Honey, the dry cleaner shrank my clothes!

February 17, 2022 1:14 PM

The dry cleaner shrank my beloved wool slacks. They offered to stretch them out, but I'd like to know more before proceeding.

I tried a new dry cleaner with great reviews. Unfortunately, they ended up shrinking my beloved and irreplaceable wool slacks. I'm pretty bummed because I absolutely loved these pants - they are very high quality, and they've always fit well and made me feel professional and put-together. They're not made anymore, and I've seriously considered bringing them to a tailor to copy.

Now, they're tight and the fit is off. It's definitely not a weight issue (I've had them for 13 years and they've always fit perfectly, including right before I had them dry cleaned; I'm also the same size as I was when I bought them).

The tag says that they're 75% virgin wool, and it says not to steam them.

The dry cleaner kindly offered to stretch them out by steaming. They said it's very safe. Still, I'm hesitant - I worry that this could shrink them even more.

I can't find much information on steaming to stretch/blocking. Is this a viable option? I know nothing is for certain, but is this a good idea?

Thanks everyone!

posted by aquamvidam to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (2 answers total)

I don't know about whether that would work, but maybe take them to a tailor to be replicated (with the inches added back of course) before you take them up on it? Best of both worlds if it works out; insurance policy if it doesn't.
posted by purple_bird at 1:21 PM on February 17, 2022

I understand that this is a very, very common thing that dry cleaners do. That doesn't mean they can't mess it up, of course! But it is the type of thing they should have a good deal of experience with.

One thing: You might ask them for details about how they plan to go about un-shrinking it. Knowing a few more details may give you more confidence in their expertise and a higher comfort level with their plans and procedure - or not.

Here is an article that talks about why wool shrinks and how you (or dry cleaners etc) can go about unshrinking it. Note that I'm not particularly recommending to try any of the methods suggested in that article (I don't personally know anything at all about wool shrinkage, and have no experience with it, so I wouldn't want to suggest anything specific). I'm suggesting the article only for general information about the topic.
posted by flug at 5:32 PM on February 17, 2022