How do I rescue a shrunk or damaged garment?

Laundry accidents are recoverable in inverse proportion to how much heat has been applied since. Wet colour run is often fixable; the same garment after a tumble dry usually isn't. So the first rule in every case is: don't dry it until you've tried.

What you'll need

• Hair conditioner or wool detergent
• Basin or sink
• Towels
• Colour run remover (optional)
• Fabric shaver (optional)

Step by step

1. Stop and don't dry the item.Heat sets colour runs and completes shrinkage. Almost every rescue depends on acting before anything is dried.
2. For shrunk wool, soak in lukewarm water with a generous amount of hair conditioner for 30 minutes.The conditioner relaxes the fibres, which have interlocked. It works partially, not miraculously.
3. Gently stretch and reshape the damp garment, then dry it flat.Stretch a little at a time across the whole garment rather than pulling one area. Pin it to shape on a towel.
4. For a colour run, rewash immediately with a colour run remover, before drying.Follow the product instructions. Success is much higher on a garment that hasn't been dried.
5. For bobbling, use a fabric shaver rather than picking at it.A shaver removes bobbles cleanly. Picking pulls fibres and makes it worse.
6. For stretched knitwear, wash gently and reshape while damp, drying flat.Stretched cuffs and necklines can sometimes be shrunk back with careful warm water and reshaping.
7. For a snagged thread, pull it through to the inside with a needle rather than cutting it.Cutting a snag can start a run. Pulling it through preserves the fabric.
8. Accept what can't be fixed and repurpose it.Heavily shrunk cotton, set colour runs and holes in fine knitwear are usually beyond home rescue.

Tips

• Wool shrinks because agitation and heat make the fibre scales interlock — the process is called felting, and it's only partly reversible.
• A colour catcher sheet in the wash prevents most colour runs and costs very little.
• Cotton shrinkage is mostly a one-time event on first wash and can sometimes be stretched slightly while damp, but far less than wool.
• Prevention is far more effective than rescue: check labels, wash dark items separately the first few times, and use a mesh bag for delicates.

Common mistakes

• Drying a garment before attempting a rescue — Heat sets colour runs and completes shrinkage. It's the step that turns a recoverable accident into a permanent one.
• Pulling hard on one area of a shrunk garment — It distorts the shape. Stretch gradually across the whole garment.
• Picking at bobbles — It pulls fibres out and creates thin patches. Use a fabric shaver.
• Cutting a snagged thread — It can start a run through the whole garment. Pull it through to the inside instead.

Questions people ask