I Discovered How to Unshrink Sweaters, and Now I’ll Never Have to Get Rid of Them

Picture this: You spot your favorite wool or cashmere sweater tangled with other wet clothes in the washer and when you go to take it out, you notice that it’s gotten a bit smaller. But don’t pass it down to your 5-year-old niece just yet! There may be hope for unshrinking your sweater with a few simple household items. Read below to learn how to unshrink a sweater.

Before going through the entire roller coaster of emotions (the shrunken sweater, the spark of hope, the work of trying to unshrink it, the waiting, and then the disappointment of it not working), examine your sweater to see if there’s any actual possibility of unshrinking it.

Any sweaters made of natural fibers such as wool, mohair, or cashmere will need to be checked for felting. “When the fibers are subjected to a mixture of moisture, heat, and agitation, the scales lock together like Velcro,” shares Pamela Keeling Schultz of Fiber Sprite. You can see how much a sweater has felted by seeing how easily the fibers stretch apart. If there’s still some stretch, you can try unshrinking your sweater. Schultz likes to use Unicorn Fibre Rinse instead of conditioner or fabric softener in the unshrinking process outlined below.

This method works best on natural, knit fabrics that still have some flexibility left in the fibers.

• Wool (if only lightly felted)
• Cashmere
• Merino wool
• Mohair
• Cotton (if shrinkage is mild and from heat, not heavy agitation)

As mentioned above, these fibers can sometimes relax and stretch back into shape because they’re more responsive to moisture and conditioning agents.

• Acrylic
• Polyester
• Nylon
• Rayon or viscose
• Heavily felted wool
• Structured, tailored, or lined garments

Synthetic fibers are typically heat-set during manufacturing, meaning once they shrink, the change is often permanent. And if wool has fully felted (dense, matted, and stiff), the fibers have locked together too tightly to loosen again.

If your sweater is a blend, results will depend on which fiber makes up the majority of the fabric.

Once you’ve determined that there’s a possibility of successfully unshrinking your sweater, it’s time to gather the tools you’ll need to do the job.

• A corkboard or foam board (about as big as your sweater)
• Liquid fabric softener, baby shampoo, or hair conditioner
• A white, fluffy towel
• A salad spinner (optional)
• Stainless steel T-pins
• A bucket or large sink for soaking

Follow the steps below to unshrink a sweater.

Fill the bucket with lukewarm water and add two tablespoons of fabric softener, baby shampoo, or hair conditioner. This will soften the fibers of your sweater, preparing them for stretching.

Let your sweater soak in the water mixture for at least 20 minutes or up to two hours.

Drain the liquid, but don’t rinse the sweater. Gently squeeze out extra moisture, but don’t wring.

Lay the sweater flat on the towel, and roll the towel and sweater into a roll to get out even more moisture. You can also use a salad spinner either before or after this step to dry the sweater even further.

Lay your sweater on top of the corkboard. Stretch it out as much as you can — gently — and pin it in place. Pay special attention so that you don’t rip any seams by pulling too tightly or in the wrong direction.

Go back after about an hour, stretch your sweater a bit more, and re-pin. Repeat this several times or until you can’t stretch it anymore.

Knowing there’s a way to potentially restore the sweater you thought was ruined is such a relief, but you may be wondering how to ensure that you don’t make it too big. There’s an easy way to do that: Grab a sweater that fits you well and bring it with you to your stretching station. As you stretch your sweater incrementally, lay the unruined sweater over the top as a guide. Don’t stretch any bigger than the size of the guide sweater.