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This article was co-authored by Kamel Almani and by wikiHow staff writer, Kyle Hall. 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.
This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources.
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You have the perfect polyester piece in your wardrobe, but there’s one problem: it’s too big. But did you know it’s actually really easy to shrink polyester clothes at home so they fit better? Whether you want to shrink a polyester shirt, dress, pair of pants, or other type of garment, the 2 methods below will give you fast results. Keep reading to learn how to use a washer and dryer or even just an iron to shrink your polyester clothing down to size.
How do you shrink polyester down a size?
Machine wash polyester clothing in hot water and dry it on high heat to shrink it. Re-wash and dry your garment 2-3 times until it's small enough. For more drastic shrinkage, iron your polyester clothing on medium heat while it's wet. Put a towel between the iron and your garment to protect it.
Steps
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![Step 1 Turn your polyester clothing inside out.]()
Turn your polyester clothing inside out. High heat is great for shrinking clothes, but it also fades them. Turning your garment inside out before washing and drying it will help protect it from fading.[1]- High heat can also cause color bleeding and transfer, so wash your polyester garment by itself.
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![Step 2 Machine wash the polyester in hot water.]()
Machine wash the polyester in hot water. Use your washing machine’s hottest water setting and the longest wash cycle.[2] When it comes to shrinking clothes, the more heat, the better.- Ideally, the water should be at least 140 °F (60 °C).[3]
- No need to add detergent, although you totally can if you also want to wash your garment.
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![Step 3 Dry the polyester...]()
Dry the polyester on high heat. Use the highest heat setting and longest dry cycle. -
![Step 4 Repeat the process if your polyester clothing didn’t shrink enough.]()
Repeat the process if your polyester clothing didn’t shrink enough. Pull your garment out of the dryer and check out its new size. If it didn’t shrink as much as you hoped, don’t worry! Just repeat the washing and drying steps again to shrink it even more.- Keep in mind that the more you wash and dry the garment, the more the color may fade.
- Only repeat the process 2-3 more times. If your clothing still isn’t small enough, use the iron method instead.
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![Step 1 Machine wash your polyester clothing in hot water.]()
Machine wash your polyester clothing in hot water. Set the washing machine to the hottest water setting and the longest wash cycle.[4] -
![Step 2 Lay the wet polyester on an ironing board.]()
Lay the wet polyester on an ironing board. Do this right after it’s done in the wash so it’s still soaked with hot water. -
![Step 3 Lay a pressing cloth or white towel over the polyester.]()
Lay a pressing cloth or white towel over the polyester. This will prevent the iron from damaging your clothing. -
![Step 4 Iron the polyester on a low or medium heat setting.]()
Iron the polyester on a low or medium heat setting. Keep ironing until your garment is completely dried. The heat from the iron combined with the warm water in the garment will cause the fabric to shrink!- Don’t use the steam setting on your iron—it will prevent the polyester from drying.
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![Step 5 Check the results.]()
Check the results. Voila—your polyester clothing should be much smaller now! If it’s not small enough, try machine washing it in hot water and then drying it on high heat. If it’s still not small enough after that, it’s probably shrunk as much as possible, unfortunately. In that case, it might be time to accept defeat and add the piece to your pile of comfy, around-the-house loungewear!
Expert Q&A
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QuestionHow do I keep my polyester shirt from stretching?
Kamel AlmaniKamel 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.
Laundry & Cleaning SpecialistDon't hang it up after you wash it. Just fold it up and store it in your closet or dresser. -
QuestionCan you shrink polyester in the dryer?Kamel AlmaniKamel 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.
Laundry & Cleaning SpecialistYes—first, wash it in very hot water using normal laundry detergent. Then, put it in a tumble dryer on high heat. -
QuestionCan I use the boiling water method and use the dryer method after to shrink polyester?
wikiHow Staff EditorThis answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.
Staff Answer
wikiHow Staff EditorStaff AnswerYes, absolutely! Putting your polyester in the dryer after boiling it will help it shrink more.
Video
Tips
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Some people have success shrinking polyester using boiling water. Bring a pot of water to a boil, then carefully add your polyester clothing and let it soak for around 15 minutes. Then, dry it on high heat (for additional shrinkage) or lay it out to dry.[5]Thanks
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How much your polyester clothing shrinks will depend on what percentage of polyester it’s made up of. 100% polyester clothing is tougher to shrink and may only shrink slightly. Polyester blends (like polyester mixed with cotton) on the other hand, will shrink more, possibly even a whole size.[6]Thanks
References
- ↑ Safir Ali. Professional Dry Cleaner. Expert Interview. 15 September 2020.
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJKyBo6Hsvk
- ↑ Kamel Almani. Laundry & Cleaning Specialist. Expert Interview. 9 April 2021.
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJKyBo6Hsvk
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJKyBo6Hsvk
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJKyBo6Hsvk
About This Article
If you have a polyester item that’s too big, you can shrink it a little in your washing machine. Turn the garment inside out and put it through the wash on the longest, hottest cycle. Next, dry it for as long as possible with your dryer set to high heat. You may need to repeat this process 2 to 3 times to shrink the item as much as possible. Alternatively, wash the garment at high heat, then take it out of the washer and iron it on a low- to medium heat setting until it’s completely dry. If you want to learn how to shrink polyester with an iron, keep reading the article!
Reader Success Stories
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"Worked really well. If you've ever purchased clothing (in my case shirts) on the internet from overseas, mainly China, then you know they size clothing different than us. I ordered too large, tried this method and it saved me the hassle and cost of overseas return."..." more
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