There is nothing worse than getting your favorite jeans out of the wash only to find that they have shrunk. Here are some ways to stretch out jeans at home.
No one wants to walk around in tight jeans that cut off their blood supply, especially if you live an active lifestyle that involves lots of movement. However, it isn’t all doom and gloom when it comes to these tight pants… there is still hope to stretch out your jeans again. If you are looking to make some extra room in your jeans, then these stretching tips will work great on your skinny jeans, straight leg jeans and even your wide leg jeans!
How To Stretch Out Jeans
- Wear them repeatedly
- Stretch in them
- Wet them and stretch them
- Use a hair dryer
- Use a steamer
- Bathe them in warm water
- Use a waistband stretcher
- Use a pant extender or foam roller
It’s important to find jeans that are a right fit for you. However, sometimes we unknowingly shrink our jeans by washing them in hot water or putting on some weight but we don’t want to break the bank getting a new pair.
If you’re wondering how to stretch out your jeans to get the original fit back, then read on!
1. Wear The Same Pair Over and Over Again
New jeans can feel extremely stiff when you first wear them, but after a few wears, they start to feel less snug. The most natural way to stretch jeans is to wear them. Just like how you have to wear in a new pair of shoes, the same principle applies to a new pair of jeans. While this might not be the most comfortable option, the denim will stretch out slightly with each wear. This is because the denim fibres on new jeans are often closely packed together, so wearing them a few times can begin to stretch out the fibres.
2. Stretch It Out
Unless you plan on wearing your jeans every day, just wearing them over and over gain may seem too long. You can try and speed up the process to stretch your jeans out by doing some stretches in them.
Do be careful not to rip them! Not only does stretching denim too much cause the pants to lose it’s shape, but you could bust open a seam if you’re not careful.
This technique can be effective, however if your jeans are really tight then it might be best to try some other steps first before doing this one.
3. Wet Jeans With Spray Bottle, Then Stretch
Another way to stretch out jeans is to lay them out on the floor and grab a spray bottle. Fill the bottle with lukewarm water, and spray them. The tip here is the spray the warm water in the areas you feel need the most stretching. Once they are wet, either wear the damn jeans or gently pull on the required areas and then let them air dry.
However, if you are like me and the idea of trying to put wet jeans on (let alone ones that are too tight) terrifies you, then you can always spray them while wearing them. Just make sure to get the back of the jeans!
4. Use A Hair Dryer
I know not everyone want’s to stand around in damp jeans, in which case, you can opt for a hair dryer or blow dryer to stretch your jeans. This method is a simple and quick method. Put it on a low to medium setting so you don’t burn yourself, then start applying heat to the areas that need stretching. The warm air will help the fibers in the denim to relax and stretch out.
If you want to stretch out jeans that are overall too tight, I would recommend that you wear the jeans and applying the heat while they are on. While the denim is warm you can even throw in some stretches like lunges or squats. Once the jeans cool down, you should find they have stretched out a bit. If they’re still too tight, repeat the process until you reach the desired fit.
5. Use A Steamer
This method is similar to using a hair dryer, but it uses a steam instead. For this I recommend putting the jeans on the floor as this involves hot water.
Apply the steamer to the denim. When the fabric is wet, start to gently stretch the denim in opposite directions with you hands while it is still warm. This is a great way to stretch out jeans.
TOP TIP: If you don’t have a steamer, you can always use the steamer setting on the iron.
6. Give Them A Warm Bath
One way to stretch your jeans out is to give them a warm bath. Give your jeans a nice soak in the bathtub with warm water and fabric softener for about 30 minutes to an hour . Rinse them then put them on and wear them until they dry completely. Alternatively you can put your jeans on, then take a bath with them on as this saves your trying to put wet jeans on. If you try this method, avoid using fabric softener in case this irritates your skin2.
Water is a great method to stretch jeans and the addition of fabric softener helps to soften the denim fibres making it easier to stretch .
7. Use a Waistband Stretcher
If your jeans are tight around the waist, then get yourself this little gadget. This can be especially useful if your jeans fit well overall, but the waistband is too tight. Get a spray bottle with lukewarm water and spray the waistband until it becomes damp. Expand the stretcher slowly until it fits snugly within the waistband of the jeans. You can then increase the size a bit more to apply some stretching pressure to the denim. Don’t overdo it, or you could risk tearing the jeans. Then leave your jeans to air dry for a few hours while it does it’s thing.
Once it has dried, remove the waistband stretcher and your jeans should be good as new!
8. Use a Pants Extender or foam roller
If the tightness is around your legs, you can use a jeans stretcher device or a foam roller. Using a foam roller to stretch out jeans can be particularly effective for loosening up tight areas around the legs, hips, or waist. The process involves wetting your jeans and placing a foam roller inside to help expand the fabric.
Wet your jeans with lukewarm water and place the gadget into the thigh area of the jeans. Allow your jeans it to air dry for a few hours with the gadget or foam roller in place. As the denim dries, it should conform to the shape of the roller and shouldn’t be as snug anymore.
Conclusion
Knowing how to stretch out jeans can give your favorite pair a second lease on life, saving you both money and heartache. There are many different ways to do this, so pick the method that works best for you.
Now you have some tips and tricks on how to stretch jeans. If you want to know how to style you jeans with ankle boots, check out the blog HERE.
