This is an archived article and the information in the story may be outdated. Please check the time stamp on the story to see when it was updated last.
We’ve all been there: you have an absolute favorite pair of jeans that slowly, over the years, start to get tighter and tighter. At first, they’re only tight after you take them out of the dryer–but then as time goes on they become too-tight all the time.
You have your signature stretch-them-out move: the kick out your leg and do a lunch, the squat and bounce, the Rockettes-inspired high-kick. That usually gets them pretty loose–but is there an even faster and more effective way to do it?
I just bought a new pair of crop flare jeans I love, but they’re about a half size too small, so I was desperate for this trick. Upon Googling “how to loosen jeans,” I found this exhaustive article on the topic from Who What Wear.
They included 3 tips in the story, but basically only one of them is feasible. Here it is:
Spray the jeans with lukewarm water and lay them flat on the floor. Then you stand on each leg, bend down and use your hands to pull and stretch the jeans while they’re wet. Basically, the trick is not to do it when they’re on your body–you can do more pulling this way. I tried it when my jeans were dry (who has time to spritz them down?!) and it was more effective than trying to stretch them when wearing them.
The second trick was to sit in a warm bath with the jeans on (okay, no) and the third option was to DIY the waist band off. Not viable for a new pair of jeans or for anyone who is sewing-challenged.
So, there you have it! The fastest and easiest way to stretch jeans.
