Having your best yoga pant start to look saggy than skin-tight is one of the worst clothing-related tragedies. It can make you frustrated and upset when losing the elasticity or shape of the pants.
If you want to know how to shrink yoga pants, this is the right place to be. This article explains the steps of shrinking your yoga pants. Let’s dive deeper!
How to Shrink Cotton Yoga Pant and Leggings?
Shrinking your cotton yoga pants is easy because cotton shrinks the best. Since cotton tends to bleed, ensure that you separate your colored pants from the white ones. Below are steps on how to shrink cotton yoga pants and leggings:
Step 1: Select the fabric you wish to shrink and ensure it is 100% fabric.
Keep in mind that this is a permanent process and may result in the permanent shrinkage of your cotton yoga pants.
If unsure, test a smaller piece in an inconspicuous place on the garment before proceeding with the steps below.
Step 2: Put your cotton yoga pants in hot water and allow them to soak for about 30 minutes.
You can add a cup of vinegar to the water, this will ensure a more even shrinkage and prevent bleeding your colored pants. Ensure you stir your pants around so they soak evenly.
Step 3: Remove your cotton yoga pants from the water and stretch them out to their original size or as close as possible.
Then put them back into the hot water for another 30 minutes, stirring occasionally so that they continue to soak evenly.
Get rid of any excess water by wringing them out or using a towel to pat the excess water off.
Step 4: Place your cotton yoga pants on the clothesline (you can also use a drying rack), ensuring that they are not touching anything else.
Turn on the clothing dryer and place them in there to dry. It will take around 15 minutes for small-sized pants, up to an hour for large-sized pants.
Ensure you do not leave your cotton yoga pants in the dryer too long as they may shrink slightly more than anticipated.
Related: How to Wear Yoga Pants Without Underwear Lines?
How to Shrink Nylon Yoga Pants and Leggings?
Nylon is a synthetic material, meaning that it does not shrink easily but this does not mean it cannot be shrunk. The key to successfully shrinking your nylon yoga pants and leggings is in how it is washed and dried. Below are steps on how to shrink your nylon yoga pants and leggings:
Step 1: You should begin by throwing the nylon pants and leggings into the washing machine with hot water and your usual detergent.
Step 2: Turn off the washer when everything is done and remove the clothes, but do not put them in the dryer yet. Instead, hang them up to air dry for a couple of hours.
Step 3: Once the clothes have dried, you should put them in the dryer and set them to medium heat and high tumble.
Step 4: You can repeat these steps as needed until the desired size has been achieved, if your particular clothing item has not shrunk as required or not at all after one cycle, though be sure to air dry before repeating.
Step 5: Once the desired size has been reached, take your clothes out of the dryer and hang them up to finish air-drying outside of the dryer.
Related: How to Hem Yoga Pants at Home?
How to Shrink Lululemon Yoga Pants?
Just like nylon and cotton, your Lululemon yoga pants can shrink when put in boiling water and then dried at high temperatures.
Step 1: Check the material your Lululemon yoga pants are made of before determining the procedure to use.
Step 2: Remove the Lulumenon label from the pants.
Step 3: Put a bucket under each leg opening and tie a rope around each cuff.
Step 4: Dip the pants in boiling water for 1 minute, then soak them overnight in 1 cup of white vinegar and 2 to 3 cups of Epsom salts.
Step 5: Remove from liquid and allow to dry before wearing or washing.
Related: How to Cut Yoga Pant Into Shorts?
How to Shrink Lycra Yoga Pants and Leggings?
Lycra is a synthetic material which hard to shrink, mostly if it is 100% synthetic. However, it is possible to shrink your lycra yoga pants and leggings if needed using a washing machine or a dryer. Below are the steps to shrink your lycra yoga pants:
Step 1: Turn your yoga pants inside out. Hot water fades the color thus turning inside out minimizes the effect.
Step 2: Put your lycra pants in the washing machine and switch on the hottest water setting and the highest spin speed.
Step 3: Add vinegar to your load of laundry which contains your yoga pants. Vinegar is known to help reduce shrinkage.
Step 4: Put your machine on medium heat and run a cycle using hot water. Add an extra rinse if possible, but do not use fabric softener.
If you are using a dryer, use it on high heat and don’t overload the machine.
Step 5: Try the pants on to see if they still need a bit of shrinking. If necessary, run them through the washing machine and dryer again with high heat.
If you are now satisfied with the size of your pants, be sure to turn them inside out before using them as this prolongs their life and helps prevent pilling.
Related: How to Add A Yoga Waistband to Pants?
How to Shrink Polyester Spandex Yoga Pants and Leggings?
You can shrink polyester spandex in a number of ways depending on how big the shrinkage needed is and how delicate the clothing is.
Before Shrinking:
Before you shrink polyester spandex, check the care instructions on the label. You might need to pre-wash or steam them in order for them to shrink correctly. The following steps will perfectly shrink your polyester spandex yoga pants:
Step 1: Put your pants into the washing machine with the water on hot and set your wash cycle to go for 45 minutes or longer.
Step 2: Use a mild detergent that won’t damage your yoga pants, such as Woolite. Don’t use fabric softener because it coats clothes and polyester spandex does not respond well to this treatment.
Step 3: Remove the clothes when washed and place them in your dryer. Dry on the highest heat setting for 15 to 20 minutes.
The heat from the dryer will cause additional shrinkage.
Step 4: After the clothes have been washed and dried, they may need a slight touch-up by hand with a hot steam iron or an electric steamer.
The goal is to smooth wrinkles and remove any creases that formed during the process of washing and drying.
After Shrinking:
After you shrink polyester spandex, avoid washing your yoga pants in hot water or heating them in the dryer again.
This type of fabric is prone to shrinking and over time will become excessively small if it is repeatedly exposed to heat.
Related: Why do Yoga Pants Cover the Heel?
How to Shrink Yoga Pant Without Washing?
Is your yoga pant too long and do you wish there was a way to shrink them without washing? Well, now you can!
Spritz your yoga pant:
If you do not want to wash your pants, use a spray bottle with clean water and lightly mist the clothes.
Dry with heat:
Use a hairdryer, clothes dryer, or iron to dry your pants using the hottest setting possible.
Dampen the waistband:
If you only want to shrink the waistband, hang your pants separately, moisten the waistband and use your hairdryer aimed at the waistband to heat and shrink.
Related: How to Stretch out Yoga Pants?
FAQs
1. Will leggings and yoga pants shrink in the dryer?
Yes, leggings and yoga pants shrink when dried on high heat. The combination of friction and heat makes your fabric shrink as the water is removed from the pants.
2. Does lululemon shrink?
Lululemon is a synthetic fabric that although it’s hard to shrink, shrinks when subjected to high temperatures for about 15 minutes or more.
Related: How Tight Should Yoga Pants Be?
Conclusion
In conclusion, there are many ways to shrink yoga pants and leggings. The most effective way is washing with hot water and then putting them in a dryer for about 15 minutes. The friction and high temperatures will shrink your pants.
Related: How to See Through Yoga Pants?
