Have you ever wondered how to shrink jeans on an industrial level? Far from the DIY shrinking process that is everywhere on the internet.
No? Then this guide is for you. I’ll show you why pre-shrunk jeans are gaining traction in 2025. And what it means for your business.
I’ve been a jeans manufacturer for over 10 years now. I’ve seen it all. Trends, innovation, failure, successes, name it. Pre-shrunk jeans are going to take you to the next level. I’ll show you why in a bit.
But first, here’s what to expect:
- Understanding the science behind how to shrink jeans
- Common Ways Manufacturers and small scale business shrink Jeans in 2025
- How to minimize the impact of jeans shrinkage
- Sustainability in jeans shrinkage
Come with me.
Table of Contents
The Science Behind How to Shrink Jeans
Wait, what? Science? I kinda saw your eyes squeak a little when you read this heading. I totally get it.
You probably just know the ‘ol basics. Rock on a pair of jeans, they start to stretch…throw them in a washing machine. Then, next into a dryer —BAM, they shrink. You repeat this process until your jeans begin to fade, and you find another one.
Everyone kinda knows this trick. I ain’t kidding. Here’s more context to it:
Source: Reddit.
But did you know there’s more to it than meets the eye? Lemme go full Albert Einstein and show you what happens behind the scenes.
Denim is made of cotton, although it’s more durable than regular cotton. That’s because it is woven using a twill weave. Where dyed warp threads pass over multiple white weft threads. This makes it much more resistant to wear and tear. If you’re interested in Levi vs Wrangler Jeans, please read here.
Photo credit: Treasure.com.
When washed and then dried, these fibers tighten up from the heat. That’s why denim high heat of up to 60°C (140°F+) shrinks excessively.
Putting them on expands the fibers once again. This repeated expansion and contraction weakens the denim fibers over time. Hence, making them prone to wear and tear.
This is just one of the easiest and cheapest ways to shrink denim at home. Others include:
- Steam shrinking – using a garment steamer or steam iron. Perfect for target shrinking on specific areas.
- Hot water soak method – then air dry them.
- Bathtub method. Not very common. Works similarly to the hot water sock method. Just that you need to wear them while inside the bathtub to mold your body.
At JaceApparel, we also shrink our jeans before dispatching them. This has helped our customize minimize post-purchase shrinkage complaints. Control fit sizes. And ensure durability.
Here’s how to shrink jeans on a large scale:
How to Shrink Jeans — 3 Common Ways
Just like I promised, let’s go through the most common ways used to shrink jeans. I’ll keep it as concise as possible.
Industrial Pre-Shrinking Method
The most common method used to shrink jeans. Also known as Sanforization.
Most denim manufacturers use Sanforization to avoid drastic shrinking. The process involves denim fabric treatment using steam, heat, and pressure. The wearer won’t notice significant shrinkage even after multiple washes.
In fact, sanforized denim only shrinks by about 2% – 3%. While unsanforized denim shrinks by about 10%. Even more for low-quality denim fabrics.
Take a moment to look at these three jeans. Can you spot the difference? The sanforized one is true to size and seems very durable. The unsanforized jeans look baggy and fade after one wash.
The process begins by placing the fabric on a sanforizing machine. Here’s what a sanforizing machine looks like (so we are on the same page):
Next, the raw denim is softened using moisture. That’s because raw denim is very HARD, which makes stretching difficult.
As the rubber belt on the sanforizing machines begins to move. The denim stretches, expanding its fibers. The rubber belt comes back it its normal length, now shrinking the denim fibers.
Lastly, the denim fabric is placed in a drying chamber. Here, we want to lock the denim to its new shrank state. Also, it prevents drastic shrinking that may occur later.
Pros
- Your jeans fit will remain constant over time. For YOU, it means you won’t have to deal with angry customers.
- Makes jeans that are very easy to maintain. Your customers don’t need DIY methods to shrink their jeans.
Cons
- It makes jeans lose their natural feel and texture. That makes it less appealing to hardcore denim lovers.
The Steam Treatment Method
Steam shrinking is among the oldest ways used to shrink jeans. Very similar to sanforization, but unlike it, hot steam is in the place of hot rollers.
I won’t bore you with the nitty gritties. So, here’s a look behind the scenes of the infamous steam shrinking method:
Step 1. Steam the denim and then pass it to on a weft straightener. The straightener removes any fabric distortions.
Step 2. Compress the straightened fabric on the rubber calendar system under controlled pressure. That way, the fabrics move closer together —shrink!
Step 3. Dry the fabrics. Again, under controlled heat to make them maintain their new configuration.
Pros
- Denim fabric retains its natural feel and texture as opposed to sanforization.
- It retains elasticity on stretch denim.
Cons
- Large amounts of water and energy required which is increases operational costs. Consequently, skyrocketing production costs.
Fabric Blends Method
Here, manufacturers combine denim with fibers that naturally shrink when exposed to heat. Consumer’s jeans will controllably shrink after multiple washes. Here we’ve listed Top Italian Jeans Brands.
That said, manufacturers don’t just use 100% cotton like on regular jeans. Instead, they use Rayon, Wool, Polyester, or Linen. All these fabrics absorb moisture and shrink when dry.
The fabrics undergo a steam pre-shrinking technique, just like the one I covered. It promotes fiber contraction before the actual cutting and sewing.
