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How to Shrink Cotton Pants Download Article Shrink cotton trousers or shorts with a washer and dryer, an iron, or tailoring Co-authored by Rani Gorgis and Eric McClure
Last Updated: April 29, 2025 References
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Shrinking with Hot Water
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Drying Your Pants
|
Ironing and Tailoring Your Pants
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Expert Q&A
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This article was co-authored by Rani Gorgis and by wikiHow staff writer, Eric McClure. Rani Gorgis is a Laundry and Cleaning Specialist and the Owner of Park Blvd Laundry & Dry Cleaners in San Diego, California. With several years of experience in the laundry and cleaning industry, Rani specializes in dry cleaning, wash-n-fold, shirt laundry, and servicing smoke-damaged clothes. He holds a BS in Accounting and a CPA certification. There are 8 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been viewed 99,066 times.
Whether you just got an oversized pair of pants as a gift or have lost a few pounds, sometimes you just need to shrink a pair of cotton pants. Fibers in cotton unwind when they are exposed to pressure or heat, causing cotton clothes to shrink.[1]XResearch source Luckily, there are a variety of ways to use pressure and heat to shrink cotton pants without spending a lot of time or money.
Easy Way to Shrink Pants
An easy way to shrink cotton pants is to wash them in hot water. Do this by running them through the washing machine on a hot-water cycle. Dry them on high heat. Alternatively, fill a large pot with water and bring it to a boil. Turn off the stove and carefully set your pants in the pot for five to 20 minutes.
Steps
Method 1 Method 1 of 3:
Shrinking with Hot Water
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1 Boil your pants on the stove to shrink them quickly. Fill a pot with water and bring it to a boil. Once the water starts to bubble, turn the heat off. Drop your cotton pants into the pot and let them sit for anywhere between five and twenty minutes, based on how much you want to shrink them. Remove the pants with tongs and wait for them to cool.[2]XResearch source
Dry them in a dryer after you’re done to shrink them even more.
The longer you leave your pants in hot water, the more they’ll shrink.
2 Soak your cotton pants in warm water if you have more time to spare. Fill a bin or sink with warm water and soak your pants for up to six hours. This is one of the most common methods for shrinking cotton clothing because it tends to have uniform results. The entire garment has equal time to shrink, so the size of the clothing changes while the shape stays the same.[3]XResearch source
Dry them on a clothes line when you’re done letting them soak.
Avoid using this method on bright clothing. It may cause the colors to fade.[4]XResearch source
If you don’t feel like waiting, you can soak your pants overnight.
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3 Wash your clothes in a washing machine to shrink them over time. Laundry specialist Rani Gorgis shares, "I would suggest washing the [pants] in hot water [to shrink them]."[5]X Expert Source Rani GorgisLaundry & Cleaning SpecialistExpert Interview Cotton will naturally shrink in a washing machine if it’s not made with synthetic fibers, but using hot water can accelerate this process.[6]XResearch source The heat and agitation causes cotton clothing to shrink. This is more noticeable with repeated washings. If you’re not in a rush, throw your cotton pants in with your normal laundry and they should shrink with each repeated wash.[7]XResearch source
Only use this method if your pants are machine washable. While this isn’t normally an issue for cotton clothing, check the tags on your pants to ensure that they can be machine washed.
Advertisement Method 2 Method 2 of 3:
Drying Your Pants
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1 Throw your unwashed clothes in the dryer for smaller changes. The mechanical spinning in your dryer alone is enough to shrink your cotton pants. While heat helps the process along, you can place your unwashed fabric in the dryer and turn it on the lowest setting to shrink them in smaller increments.[8]XResearch source For more shrinkage, laundry specialist Rani Gorgis suggests that you "place the [pants] in the dryer on high heat."[9]X Expert Source Rani GorgisLaundry & Cleaning SpecialistExpert Interview
Do not expect a radical change in the size of your pants if you use no heat. This method only works if you’re trying to make a slight alteration to the size of your cotton pants.
If you don’t notice any shrinking after your first cycle, consider washing them first.
2 Use a cold wash and dry on low heat for more shrinking. Try washing your pants in cold water if you only want your pants to shrink a little bit but don’t see any changes after drying them with no heat. After their wash, select a lower temperature setting on your dryer. Getting the clothes wet before drying them will relax the fibers and aid in the shrinking process.[10]XResearch source
Start with low heat and move up from there.
3 Wash and then dry on high heat to really shrink your pants. If you choose this method, laundry specialist Rani Gorgis cautions, "check the [pants] regularly before the dry is complete so they do not shrink too much."[11]X Expert Source Rani GorgisLaundry & Cleaning SpecialistExpert Interview If you want them to shrink by a substantial amount, wash them with hot water first and then dry them on high heat. The heat will soften the cotton fabric and make it more flexible in the dryer.
Be careful. Repeatedly drying your clothes with high heat can make your clothes more susceptible to tearing.
