Okay, so the other day I was doing laundry and accidentally tossed my favorite pair of jeans in the dryer. I usually hang dry them, ’cause, you know, I don’t want them to shrink. But this time, I totally spaced out. When the dryer buzzed, I pulled them out and…uh oh. They looked a little…snug.
This got me thinking, do jeans really shrink in the dryer? I mean, everyone says they do, but I wanted to see for myself, and, well, document the whole process. So, I grabbed another pair of jeans – same brand, same size, just a different wash – and decided to run a little experiment.
The Great Jean Shrinkage Experiment
Here’s what I did:
- Step 1: The Control Pair. I measured the first pair of jeans (the ones I didn’t dry) before doing anything. I laid them flat and measured the waist, hips, inseam, and the overall length. I made sure to pull them taut, and noted it down, gotta keep a log!
- Step 2: Wash and Measure Again. I washed both pairs of jeans in cold water, just like the care label said. After the wash, I measured the control pair again while they were still damp. Just wanted to see if the wash itself did anything.
- Step 3: Into the Dryer. I took a deep breath and tossed the second pair into the dryer. I used a medium heat setting. Not too hot, not too cool. The label said “tumble dry low,” but I figured medium was close enough.
- Step 4: Final Measurements. Once the dryer was done, I pulled out the second pair of jeans and measured them immediately. Again, waist, hips, inseam, overall length. I compared these measurements to the original measurements of the control pair (before washing) and the damp measurements.
Here’s what I found, and I was actually a little surprised:
The jeans that went through the dryer did shrink, but not as much as I thought. There was a noticeable difference, mostly in the length. The inseam shrunk by about half an inch, and the overall length was a bit shorter too. The waist and hips? They tightened up a little, but not drastically. I could still button them, they just felt a bit more…fitted.
The control pair, the ones I just washed and let air dry? They actually shrunk a tiny bit too, just from the wash! It wasn’t as much as the dryer pair, but it was still there.
My takeaway? Yes, jeans shrink in the dryer, especially in length. The heat definitely does a number on the fabric. But, it’s not always a total disaster. If you accidentally dry your jeans, they might be a little tighter, but they probably won’t shrink down two sizes. And, even washing them without drying can cause some shrinkage. So, if you’re super worried about keeping your jeans the exact same size, air drying is the way to go. I’m definitely going back to hang-drying my favorite pair, lesson learned!