How to Shrink Your Jeans at Home

Try these quick size-altering methods for when you need a fast fix.

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A pair of perfectly fitting jeans is a wardrobe staple, but finding them can be a difficult task. And even if you have a pair you love, they may stretch out after a few wears. Luckily, shrinking jeans at home is a fast and easy way to get a more snug fit. We spoke to a clothing expert who shared four methods for shrinking jeans at home. Each technique uses hot water, which can shrink the fabric's fibers.

How much you can shrink your jeans—and how long they'll stay that way—depends on their original size and fabric. You'll likely have the best success shrinking your denim if it's already close to the right size. "Expecting to shrink one number size down is possible—more than that, and for a more foolproof and permanent solution, I'd recommend tailoring," says Hallie Abrams, stylist and founder of The Wardrobe Consultant. "The shrinkage will be most permanent in length. The other areas will have warmth, tension, and friction and likely stretch out again with wear."

To shrink your jeans at home, heat is key. "The easiest, quickest way to shrink denim is to wash and dry them on the hottest temperatures possible—similar to the way that washing your favorite sweater in hot water and putting it in the dryer is something you try to avoid because it will shrink," says Abrams

A similar technique trades the washing machine for a pot of boiling water on the stove, followed by a run through the dryer. "Boiling your jeans for 20 to 30 minutes and then drying them in a hot dryer will usually shrink them more quickly than the washer method—and shrink them slightly more effectively," says Abrams.

How effective these methods are depends on the fabric content of your denim. If they have more than 1 or 2 percent elastane for stretch, they're more likely to stretch out again. "It is the cotton that will be the agent in the jean's shrinking process," Abrams says. "So a 100 percent cotton denim will do a better job of shrinking and staying smaller for more wears."

Wearing your jeans in the bathtub may sound uncomfortable, but if you can get past the idea of wearing wet denim, it should result in a nearly perfect fit, says Abrams. For this method, put your jeans on and fill the bathtub with warm water. While wearing your jeans, sit in the bathtub for about 30 minutes. When time is up, get out of the bathtub and leave your jeans on until they're completely dry.

If your jeans have one specific problem area—a gaping waistband or a drooping back pocket—taking them to a denim tailor is ideal. "Shrinking just one part of a garment using a DIY method can be really challenging—I would not recommend it," says Abrams.

Although some people recommend using an iron to shrink specific sections of denim, Patric Richardson, founder of The Laundry Evangelist, recommends against it. "I don't think that would work," he says, adding that your best shot is to wash in hot water.