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Why Did My T-Shirt Shrink In The Wash

The T-shirt fitted when you bought it. You’re a deliberate guy so you read the care label and washed at the right temperature. Now after just one wash your T-shirt shows off a bit of belly and squeezes your arms every time you reach for something. No need to second guess yourself - it definitely shrank.
Before you turn it into a floor rag, hold on. There are a couple of things you can try to stretch some of that lost size back out.
First, let's work out why it shrank so you don't do the same thing to the next one.

Why Do T-Shirts Shrink

100% cotton T-shirt care label with fabric composition information

Has Your T-Shirt Been Pre-Shrunk?

Before you have a go at the shop for selling fake 100% cotton, remember that some cotton is manufactured differently. Pre shrunk cotton is treated so that by the time you wash your shirt at home it won’t shrink as much as it would have.
What’s annoying is that the care label might not say pre-shrunk, and even if it does it won’t tell you by how much. 
Here's our pack of 100% cotton T-shirts.
The reviews complained about shrinkage, so we decided to test them.

How Hot Did You Wash And Dry It?

If it went through a hot wash and then straight into the hot tumble dryer, don’t do that with the next T-shirt you buy. If it says 20°C, don't decide that 30°C or 40°C will get it extra clean. And if the label tells you not to tumble dry it, don't tumble dry it and hope the shirt understands that you're a busy guy with places to be.
For all future T-shirts think ‘care label says 30°C - I wonder if I can get away with 20’. Use the care instructions as the ceiling rather than a challenge.
We checked the label on our test T-shirt, followed the washing instructions and measured it before and after.
a side by side comparison of two shirts - one has shrunk in the wash.
It still shrank.

Can You Unshrink A T-Shirt?

If the shirt has only lost some length or width but the actual fabric is still in good condition, we're going to try to get some of that size back.
Don’t worry, we won’t tell you a hack works because it’s trending.

Soak And Reshape It

Fill a bowl with lukewarm water and soak the shrunken T-shirt for 20 minutes.
Take it out, and give it a good squeeze to get the water out. Don't twist it into a rope. It’s not a fight. Now lay it flat on a towel and ease the damp fabric outwards with your hands.
If the shirt got shorter, focus on the length from shoulders to hem and shoulder to sleeve cuff. If it got narrower work across the whole width including the shoulders and sleeves. Don't grab two ends and yank - you’ll pull it out of shape.  Leave to air dry.
Once it’s totally dry, try it on. Raise your arms, bend over, then sit down. Is it still tight? Does it pull? Did the length or width come back?
side by side comparison of tshirt after the soak and reshape method.
Our T-shirt got a bit better but the model said it still feels borrowed.

Try The Hair Conditioner Trick

Fill a bowl with lukewarm water and add a tablespoon of basic rinse-out conditioner. Mix it into the water, then put the shrunken T-shirt in and leave it to soak for 30 minutes. Don't rinse the conditioner out yet. Just squeeze out the excess water and lay it flat on a towel. If it’s lost length, ease the fabric from the shoulders down to the bottom hem. If it got tighter around the body then work across the width. Easy does it. We're trying to get the original shape back, not design an experimental new fit.
Once you're happy with the shape, leave it flat for about 10 minutes. Then rinse it with cool water.
side by side comparison of original unwashed T-shirt vs shrunken washed T-shirt that has been soaked and reshaped with hair conditioner.
We think our shrunken T-shirt got the shape back and even looks better than the original.
Man wearing an old T-shirt and rubber gloves while cleaning a toilet

Don't Keep Stretching A T-Shirt That Is Finished

Give the rescue attempt a fair chance, but also know when you're done.
If you've soaked it, stretched it, reshaped it and it still doesn't fit properly, call it. There are better ways to spend your time than negotiating with a T-shirt.
if it's comfortable enough for sleeping, decorating, gardening or working around the house, demote it.
Can't wear it anywhere? Fine. It can help clean the bathroom that witnessed its downfall.
The lesson learned here will be why this one shrank in the first place.

How Do You Stop T-Shirts Shrinking?

One shrunken T-shirt is enough. The next one is making it through the wash at the size you bought it. And you don't need a special laundry routine.

Check The Reviews Before You Buy Another One

Don't only look at the star rating.
Read the written reviews.If you keep seeing the words:
“shrunk after one wash”, “came out shorter”, “size up because it shrinks” or “followed the instructions and it still shrank”, decide if you still want it.
You can take the chance, just make sure the price won't annoy you if it shrinks.
And if you've just lost a perfectly good T-shirt after one wear, you might decide that particular gamble isn't worth taking again.

Hand Washing Pretreatment

For that special T-shirt that you don’t want to take risks with, you can just use your hands instead of the washing machine.
Before you get it wet, run a lint roller over the whole shirt. You want to get rid of all the loose fibres, fluff or dust on clothes instead of leaving them to float around in the wash water.
Fill the sink or a bowl with cool or lukewarm water and add your usual detergent.
Put the T-shirt in and push the whole thing under the water. Leave it to soak for 10 minutes.

Hand Washing Action

Get a good lather going then rub each section between your knuckles - focus on dirty or smelly bits - armpit, collar, stains and grease spots. Now rinse it with the same temperature water as you used to wash it. Get as much water out as you can by pressing it out with your hands. Reshape the T-shirt while it's damp, then leave it flat to air dry.
Light coloured fabric collect every stray bit of fluff and dust when wet. If part of the T-shirt keeps floating back to the surface, push it back down whenever you pass. - you don't want to have to clean your T-shirt twice.

What If You Want To Wash White T-Shirts Hot?

Nobody wants a perfectly fitting white T-shirt that's no longer particularly white.
Before you turn up the temperature, spot clean the worst bits.
If you've got a grubby collar, a random grease spot on the front, or the armpit looks a bit yellowy grey, put some detergent directly on that area and work it through with your fingers.
Now wash it with a detergent meant for white clothes on the recommended setting.
Still not happy?
Glass thermometer checking the temperature of water before handwashing a T-shirt

Give Your T-shirt a Hot Handwash

Let's say the care label wants you to wash it with water under 40°C. You can hand wash it at that temperature instead of putting it through a full 40°C machine cycle.
Mix your hot and cold water together and use a basic thermometer rather than playing guess the water temperature with your fingers.
Put the T-shirt in and wash it by hand.
Now you can see the shirt the entire time.
Is it clean?
Take it out.
You got the extra cleaning you wanted without giving your white T-shirt the hottest, longest wash the machine has to offer.
While we're sorting out annoying clothes...
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