How to Recover the Length of Shrunken Jeans

Posted on August 8, 2012 by Mary Hunt in Tips 12 Comments

If you’ve ever experienced the heartbreak of shrinking your favorite pair of jeans to a length that would make them perfect to wear in a flood, you’re going to be particularly fond of today’s first great reader tip. And like me, you’re probably going to wonder, “Why didn’t I think of that!”

Some rights reserved by bark

NO MORE HIGH-WATERS. While doing the laundry one day, I got to thinking that if cotton shrinks it probably stretches, too. I decided to experiment on my kids’ jeans, thinking that if I could make the legs longer we could squeak out more wear. After washing, I folded a pair of wet jeans in half lengthwise and laid them on a beach towel on the floor. Then I stood on the jeans and grabbed the hem of one of the legs. I carefully, but forcefully, began to pull up. I could feel the fabric stretching compared to the other leg. I flipped the pants over and did the same thing to the other leg. When I was done stretching the legs, I hung them up to dry. After they were dry I tossed them in the dryer for a couple of minutes to take away the stiffness. Jeans come out a couple of inches longer with this method than if I simply toss them in the dryer. Sandy, Minnesota

FROM EYELASHES TO KEYBOARDS. I cleaned an old mascara wand with dish soap. It makes a good brush for cleaning and dusting in small spaces. Ann, North Carolina

BABY POWDER FOR SPOTS. Baby powder is a great clothing saver. I use it to remove oily spots from silk and cotton sweaters. I cover the spot with baby powder and let sit overnight. In the morning, I brush off the powder with a towel. I have had several colorful silk suits last for years, thanks to this trick. And I always pack it when I travel. Darcy, email 

CAP THE BOWLS. When I stack bowls or kitchen equipment that I rarely use, they end up getting dusty before I use them again. To prevent this from happening, I take a shower cap and stretch it over the top of the items. The cap protects my bowls from dust. Christy, Oregon

SHAPED EGGS. When I’m making eggs for my grandkids, I pour the egg into a metal cookie cutter that I’ve spritzed with PAM and sat on the hot frying pan. The egg cooks in the shape of the cookie cutter and the grandkids love it! Margie, New York

HERB CUTTER. When chopping herbs like basil, cilantro or parsley, I use a pizza cutter instead of a knife. It cuts a large amount of herbs quickly. Sharon, Idaho

FRYING THE BEANS. Like Mary, I roast my own coffee beans. But I’m not ready to invest in a coffee roaster and I don’t have an air popcorn popper. So, I roast my beans on the stove, in a cast iron frying pan (with the windows open and lots of ventilation!). Not only is the coffee delicious, but the frying pan loves it. The oils in the beans give my pan a beautiful, smooth, seasoned finish that it had never had before. Rosie, Arizona

Do you have a tip to share or a comment on one of the tips above? Get heard in the comments section below.

Exclusive Bonus!

The Best of Everyday Cheapskate Subscribe to email updates today and you’ll receive a link to download my brand new e-book, The Best of Everyday Cheapskate, FREE.

You’ll enjoy excerpts from each of my bestselling e-books to help you get onboard with saving time and money every day! 


Posted on August 8, 2012 by Mary Hunt in Tips 12 Comments
  • Kay

    Loved the tip about stretching the pants.
    When I freeze bacon I pull out a long strip of waxed paper. I lay the bacon strips side by side leaving a tiny bit of space beween each one. Once they are laid out, I cover them with a top sheet of waxed paper. I then fold them in half, then in half again. I place the bacon in a gallon freezer bag. When I want bacon I just unfold it and tear off the amount I need. I then refold it and place it back into the freezer.

    • Suzanne Filatoff

      Roast your own coffee beans? Really? Where do you get green coffee beans?!?

      • Maria Stahl

        Lots of places! Mary has written about this more than once. My personal favorite source is invalsa.com.

  • Angela

    Baby powder is a must when you go to the beach. Sprinkle liberally on feet to remove wet or dry sand: brush off with a towel.It’s quick and easy and gets the job done.

  • Maria Stahl

    I stretched my jeans every time I washed them all through high school. :) I was growing so fast, most of the time I only had one pair at a time, so I washed them every night, stretched them and hung them to dry for the next day.

  • k

    thanks for all the tips! I have a tip: Coffee cups work great to hold a child’s toothpaste and toothbrush in the bathroom. Once a month, I just put the cup in the dishwasher and use a new one. Easy to use, easy to clean and not very expensive. Also keeps germy toothbrushes separated from each other.

  • Anna Marie

    ’tis flea season. In addition to all the regular potions, I use plain vaseline when I see a flea- a dab immobilzes them to be removed or expire in place. Also baby powder smothers them- I sprinkle it in the problem area and no more scratching!

  • Mandy

    An old (clean) mascara brush works great to remove excess after applying my mascara. No more flaking or black specks on my face!

  • Laurie

    Instead of throwing out leftover french fries from dinner, I save them for the next day to cut up, frying in a little bit of olive oil with veggies and an egg to make a breakfast burrito for that morning. They are delish!

  • Cathy

    Another idea to keep pants from getting short is to dry them on pant hangers. Hang them wet and the weight of the pants will prevent them from getting short.

  • Laurie Par

    A quick storage tip for plastic bags–store them in an empty Kleenex box.

  • rika

    Have been doning the jeans thing for years. Works great on cotton/poly too.