It looked like cotton, felt like cotton, but was actually rayon in disguise. You didn’t bother to read the care label. So, as confident as you were in your ability to complete menial household chores, the inevitable has happened: you’ve shrunk your clothes.
Whether you’re not looking forward to a walk to the donation bin or you know you won’t find another shirt like it, or your best friend gave you that dress for your birthday and you don’t want to hand it down to a friend of smaller stature, there IS a way to save that beloved piece of clothing. And it’s hella easy.
Things you’ll need.
A large tub. Or a large plastic container.
Tablespoon of hair conditioner.
Pitcher of water (lukewarm is okay, but never hot).
Dry towel.
Sheer willpower.
1. Put water in the tub, mix in your tablespoon of conditioner, toss your article of clothing in to soak.
2. Wait 15-20 minutes...or something like that.
3. Rinse your garment with COLD water.
You don’t want chunks of conditioner in there. That’s gross. Don’t ever twist it or wring it.
4. Shake it or squeeze it lightly to get excess water out.
5. Lay your dress flat on the towel and stretch it a little bit back to its original size. You may want to do this periodically as it dries to make sure it stays that way.
Voila! Your clothes are now un-shrunk. And so you don't make the same mistake next time, here is a handy cheat sheet for all those nonsense "garment care" symbols you never paid attention to before:
