How to Stretch a Cotton T Shirt

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Whether you pulled a blunder with the clothes dryer or the shirt was never big enough in the first place, there are ways to stretch a cotton t-shirt to the size you want it (within reason, of course). Cotton does have some give, especially when wet, so before you throw it out in frustration, try out a few of the ideas below.

Steps

Conditioner Stretch

Get the entire t-shirt wet in a bowl of lukewarm water. You can do this by soaking it in the sink or in a large bowl. Make sure to use room temperature-to-lukewarm water and saturate every area of the t-shirt that you want stretched. The level of the water should well cover the t-shirt. Be sure to use room temperature-to-lukewarm water. If you use water that's too hot or cold, the fibers won't be prone to stretching.

Add 1 Tbsp (15 ml) of hair conditioner per 1 quart (1 liter) of water. Once added, mix it up with your hand to make sure the conditioner doesn't stay in globs and fully dissolves into the water. The hair conditioner will soften the fibers, making them easier to stretch. If you don't have hair conditioner around, you can use baby shampoo. A cheap conditioner is fine; don't waste your fancy hair products on your t-shirt.

Keep the t-shirt flat and submerged for 10-15 minutes. It's easiest to put the t-shirt on top of the bowl or sink and then gently press it into the water, making sure the conditioned water gets into every fiber of the t-shirt. If it's wadded up, areas of the shirt will shrink differently. Hold it flat toward the bottom of the bowl, keeping it from gathering, for a minute or two to ensure every fiber gets infused with the conditioned water. The more it gets saturated, the more it will stay on the bottom of the bowl on its own. Leave it there for 10-15 minutes. You can even let your shirt soak for 25-30 minutes.

Rinse the shirt. Take the shirt out of the bowl, dump the water out, and refill it with clean, cool water (or just use a different bowl). In much the same way as you would rinse your hair after using conditioner, you've got to rinse the shirt, too, otherwise it will be covered in a sticky residue. Take your time. Spend 5 minutes or so rinsing the shirt, again making sure the clean water penetrates every fiber.

Find a flat place to lay out the shirt. An area such as the top of your dryer, a granite counter, or the top of a freezer works well. Lay down some towels first to protect the shirt (and the surface, if you don't want it wet). Squeeze the water out of the shirt to keep it from dripping everywhere and to speed up the drying process. Try not to wring your shirt, though!

If there is a graphic on your tee that you don't want to stretch, iron it now. Stretching a t-shirt can distort the image on it. However, if you dry the picture first, it won't stretch as much as the bottom and sides of your shirt (the areas you want stretched) because they're still wet.

Place your forearms inside the part of the shirt that you want to stretch. If you want it wider, stretch the shirt outwards making sure not to put too much pressure in one spot. This can leave a strange "dent" sticking out in one place on the shirt. If you find that your arms are not strong enough to get the right amount of stretch, try using your legs, a sturdy pole of some sort, or getting someone with more arm strength to help you. If you just want it longer, stretch from the neck and the bottom, pulling it longer in opposite directions. Work from left to right, making sure all sides of the t-shirt are equally stretched.

Spread the stretched shirt out on a towel to dry. If you're worried about it shrinking, place weights on the edges. If you're looking for a larger bust or stomach, you can place objects within the t-shirt to stretch those areas out even more. The shirt will retain its shape until it is washed and dried again. If you want to keep it at its new size, make sure not to put it back in the dryer. Keep your shirt away from direct sunlight while it dries.

Iron Stretch

Wet the entire t-shirt in cool water. In a similar fashion as the method above, wet your entire t-shirt, making sure every fiber is soaked. Hold it flat towards the bottom of a bowl or a sink to ensure it's evenly wet. No need to soak the t-shirt; simply drench it in cool water. Once you're convinced it couldn't be wetter, you're ready to move onto the next step.

Lay it on a flat area for ironing. Wring it out a bit to get rid of excess water to prevent dripping and soaking your surface or ironing board. Make sure whatever you're ironing on can handle heat. An ironing board is best, but you could also use the counter top or floor if you're careful. If you'd like, give it a few tugs now to get the stretching process started. You'd be surprised just how much you can do with just your bare hands.

With your iron on medium-low, start going over the t-shirt using pressure. With the iron in one hand and the shirt in another, start pulling and pressing the shirt out with the iron. Don't just go over the shirt, use the iron as a means of force, the t-shirt stretching as the iron passes over it, forcing it outward. Make sure to go in every direction – pulling up, down, and to the sides. Flip the shirt over when you're done and begin on the back, too. This method isn't great for significant stretching; it's best used if you just need the shirt to fit a little better or be a little longer.

Leave it to dry. Make sure it's flat and give it a final tug one last time. Spread it out, and place weights around the edges if you'd like. This just makes sure it stays at the size it is now, just how you like it. To make sure it stays at this size, avoid drying it. From now on, this shirt should be air-dried. You may occasionally have to stretch it out again, but avoiding drying will keep it larger. Revive an old favorite with stretching tricks. "I had an old band t-shirt from high school that didn't fit anymore. I was bummed because it had great sentimental value. Using the conditioner soak method, I was able to revive this shirt and enjoy wearing it again. The steps were easy to follow." - Marisol L. Customize shirt size with targeted stretching. "The shower stretch technique let me tweak a store-bought t-shirt to fit just right. I focused the stretching on the sleeves and width. Now, I have a perfectly customized shirt. Targeted stretching works wonders." - Deminica R. Salvage an ill-fitting gifted shirt. "My aunt got me a T-shirt as a gift that was too small. I was hesitant to alter a present, but the iron stretch method subtly enlarged it just enough. With some light iron tugging, I salvaged the shirt and can actually wear it now." - Rhyann W. Stretch kids' hand-me-down shirts. "Old t-shirts from my son's early years are like new again, thanks to these techniques. A quick conditioner soak stretches them out perfectly for my daughter to get more use. Hand-me-downs feel brand new with strategic shirt stretching." - Teresa R. Did you know that wikiHow has collected over 365,000 reader stories since it started in 2005? We’d love to hear from you! Share your story here.

Weight Stretch

Use weights to manipulate the t-shirt's size. If you've used one of the above methods, you may want to use weights on the t-shirt to keep it stretched out for a final certain measure. On the edges of the shirt, place mugs, books, or bags of rice, keeping the t-shirt in it's stretched-out position.

You can also place items inside the shirt. Need it stretched out for your chest? Place a couple of baseballs inside, stretching out that area. Need wider arms? Place a cylinder or small bowl in the sleeves.