Leggings are a comfortable and stylish wardrobe item, but sometimes they can stretch or stand too loose. In this article you will find practical advice and current methods that will help you effectively shrink leggings. 

Why do leggings stretch?

Leggings are often made of flexible materials such as spandex, lycra or cotton with an admixture of elastane. These materials ensure comfort and freedom of movement, but they can stretch during use.

Intensive use

Daily wearing, washing and intensive exercises can lead to stretching of the material, which means that leggings lose their original fit.

How to shrink leggings: methods

High temperature washing

One of the easiest ways to shrink leggings is their washing at high temperature.

  1. Set the washing machine to the highest washing temperature.
  2. Add leggings to the washing machine without other delicate clothes.
  3. After the washing cycle, dry leggings in a high temperature drum dryer.

Use of boiling water

Boiling water can effectively shrink leggings, especially those made of cotton.

  1. Boil a large amount of water.
  2. Dip the leggings in boiling water for about 10-15 minutes.
  3. Take the leggings out of the water, carefully squeeze the excess water and dry them in the drum dryer at high temperature.

Drying in a drum dryer

If the leggings are not very stretched, the drying process in the drum dryer at high temperature may be sufficient to contraction them.

  1. Set the dryer to the highest temperature.
  2. Dry leggings for about 30-40 minutes.
  3. Check if the leggings have shrunk; Repeat the process if necessary.

Important remarks

Check the labels

Before trying to shrink leggings, check the manufacturer's labels. Some materials may be damaged as a result of high temperature, so it is important to make sure that leggings can be safely subjected to these processes.

Test on a small area

To avoid damage to leggings, it is worth testing the selected method on a small area. If the material reacts well, you can continue throughout the leggings.

Alternative methods

If leggings do not shrink enough or are made of delicate materials, consider using tailoring services to professionally adapt leggings to your size.

Surprising leggings is possible thanks to a few simple methods, such as Washing at high temperature, use of boiling water or drying in a drum dryer. It is important to always check the manufacturer's labels and test the method on a small area to avoid damage to the material.