Lastly, the jeans —once stitched, are washed in hot water to pre-shrink them. So customers won’t experience unexpected shrinkage during day-to-day wear.
Pros
- Fabric blending is a controlled way to shrink jeans.
- Jeans that mold the wearer’s body perfectly over time. You’ll get amazing compliments and boost your brand name.
Cons
- Jeans lose their natural feel.
- It is expensive since you need to source other fabrics.
How to Minimize the Business Impact of Shrinking Jeans?
Three ways to keep your business safe:
Using Shrunken Fabrics
If you’ve been following all along, you’ll notice I have only mentioned pre-shrinking methods.
Lemme drive this point home…
Pre-shrinking denim fabrics make them shrink less. Normally at 90% of what they usually shrink at. Yes, you read that right!
Don’t get it wrong, though. They’ll (jeans) still shrink, but at a controlled pace and NOT drastic.
“Sanforized jeans – right, unsanforized jeans – left.”
And over time, they fit your customers even better. Guess who will be their new jeans plug? Think about the stress that takes away from you. Return purchases and endless referrals. No competitor will come close.
Here at JaceApparel, we use pre-shrunk fabrics from reliable denim suppliers. In fact, we just published a guide on how popular jeans companies get their fabrics. So you don’t need to waste hundreds of hours finding the best denim supplier. Also, you get the best rates than working with any denim manufacturer out there.
Accurate Labeling and Sizing Guides
I’ll go full Karen mode on this one. I HATE inconsistent sizing on any cloth. Not just jeans, T-shirts, leggings, shoes, undies, anything. Imagine the time, energy, and money I’ll have to spend again returning the item.
But even if I stick with them, the body appearance would be so bad. My aura will probably drop to -1000. This Redditer agrees with me:
The long and short of it, be concise with the sizing of your pre-shrink jeans. Here are three important steps to follow:
- Use ISO standards to develop a consistent size chart
- Opt for a manufacturer with a controlled way of shrinking jeans. Preferably Sanforization.
- Have a quality control Team on the ground to ensure jeans are measured before delivery.
This brings me to the next important thing in my How to Shrink Jeans series.
Promoting Customer Education
Most brands overlook the importance of this and end up paying the price. I won’t mention any names. But I read comments from Redditers that could be solved by proper communication.
Avoid complaints by stating “Pre-Shrunk Jeans” in your product descriptions.
Expert Tip: Provide washing and drying guidelines on the jeans label. Oh, and add care symbols on the product tags for your customers.
Oscar Sandberg, Strategic Key Account Manager, Lee Jeans & Wrangler
A safe move is also to mention the expected shrinking percentage. Additionally, offer fit recommendations to clarify that your jeans might relax over time.
Sustainable Alternatives for Shrinking Jeans
I talk about sustainability in all my articles. Like this one, where I talk about sustainable fabric materials. It is something we can’t just ignore. We can’t shove it away, too. The ones who adopt it now will reap for years to come.
Technology is still developing in this space. Revolutionizing what we know or don’t know about how jeans are manufactured. Nothing too major…yet. You can ask your manufacturer to blend denim with some sustainable fabrics. This gives you a USP (unique selling point) and sets you up for success.
One MAJOR sustainable shrinking jeans method is the use of laser technology. Laser treatments are employed to pre-shrink jeans. No use of water or chemicals like in sanforization and steaming.
This reduces the carbon footprint hence promoting a sustainable planet. Note this process is super expensive. Start with the use of sustainable fabrics if you really want to test the eco-friendly market.
People Also Ask About How To Shrink Jeans
1. Can I permanently shrink denim?
Achieving this can be extremely challenging because of denim’s natural shrinking characteristic. However, processes like sanforization limit shrinkage to 1% after washing. Raw denim will shrink up to 10% of its original size after multiple washes.
2. Which denim fabric shrinks faster?
Unsanforized/raw denim shrinks the fastest. Around 10% – 15% after its first wash. Sanforized denim shrinks the lowest, at 1% – 3%. A great balance is the 100% cotton denim which shrinks by about 3% – 5%.
3. How does shrinking jeans affect their quality?
Pre-shrunk jeans tend to be just fine, even after multiple washes. But DIY shrinking methods cause the weakening of denim fibers which causes tear. Also, soaking jeans in water for a long time makes them fade and become undesirable.
4. What’s the industrial standard for shrinking denim?
The desired shrinking range for mass-produced jeans is usually below 3%. This ensures jeans maintain their size even after multiple wash and wear cycles. Remember to include care packages for customers to avoid unnecessary complaints.
What’s Next
Finding quality pre-shrunk jeans is the most important thing for your denim brand. Do it right? Endless sales and referrals. Mess up? You are out of business in 2 months!
You can do it by yourself. Just don’t complain when customers complain about your jeans shrinking by 15%+.
Or, you can use the smart approach. Find an experienced jeans manufacturer with pre-sourced shrunk fabric. And build a jeans empire no one dares to compete with.
No one does it like JaceApparel. We source fabrics, manufacture, and deliver the best jeans in the market. At affordable rates, too.
Enjoy private labeling that helps you stand out from other jeans sellers. Hold the market in a chokehold and enjoy huge profits.
Our representative is waiting for you on the other side. Talk to us here.
Source:
1. leelineapparel.com – How to Shrink Jeans: A Comprehensive Guide.
2. levi.com – How to Shrink Jeans.
3. denimhunters.com – Sanforized and Unsanforized Denim.