How to Shrink Socks Without Ruining Their Fibers

Published by Ahmad Jamal on May 31, 2023

Have you ever bought a pair of socks, fell in love with them, but after months and months of constant use, they just stretched out of their perfect fit, and you don’t want to throw them away or buy a new pair.

Now you’re wondering, how to shrink socks without ruining them or losing them forever?

This CleanersAdvisor guide will help you through with that.

We’ll present you with different methods on how to shrink socks, then we’ll explain in depth how you can do that without using a dryer.

Additionally, if you own polyester socks, we’ll also have something precious to offer you in the form of detailed guidance.

Then, you’ll also know how to unshrink socks if that’s what can satisfy your curiosity.

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How to Shrink Socks

The best method to shrink socks is by soaking them wet with warm or hot water, then putting them in the dryer under the hottest and longest settings for cotton/ polyester socks & warm settings for wool socks. Then remove the socks from the dryer, allow them to cool and then test how much they shrank so far, before deciding if you need to carry the same steps once again.

Following is a step by step showcasing of how to shrink socks:

1. Soak your socks on hot or warm water inside a pot, to prepare them for a hotter or warmer environment inside the dryer (faster shrinkage).

2. Set your dryer to the longest cycle possible and the hottest settings if your socks are made of cotton or polyester, and the warm settings will be more than enough for wool socks.

3. Make sure the socks run through the whole cycle before removing them from the dryer.

4. Remove the socks from the dryer and allow them to cool down until they reach room temperature.

5. Test them out and see if they have shrunk to the size you need, if so then well done.

6. If they have not shrunk to the size you need, repeat the soaking and drying steps until you reach the size you need.

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How to Shrink Socks Without a Dryer

To shrink socks without a dryer you’ll need to boil hot water in a pot, then put your socks in the hot water. Let your socks boil for 10-15 minutes before cooling them down to room temperature, then trying them out.

You can easily do this method without needing to invest much time or effort, and it suits old socks and helps them regain their original size.

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How to Shrink Socks at Home

Shrinking socks at home is not hard by any means, you can do it by setting your washing machine settings to hot, if you’re aiming at shrinking your wool or cotton made socks.

If you want to shrink synthetic materials of polyester socks, set the washing machine settings to coo wash settings.

Put your socks in the washing machine, and once the washing cycle is done, let the socks cool for 3-5 minutes before trying them on with their new size.

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How to Shrink Polyester Socks

You can shrink your polyester socks by either putting them in the dryer, or boiling the polyester socks in a hot pot then cooling them to room temperature before trying them on.

If polyester socks don’t shrink to your ideal size, you can re-do the boiling or the drying methods for further shrinkage, until they reach the size you want.

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How to Unshrink Socks

Some would say that knowing what makes them stretch can also help in avoiding such causes to keep their socks in shape.

Others would say that when they feel uncomfortable with their socks, all they want is to know how to unshrink their socks.

Well, lucky them, as you can easily unshrink your socks by soaking them in warm water and adding a couple of spoons of conditioners for 30-40 minutes.

Once you get them out of the water you can easily stretch them out to the extent that makes you comfortable again, then leave them to dry.

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To Wrap Up

Mastering how to shrink socks in different ways inside and outside your house can save you much trouble wearing uncomfortable socks and going out.

By reading through this CleanersAdvisor guide, you also knew how to unshrink socks if they’re too tight on your feet, and if you’re trying things out for other reasons.

You also have a deeper understanding on how to use a dryer to shrink socks, and how to use a washing machine for the same purpose.