Unshrinking cotton and denim
What changes on cotton and denim. Cotton shrinkage is tension rather than felting, so the fibres are undamaged and the size is genuinely recoverable.
The method for cotton and denim
- 1Soak in lukewarm water with conditioner for 30 minutes, the same as any fibre.
- 2For denim, put it on damp and move in it. Body heat and movement stretch denim back better than hands do.
- 3For a t-shirt, stretch it flat on a towel, working from the middle outward.
- 4Do not rinse the conditioner out. It is what is keeping the fibres slippery while you work.
- 5Air dry. A dryer undoes all of it in twenty minutes.
What ruins it
Do not put it back in a hot wash to try again. Every hot cycle shrinks cotton a little further and the effect accumulates.
The general case, and what it costs you
The general method, the detection notes and what this does to a garment's resale value are on the shrinkage page.
Ready to Grade Smarter?
Join resellers who trust GradeThread to standardize condition grading, build buyer confidence, and sell faster.