How to Shrink a Cotton Shirt in Boiling Water or the Washing Machine

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Get the perfect fit without damaging your favorite t-shirts

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Shrinking with Boiling Water

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Shrinking in the Washer & Dryer

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Expert Interview

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Q&A

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Tips

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Warnings

Got a collection of oversized cotton tees you’d love to wear if only they fit right? Cotton is a flexible, shrinkable fabric that’s easy to resize—it turns out that all you need is some hot water! In this article, we’ll show you 2 surefire ways to shrink your cotton t-shirts (a little bit, or a lot) without ruining them. Let’s get started!

Things You Should Know

Boil a pot of water and cut the heat once it bubbles. Add your shirt to the pot, cover it, and let the shirt soak for 5-20 minutes.
Or, throw your shirt in the washer with like colors and run a cycle on the hottest water setting.
Air dry your shirt to keep it from shrinking more after you remove it from the hot water pot or washing machine. Machine dry on high to shrink it even more.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Shrinking with Boiling Water

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1
Boil a pot of water large enough to submerge the entire t-shirt. If you plan on shrinking multiple shirts at once, use an extra-large pot that can hold all of them. Submerging cotton in hot water will help the fibers contract and shrink (some cotton clothing is intentionally stretched a bit during manufacturing).^{[1]XResearch source}
- If you want to shrink a graphic tee, skip ahead to Shrinking in the Washer & Dryer. The boiling method is more likely to damage the print than the washer.
- If your t-shirt has stains, pre-treat or remove them before shrinking (stains that haven’t been pre-treated will be permanently set in the fabric by the heat).
- Check your shirt’s tag to see if it’s pre-shrunk. If it is, then you’re likely stuck with the shirt’s current size (it may shrink a tiny bit, but it won’t be super noticeable).
- If you want to avoid the hassle of buying a shirt that's too big and shrinking it yourself, look for pre-shrunk garments when you shop.
2
Cut the heat once the water is boiling and place your shirt in the pot. For the maximum shrinkage (about 2 sizes smaller), add the shirt to the hot water right away—the warmer the water, the greater the shrinkage. A pure cotton garment will shrink about 20% at most. If you only want to to shrink the shirt a little bit, wait a few minutes before adding the shirt:^{[2]XResearch source}
- To shrink roughly 1 to 2 sizes, put your shirt in right after you remove the pot from the heat.
- Too shrink roughly ½ to 1 size, wait 5 minutes before placing the shirt in the water.
- To shrink roughly ¼ to ½ size, wait 10-15 minutes before placing the shirt in the water.
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3
Cover the pot and let the shirt soak in the water for 5 to 20 minutes. The longer the shirt is exposed to the hot water, the more it will shrink. Let it soak for at least 5 minutes to get started, but no longer than 20 minutes total (the shirt will probably hit its maximum shrinkage by then).^{[3]XResearch source}
- If you’re only shrinking it up to 1 size or less, pull the shirt out with tongs and inspect the size every couple of minutes (you may have to let it cool for a moment before handling it). If it needs to shrink further, put it back in the pot.^{[4]XResearch source}
- If you’re not sure exactly how long to leave the shirt in, pull it out sooner rather than later. You can always repeat the process to shrink it further.
Take out the shirt slowly to avoid splashes that could scald your hands, and set it somewhere to cool for a few minutes, like a clean sink or countertop or in a different pot. Empty the pot of water (unless you have more cotton to shrink. Then, reheat the water and begin the process again).^{[5]XResearch source}
5
Squeeze the excess water out of the shirt once it’s cool and let it air dry. Gently roll and massage the shirt to wring out excess water (being careful not to stretch the fabric and undo the shrinking). Then, lay the shirt on a clean towel or drying rack to dry out. Air drying will preserve the shrinkage from the hot water without shrinking the shirt any further.^{[6]XResearch source}
- To shrink the shirt even more (by up to 2 sizes compared to its original shape), use a dryer on high heat instead—the tumbling will cause it to shrink further.^{[7]XResearch source}
- If the shirt needs to shrink more after it's dry, repeat the boiling process as many times as needed.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Shrinking in the Washer & Dryer

