How To Stretch Out A Hoodie
I am quite tall, and have often bought a hoodie and had to look for how to stretch a hoodie to make the sleeves a little longer, or maybe even stretch out the hood itself. I look at my hoodies like comfort blankets for adults. When you’re sitting in the park and a little bit of a breeze kicks up, or tired sitting on a train, pulling the hoodie over your head is a game changer.
You might have shrunk your hoodie by accident, and are now wondering how to unshrink your hoodie. Maybe you’ve been hitting the gym a little too hard and you need a bit of space in the chest. Or you’ve been bulking just a little too much and the waist needs a little bit of space. Whatever the reason, I will do my best to give you all the information on how to stretch out a hoodie.
It’s not only hoodies you can stretch though. You can stretch a lot of items to make them a little more comfortable. I have big feet so regularly stretch shoes. I also forget to regulate the washing machine temperature sometimes and have shrunk some jeans, and an untold amount of t-shirts. It’s a good skill to have in your pocket so when the time comes you don’t spend money to buy something new because you shrunk a piece of clothing and think there is no saving it.
What you need are a few simple methods I have used over and over again. Stretching a hoodie is really not that difficult once you get the hang of it and identify the right method to use. Before you go ahead and start heaving on your favorite hoodie, read on for all the steps you should take before you stretch out a hoodie.
Step 1: Know Your Hoodie Material
Before you begin stretching your hoodie, it’s important to know what type of material it’s made of. Different materials have different tolerances and react differently to stretching. So before you think of how to stretch out a hoodie, make sure you know the type of material you are working with.
For example, cotton hoodies are easier to stretch than polyester hoodies. If you have an all cotton, wool or any singular material you can stretch based on this. If you have a mixed fabric hoodie, base your method on whatever material makes up the majority of the hoodie. Gym hoodies for example are mostly made up of polyester or Lycra. These materials can take a lot more pressure when stretching, but cotton and wool will stretch pretty easily as soon as you start pulling on it.
Step 2: How Much You Want to Stretch Your Hoodie
Next, you need to know how much you want to stretch your hoodie out. Do you want to stretch it just a little bit in the sleeves, the neck, or do you want a full-on stretch? This will help you choose which stretching method to use.
I have hoodies I have had to stretch out at the shoulders, sometimes the waist, or even just the sleeves. You could be growing still, or maybe you just wake up one day and decide you prefer a looser fit and don’t want to go out and replace all your hoodies. Knowing how to stretch a hoodie gives you a great tool in times of need. So don’t worry if it feels a little tight after the winter holidays, I got you.
Step 3: The Towel Stretching Method
One of the easiest ways to stretch a hoodie is to use the towel stretching method. Here’s what you need to do.
- Wet a large towel (preferably a thick cotton one) with warm water and wring it out until it’s damp but not dripping.
- Lay the hoodie on a clean surface that wont be damaged by a little water.
- Place the damp towel on top of the hoodie, making sure it covers all the areas of the hoodie you want to stretch
- Now grip and gently stretch the areas by pulling in the edges of the towel. Pull hard enough to feel some resistance, but not too much so as to not damage the material.
- Leave the hoodie and towel in place for a few hours or overnight.
- Remove the towel, hand the hoodie to dry and repeat if necessary
It is always best to stretch your hoodie in stages. You don’t want to overstretch as it is not so easy to un-stretch fabrics. Sure, you can wash it with hot water, but you can’t really control how much it will shrink. So just be safe and stretch in stages until you get the desired stretch.
Step 4: The Ironing Method
You will see an iron come up in advice to stretch most fabrics. You essentially are trying to soften the fabric before you stretch it to avoid damage. Water will do this, and so will heat. So using an iron to stretch a hoodie may sound odd, but check it out:
- Set your iron to the lowest heat setting and make sure the steam function is turned off.
- Lay your hoodie out flat on the ironing board. Don’t let there be any creases.
- Use the iron and go over the areas you want to stretch. Don’t press and hold the iron or you will burn the fabric.
