Jeans come in many different styles, colors and cuts. The sizes can also change after many washes and depending on how you care for them, they fit differently every time you put them on. Due to this, your best jeans just would not fit right after a while. Yes, that is super frustrating. Either your favorite denim has become extremely stretched out and the jeans are way too big, or it has shrunk and you can barely squeeze into them. Either way, it’s a total bummer. Thankfully, there are some very reliable fixes for such common denim dilemma.
Ahead are some clever hacks on how to shrink or stretch jeans to make sure they always fit like a glove no matter which style you are wearing.
If the Jeans Are Too Big
Wash them in hot water – If your jeans have become a little stretched out, just turn to the hottest setting on your washing machine and throw them in a standard wash cycle. This method works best if your pair of jeans are made of a denim that is as close to 100% cotton as possible. Remember not to use any fabric softener.
Put them in the dryer on a hot setting – After you are done washing them on a hot cycle, toss the jeans in the dryer, and turn it to the hot setting. All the heat will constrict the fibers in the denim to make them snugger than they were before.
If Your Jeans Are Too Tight
Spray them with lukewarm water, then pull to stretch – This is the easiest trick to try to stretch out a pair of jeans that have shrunk down. Spray them with lukewarm water and then lay the jeans out on the floor. Stand on each leg of the jeans, bend down, and then use your hands to manually pull and stretch the jeans while they are wet. Pull them in any and all directions and keep reapplying the lukewarm water as needed.
Sit in a warm bath while wearing the jeans – This idea may sound a bit crazy, but it works. Wear the jeans that are too snug, fill a bath with warm water, and sit in it. The warm (not hot) water will help loosen and stretch the threading a bit. Of course, hang dry when you are done.
Remove the waistband – This technique requires a bit of sewing. Rip the side seams of your jeans about two to three inches down and then cut the waistband at the same place. You will then add a separate piece of denim (or some other material) to expand the waist of your jeans. If this sounds hard to do, send it to the tailor.