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1
Wash your shirt in the washing machine with the hottest water setting. If you’re shrinking multiple t-shirts, wash them in batches of like colors (the hot water can cause color bleeding). If you’re shrinking a graphic tee, turn it inside out before you toss it in the wash.^{[8]XResearch source}
- Check the shrinkage once the wash cycle is done. If the shirt looks small enough, air dry it. If it needs more shrinking, put it in the dryer.
- The hot water will force the cotton fibers to contract and shrink. The agitation of your shirt hitting the sides of the washer will help shrink them even further, too.^{[9]XResearch source}
- Front-loading washers produce less agitation (and therefore slightly less shrinkage) than top-loading machines.
2
Transfer the shirt to the dryer and dry it on high heat. First, check your lint filter and remove any buildup—high heat plus a lot of dry lint can be a fire hazard. Then, toss your cotton t-shirt in and run it through the hottest dry cycle on your machine. If the shirt is vintage or a graphic tee, use medium heat to avoid cracking or melting the print (or air dry it to be extra safe).^{[10]XResearch source}
- If your shirt only needs a little more shrinkage, pull it out of the dryer every couple of minutes to check on its progress.
- Once the dry cycle is complete, you’re done! Pull out your shirt and inspect your work. If it needs more shrinkage, run it through another hot washer-dryer cycle.
3
Dry your cotton t-shirts on medium heat in the future to prevent damage. High heat and tumbling may cause your shirt to shrink even more later, so unless you want an extra-tiny shirt, dry it on a lower heat setting next time you wash it. Repeated hot drying can also wear out and crack the fibers of your shirt, reducing the fabric’s strength by up to 25%.^{[11]XResearch source}
- Dark-colored shirts may fade or look “powdery” because the heat and tumbling raises microscopically small fibers that diffuse the color.
There are tons of ways to make a fitted cotton t-shirt look effortlessly cool. Try styling it with a pair of slim-fit jeans for a casual look, or throwing a blazer over it for a more elevated ‘fit (keep the jeans or try a matching blazer-and-pants combo). When it comes to t-shirts, there’s no wrong way to wear them!^{[12]XResearch source}

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Question
Will an organic cotton top shrink with this method?
How.com.vn Staff Editor
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This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.
How.com.vn Staff Editor
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Organic cotton is the same as cotton, just that it has been grown without the application of conventional chemicals. Its fiber structure remains the same, and as such, it will respond to the treatment in much the same way that a conventional cotton t-shirt will. However, and this is important, many conventional cotton t-shirts will have been treated with chemicals to reduce shrinkage; as such, an organic cotton t-shirt risks shrinking more and this possibility must be accounted for when seeking to shrink it, or you risk over-shrinking.
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Can you shrink polyester and cotton?
How.com.vn Staff Editor
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This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.
How.com.vn Staff Editor
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Separately, yes this is possible: For shrinking polyester, see How to Shrink Polyester and for shrinking cotton, refer to the steps above for a cotton t-shirt, or see How to Shrink Cotton Fabrics for other cotton garments. It is harder to shrink a polyester and cotton blend because the whole purpose of combining polyester with cotton is to prevent shrinkage and produce an easy-care garment. You could try subjecting a top made from both materials to high heat washing and drying but don't expect much shrinkage to occur.
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How can I unshrink a t-shirt?
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This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.
How.com.vn Staff Editor
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You can try by using warm water and an addition such as baby shampoo, then attempting to reshape the item with gentle pulling, then washing in cold water to prevent repeated shrinkage. For some help with doing this, see How to Unshrink Clothes. Stretching t-shirt fabric can cause it to become over-stretched and floppy though, so do stretch it with care and follow the principle of "a little goes a long way."
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Tips

Add ½ cup (118 mL) of white vinegar to hot water to keep colors from bleeding out. There may be some unavoidable color loss, so wash each garment to shrink separately.
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For a quick and easy way to make a shirt of any material appear shrunk, tie the bottom of the shirt with a hair tie or rubber band and tuck the excess fabric up inside the shirt.
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These methods work best on 100% cotton. Cotton blends may not shrink as much (or at all) depending on the fabric’s composition and the other materials.
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Warnings

There is a chance that the prints on graphic tees will melt or crack when they’re exposed to high heat. To minimize the risk, turn graphic tees inside out before throwing them in the washer or dryer, and avoid putting them in scalding hot water.
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Shirts may shrink unevenly. These techniques may not preserve the fitted style of women's shirts, for example.
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