- Once the fabric is hot to the touch, pull at the fabric gently, let it cool down, and try it on.
- If you need a little more stretch in your hoodie, repeat the process as necessary.
Step 5: Wear Your Hoodie to Stretch It Out
One of the simplest ways to stretch a hoodie is by wearing it. If you have just bought your hoodie, and its just a little tight in the arms and shoulders, after a few wears it will loosen up a little. In this case you may not need to use any extra methods of stretching a hoodie. If your hoodie is a little short, you can simply grip each side of the hoodie at the seam, and tug downwards a little at a time to stretch your hoodie’s length.
Something else I do is to put my hoodie in the wash, hang it out to dry, but nor completely. Then when it is still a little damp, I will put on a thin jumper and wear the hoodie on top. Walk around a bit, do some push ups, or pull on the parts you want to stretch. This way you get to stretch your hoodie and test it all at the same time. Then when you have the stretch you need, simply hang it back up to dry.
FAQ’s
How to stretch a hoodie with water?
A good tip here is to soak your hoodie with some fabric softener first. Once the fabric is wet, and this can be soaked, in the washing machine, or with a spray bottle, you then simply stretch out the areas you need. Most fabrics when wet become soft and pliable. It is in this state the fabric will stretch the best.
How to permanently stretch a hoodie?
Using any of the stretching methods discussed in the article will permanently stretch your hoodie. Some fabrics will stretch easier and retain form, but some other mixed fabrics may need stretching again later on down the line.
How to stretch out a hoodie without water?
You can stretch a hoodie just by tugging on it for sure, but you will damage the fabric. Using water to stretch out a hoodie is just to soften the fabric, but you don’t have to use water. You can use heat, so the iron method would be the best way to stretch a hoodie without water.
How to stretch a hoodie that shrunk?
Whether your hoodie has shrunk, or you have gotten bigger, use any of the methods we have discussed here to stretch out a hoodie that shrunk.
How to fix a stretched out hoodie?
You can fix a stretched out hoodie by submerging it in warm/hot water, then hanging it out to dry in the sun, or using a radiator. You want the fabric to dry fast so it pulls in on itself. Be careful though, do it in stages so you don’t end up shrinking the hoodie too much.
How to stretch a 100 polyester hoodie?
Polyester fibers are not elastic at all, so if you shrink a polyester hoodie its going to be pretty uncomfortable. As it is a tough fabric, I prefer to use the water method. After washing you can hang a polyester hoodie with a hanger and attach something heavy to the waist and let gravity do the work. Or you can use the water and towel method discussed above.
How to stretch a cotton hoodie?
Stretching a cotton hoodie is going to be the easiest. Cotton is very flexible, and either after applying heat or dampening the fabric, with little pressure you can get a really good stretch.
How to stretch a hoodie longer in length?
After choosing one of the hoodie stretching methods we have talked about, you want to focus on the body of the hoodie. Wearing the hoodie whilst damp or heated, you can simply tug on the hoodie on either side from the seams so you get an equal stretch.
Or, you can use the gravity method, so wash your hoodie, and use a clothes hanger so the weight of the water and the pull of gravity stretch out your hoodie in length equally.
How to stretch a hoodie neckline?
When you are ironing your hoodie, go over the neck a few times to warm the fabric up and gently stretch it equally from both sides. Or you can spray the neck of the hoodie with some water and do the same.
How to stretch sleeves on a hoodie?
Again, after choosing one of the methods be it water or heat, you want to place one hand on the shoulder of the hoodie, and pull gripping from the sleeve. You can deform the hoodie if you just pull from anywhere, so you want to concentrate the stretch to the area you are targeting.
Conclusion
So it seems you may not need to hand your hoodie down to a younger sibling, or a friend with a smaller frame. If you have shrunken your hoodie, don’t threat cause you can still save it. There are quite a few ways to stretch out a hoodie, just remember to do it bit by bit so you don’t damage or overstretch the fabric.
If you have any other ways of stretching a hoodie, it would be great to hear from you. Drop a comment or send me an email and I will be happy to give it a try and feature it in the article.