Use low heat When you put jeans in the dryer, always use a low heat setting. High temperatures can cause shrinkage, damage the fabric, and lead to faster fading.
If you need to use a dryer, select a low or no heat cycle and use dryer balls to help keep your jeans tumbling. The best way to dry jeans is by hanging them up to air dry. Remove the jeans while they're still slightly damp, then stretch the seams and hang them up to finish drying.
Avoiding heavy duty cycles, fast spins and high-heat drying can also prevent shrinkage. Use delicate cycles instead, and place delicate clothes in a mesh laundry bag for added protection. When drying, consider a low-heat or air dry setting. When in doubt, always follow the instructions on your garment's care tag.
Depending on the thickness of the denim, I use a straight-stitch length between 3.0 mm and 4.0 mm. I also increase the tension on my machine to 4.6 (up from 4.0 for lightweight woven fabrics). If my denim has spandex in it, I use a stretch stitch, such as a narrow zigzag. I like a 1.5 mm wide by 2.5 mm long zigzag.
8. CHOOSE THE GENTLEST CYCLE. We recommend setting your wash cycle to the gentle or delicate setting to reduce wear and tear on the fabric.
A tension setting between 2.5 and 3 on your machine is generally suitable for lightweight denim. Medium-weight denim typically requires a tension setting between 3 and 4. Heavyweight denim may need a higher tension between 4 and 5.
5. Use the Lowest Heat Setting. Not all dryers have a tumble or air dry option, but that doesn't mean you don't have options. Simply turn your dryer's temperature knob to “low heat.” If you can't find that setting, select “delicate” or “gentle” instead.
For those who haven't, it's simple: just toss your jeans in the washing machine using hot water, and then the dryer until they're completely dry. The heat from the dryer will shrink them well. A few notes, though: First, machine washing damages your jeans, so they won't last or retain their color as long.
A dryer Delicate cycle is typically a tumble dry cycle that uses low heat. Low heat helps protect heat-sensitive fabrics from fraying, fading, shrinking, stretching and warping. Depending on the make and model of your dryer, the cycle may be labeled Delicate, Gentle or Tumble Dry Low.
Any setting you can select on a dryer is considered a tumble dry setting. Most dryers allow you to select a time, heat level or dryness level, and sometimes you can choose a cycle where settings are predetermined, like Normal, Delicate, Heavy Duty or Quick Dry.
Hang your jeans on a drying rack or clothesline for at least 12 hours, or overnight. Turn the jeans inside out to prevent fading from the sun, and turn on a fan to help the drying process go quicker. Also, make sure your jeans are fully zipped and buttoned and that the pockets are empty.
Dryers are the natural enemy of denim. Skip the dryer altogether to avoid clothing breaking down. Hang dry your denim or lay them flat. This method preserves the fit and helps you avoid possible shrinkage or fabric warping.
Choosing the right drying cycle
The cotton cycle uses high heat and is perfect for towels, bedding, and sturdy cotton items. For polyester and mixed fabrics, use the synthetics cycle, which operates at medium heat. Delicate items benefit from the low heat of the delicates cycle.
Heat naturally shrinks fabric, so the quickest and easiest way to shrink your jeans is to put them in the washer and dryer. Grab the jeans you want to shrink and put them in the washing machine on the highest heat setting. You can also add detergent so they get washed in the process.
Washing: Jeans and jeans go hand in hand
Then it's best to put four pairs of jeans together in the washing machine - inside out, of course. The machine should not be too full to avoid severe wrinkles - a moderate spin speed of 800 or 1000 revolutions is also helpful for this.
Don't overdry your jeans
If you heat your jeans too much and leave them in the dryer too long, you can expect to see them shrink down and even damage the fabric. Wherever you can, choose the delicate settings on your tumble dryer to be absolutely sure you aren't causing problems for your jeans.
Yes, jeans shrink in the dryer. If you're looking for a more technical explanation, jeans shrink in the dryer because the high heat and the agitation from the tumbling cause the bonds in the fibers to break and the fabric to contract.
As a general rule, higher temperatures are best used for heavy items, like towels, jeans and jackets. Low to medium heat settings are ideal for sheets, blouses and undergarments, while no-heat settings are designed for heat-sensitive fabrics or garments containing rubber or plastic.
Turn your garment inside out before washing. Dry it on high heat, too. Put the garment on high heat in the dryer. Synthetic materials can dry quickly so set the timer to a 30-minute cycle and check the progress every five minutes to monitor the garment.
Delicate or Gentle
On the other hand, delicate settings use the lowest amount of heat and tumbling action, explains Pozniak. This cycle is best for fragile fabrics or laundry pieces that may start to melt, fray, stretch, or fade in high-heat conditions.
The tension dial settings run from 0 to 9, so 4.5 is generally the 'default' position for normal straight-stitch sewing. This should be suitable for most fabrics. For more decorative types of stitch, you may need to adjust the tension.
If you want to preserve the shape of your jeans, always wash them inside out, in cold water, with a specially formulated detergent like Tide plus a Touch of Downy, and do so sparingly. Never Put Your Jeans in the Dryer False. To help your stretched out jeans regain their shape, put them in the dryer for a quick tumble.
STEP 1: Wash your jeans like normal but before you throw them into the dryer spray starch all over them until they are soaked. Let let sit. Now you can hang dry or add them to the dryer. I like to let them dry partially and then hang dry them the rest of the way with a center crease.