Checking through your wardrobe and coming in contact with one of your old t-shirts, which is stylish. Unfortunately, it is now bigger than its original size, but you love it so much, and you don’t want to toss it into the bin. You probably will be on the lookout to learn how to restore old t-shirts.

To do this, you can shrink the T-shirt to fit you. Using heat on a t-shirt can shrink it a few sizes. It is easy to shrink a shirt back to its original size and shape, especially if the t-shirt you bought is 100% cotton, as different fabrics take different amounts of time to shrink. However, it might be a bit tricky to shrink a t-shirt that is pre-shrunk.

Moreover, a lot of heat can damage your favorite t-shirt, so you need to be careful when shrinking it. I will discuss two effective ways to help your old t-shirt restoration, and I will also answer questions that will help you revive your old shirt to its original size and shape.

Old T-shirt Restoration: How to Revive to Original Size and Shape

How To Restore Your Old T-shirt Using a Washing Machine?

Step one: Wash the t-shirt

Put it into the washing machine and wash it on ‘hot/hot’ or the hottest temperature setting. It is actually the movement inside the washing machine that shrinks the T-shirt and helps restore it to its original size and shape.

A top-load washing machine causes more agitation and movement and, therefore, causes more shrinkage than front-load washing machines. You can put some other pieces of clothing you want to shrink with the t-shirt but be sure that they are all of the same or similar colors.

Step two: Dry the t-shirt

Once the washing cycle is complete, dry it on high heat or medium in your dryer. You don’t have to give a lot of heat during drying to shrink the t-shirt because shrinkage is caused by movement.

For vintage or delicate t-shirts, don’t use very high-temperature settings to dry as this can damage them.

That is all you need to do for your t-shirt restoration using a washing machine. Now you can enjoy your perfect-fitting T-shirt.

Machine washing and drying the t-shirt for the first time can shrink it by 20%. However, it can also make the t-shirt lose its brand-new look and feel. This is because the tumbling action in the washing machine raises the small fibers and gives them a faded and powdery look.

How To Restore Your Old T-shirt Using Hot Water?

Step One: Boil some water

Old T-shirt Restoration

To use hot water to shrink a t-shirt, you first need to take a pot full of water and boil it.

Step two: Put the shirt in the boiled water

Once the water starts boiling in the pot, turn off the heat and place the T-shirt in it. Generally, the warmer the water, the more the t-shirt will shrink. Basically, apparel companies stretch the fabric to make a shirt so that less fabric is used. Putting the t-shirt in warm or hot water shrinks it back to its natural size.

If you want to shrink the t-shirt by 1-2 sizes, then put it in the water immediately after you take it off the heat. For shrinking the t-shirt by up to 1 size, wait for 5 minutes before putting the t-shirt in the water. 

Step three: Keep the t-shirt soaked in the water

Leave the T-shirt in the water for about 20 minutes. The longer you put the T-shirt in water, the more it will shrink. So, you can leave it for more or less time in the hot water depending on its size and how much you want to shrink it.

Step four: Drain the water

When you think that the t-shirt has been submerged in the hot water for an appropriate amount of time, drain the water and remove the t-shirt with a pair of tongs.

Use thick gloves or pot holders to drain the water so that you don’t burn yourself while doing so.

Step five: Dry the shirt

Depending on the size of the t-shirt, use a dryer or wring it out to dry it. If you want to shrink the t-shirt slightly, wring it out and let it air dry.

To shrink the t-shirt by 2 or more sizes, use a dryer so that the tumbling action can further shrink it.

Old T-shirt Restoration: How to Revive to Original Size and Shape

How Long Does Old T-Shirt Restoration Take?

It takes about 15-20 minutes plus drying time to shrink and restore any t-shirt to its original size, regardless of the type of fabric. Whether you use a washing machine or place it in a pot of boiling water, the process should not exceed 20 minutes.

However, if you want to shrink the shirt more, then you will need more time to do so. That is because the more heat you apply to the shirt, the more it will shrink.

How Do I Restore Old T-shirt Without Damaging It?

You can follow a few tips to ensure that your t-shirt does not fade or get damaged while you are trying to restore it.

  1. Firstly, you need to turn the t-shirt inside out before shrinking it so that the pattern on the outer side is not damaged or does not fade.
  2. Don’t shrink a T-shirt or any garment more than once. This is because the more heat you will apply to the fabric, the faster it will fade.
  3. Don’t dry the T-shirt directly in the sunlight. This will cause it to fade, and it won’t give a brand-new look.
  4. Finally, add a cup of vinegar to water when shrinking. This will keep the color of the t-shirt from fading or bleeding out.

Can You Shrink a T-Shirt by Just Drying It?

You need to machine wash the t-shirt or soak it in a pot full of hot water before drying it to shrink it. That’s because the heat is what causes the fabric to shrink.

Only drying the t-shirt might not give very good results as far as shrinking it to your exact size is concerned.

Old T-shirt Restoration

Can I Restore Old T-shirts That Are Too Big?

The answer is yes, you can restore old T-shirts that are too big. The secret is to use the right method and the right products. The first thing you need to do is wash them in hot water and dry them on high heat. This will shrink them up a bit.

Then, place them in the dryer on high heat for another 15 minutes or so. You might want to put an old towel inside the dryer with your clothes because they will get very hot and could burn you if they get caught on something in there.

If this doesn’t work enough for you, there are other ways to shrink your clothes down:

Use a hair dryer with no heat setting on it. Heat tends to make clothing stretch out even more than normal, and if the garment does not have any elasticity left in it, it will probably never fit properly again.

Taking the time to learn some of these styling tips can be a great help in preventing many of the common maladies that can affect clothing.

Take Home

To get the best results from restoring an old t-shirt, go through the answers to some queries I gave above. Also, follow the two ways mentioned in the post to shrink a t-shirt that is too large for you. It will also help in your old t-shirt restoration. Once you know how to shrink t-shirts, you can easily create a closet full of customized clothes for different occasions.

I think it’s also important to note that certain clothing items are not meant to be shrunk at all, while others may only be shrunk by a certain percentage.

Disclosure: This article, other beauty and fashion tips on SheBegan are contributed by experienced fashion professionals, beauty & cosmetics experts. Read our full research and editorial process here. Also, our posts may contain affiliate links, read our full affiliate disclosure
Author

Hi, I'm Praise and I will be taking you on a fashion journey. I am a full time writer, but I like to play dress-up by the side(winks). There are only a few things as beautiful as looking good and since we have established looking good is good business, I hope we can achieve that together.

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