3: Acrylic