Advertisement Method 3 Method 3 of 3:
Ironing and Tailoring Your Pants
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1 Iron your cotton pants with steam to control the shrinking. Spread your pants over an ironing board. Fill a steam iron with water and set it to its highest temperature. Lift your steam iron about half an inch from the pants and slowly steam them. After you’re done, make sure to let them air dry on a flat surface.[12]XResearch source
This is the easiest method to control what part of the clothing you’re shrinking. When you shrink a specific part of an item of clothing, it is usually referred to as fabric manipulation.[13]XResearch source
2 Apply a wet sheet over your pants and iron them. Take a piece of damp fabric and lay it over the cotton pants. Using a heavy dry iron, press the iron into the two textiles where you want them to shrink. If the pants are especially stiff, you can dampen them with a sponge instead of leaving the wet fabric on top of the pants.[14]XResearch source
3 Take your pants to a tailor for alterations. Taking your cotton pants to a professional may be a good idea if you have specific needs. A tailor will be able to alter and modify your cotton pants to shrink them to your exact specifications.[15]XResearch source
Paying a tailor to alter your clothes costs money, but shrinking your pants at home requires taking a risk with your clothes: a professional is less likely to damage them.[16]XResearch source
Question Is it possible to unshrink clothes? Kamel Almani Laundry & Cleaning Specialist Kamel Almani is a Laundry and Cleaning Specialist and the Co-Owner of WashyWash, a toxin-free and eco-friendly laundry and dry clean service based in Amman, Jordan. Kamel and his staff at WashyWash use Blue Angel certified and dermatologically-tested detergents. They also combine EcoClean and digital technology to provide an eco-friendly, convenient, and quality cleaning service. Kamel holds a BA in Design from the University of Applied Science, Amman. Kamel Almani Laundry & Cleaning Specialist Expert Answer It really depends on the fabric. Some materials can be reshaped with steam using either a steam iron or a professional textile tensioning machine. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 0 Helpful 0
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About This Article
Co-authored by: Rani Gorgis Laundry & Cleaning Specialist This article was co-authored by Rani Gorgis and by wikiHow staff writer, Eric McClure. Rani Gorgis is a Laundry and Cleaning Specialist and the Owner of Park Blvd Laundry & Dry Cleaners in San Diego, California. With several years of experience in the laundry and cleaning industry, Rani specializes in dry cleaning, wash-n-fold, shirt laundry, and servicing smoke-damaged clothes. He holds a BS in Accounting and a CPA certification. This article has been viewed 99,066 times. 1 votes - 100% Co-authors: 4Updated: April 29, 2025 Views: 99,066 Categories: Clothing | Altering Pants In other languages Spanish German Portuguese
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Download Article Shrink cotton trousers or shorts with a washer and dryer, an iron, or tailoring Co-authored by Rani Gorgis and Eric McClure 
How toShrink Jeans 
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Co-authored by: Rani Gorgis Laundry & Cleaning Specialist This article was co-authored by Rani Gorgis and by wikiHow staff writer, Eric McClure. Rani Gorgis is a Laundry and Cleaning Specialist and the Owner of Park Blvd Laundry & Dry Cleaners in San Diego, California. With several years of experience in the laundry and cleaning industry, Rani specializes in dry cleaning, wash-n-fold, shirt laundry, and servicing smoke-damaged clothes. He holds a BS in Accounting and a CPA certification. This article has been viewed 99,066 times. 1 votes - 100% Co-authors: 4 Updated: April 29, 2025 Views: 99,066 Categories: Clothing | Altering Pants In other languages Spanish German Portuguese 
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1 Boil your pants on the stove to shrink them quickly. Fill a pot with water and bring it to a boil. Once the water starts to bubble, turn the heat off. Drop your cotton pants into the pot and let them sit for anywhere between five and twenty minutes, based on how much you want to shrink them. Remove the pants with tongs and wait for them to cool.[2] 
1 Throw your unwashed clothes in the dryer for smaller changes. The mechanical spinning in your dryer alone is enough to shrink your cotton pants. While heat helps the process along, you can place your unwashed fabric in the dryer and turn it on the lowest setting to shrink them in smaller increments.[8] For more shrinkage, laundry specialist Rani Gorgis suggests that you "place the [pants] in the dryer on high heat."[9] 
2 Use a cold wash and dry on low heat for more shrinking. Try washing your pants in cold water if you only want your pants to shrink a little bit but don’t see any changes after drying them with no heat. After their wash, select a lower temperature setting on your dryer. Getting the clothes wet before drying them will relax the fibers and aid in the shrinking process.[10] 
3 Wash and then dry on high heat to really shrink your pants. If you choose this method, laundry specialist Rani Gorgis cautions, "check the [pants] regularly before the dry is complete so they do not shrink too much."[11] If you want them to shrink by a substantial amount, wash them with hot water first and then dry them on high heat. The heat will soften the cotton fabric and make it more flexible in the dryer. 
3 Take your pants to a tailor for alterations. Taking your cotton pants to a professional may be a good idea if you have specific needs. A tailor will be able to alter and modify your cotton pants to shrink them to your exact specifications.[15] 
Kamel Almani Laundry & Cleaning Specialist Kamel Almani is a Laundry and Cleaning Specialist and the Co-Owner of WashyWash, a toxin-free and eco-friendly laundry and dry clean service based in Amman, Jordan. Kamel and his staff at WashyWash use Blue Angel certified and dermatologically-tested detergents. They also combine EcoClean and digital technology to provide an eco-friendly, convenient, and quality cleaning service. Kamel holds a BA in Design from the University of Applied Science, Amman.