If you’re working with new, never-been-washed shorts, try just washing them first with warm or hot water—the agitation from the machine should cause the shorts to shrink without you having to apply any extra heat at all. If the care tag says the shorts should be air dried, try putting them in the dryer for 10 minutes and then air dry them the rest of the way.
Sweat stains, food stains, grass stains, and other kinds of stains should be treated and washed as soon as possible to avoid permanent damage.
Dry the shorts by themselves for the fastest effect. Putting them in with other clothes will take a lot longer and make it harder to know if they’re shrinking as much as you want.
Once your shorts are as small as you’d like, you’re good to go! Remember that you can always pop them back in the dryer if they stretch out during the day.
If you don’t recognize the name of the fabric listed on the label, do a quick internet search to see if there are specific shrinking recommendations for that type of material.
Be careful to not burn yourself! Use oven mitts or something similar when touching the hot containers.
Heat is an essential part of shrinking clothes, especially synthetic fibers. The more heat used, the more your shorts will shrink.
The container the shorts were in may still be hot to the touch. Test it before grabbing it if you’re planning to move it anywhere.
If your shorts were already clean before you started the shrinking process, you can skip this step. Go ahead and move the shorts straight to the dryer.
Avoid using the moisture-sensitive drying option, as the machine will shut off as soon as the shorts are dry.
For the water temperature, use the hottest water you can get from the sink. You want it to be steaming but not boiling. Be careful to measure out the fabric softener. If you accidentally use too much, it could make your clothes feel grimy, especially since they won’t get washed before they go into the dryer. This method will work best with cotton or denim shorts.
Make sure to spray any ill-fitting spots on the back of your shorts as well as the front.
A bonus of using the fabric softener is that your shorts will smell great when they come out of the dryer.
If after 3 cycles the shorts have not changed, it may be time to consider taking them to a tailor.
Try to avoid sitting on your bed or other soft surfaces while your shorts are drying. Put down a towel or hang out outside until they dry completely.
