A world without spandex is impossible. It’s a boon to our lives as workouts were uneasy for us to do with those non-stretchy clothes.

What is spandex?

Spandex is a fabric that provides maximum stretch and elasticity to our clothes. It is a fabric that can stretch up to 5-8 times more than its standard size. Life has become more relaxed and comfortable with such materials as they allow maximum stretch on our workouts. There are many fabrics out there that can provide stretch and elasticity. However, one of the most luxurious materials that can offer this is spandex.

What Is The Need To Stretch Spandex?

Spandex clothes are love nowadays, but sometimes clothes with spandex become uncomfortable to wear, and your skin becomes un-breathable. But still, you don’t need to change it. You can make it comfortable again with a few ways to a little more. We are introducing you to some fresh ideas to help you stretch or relax the spandex material as to how you need it.

Here are some ideas that will make your spandex clothes wearable and comfortable, and you will love them again.

 

3 DIY Simple Ways To Stretch Spandex A Little Or A Lot

1. How To Stretch Spandex A Little Bit? 

The best, most comfortable, quickest, and most straightforward way to stretch and relax your spandex material is by soaking them in hot water and wearing them wet. Wait!… what? Sounds crazy, right? You heard it right. Let us show you how?

Here is the way, how will you do it?
         
All you need is some hot water to soak it for 30 minutes. You can either set your washing machine on a hot wash or soak them in a tub with 120-140-degree Fahrenheit water. This will help your fabric fiber to relax.

The next thing will sound a little bit crazy, but it will be helpful magically to you. What you can do is, you can wear it wet and stay active for a few hours as the body heat and moisture will help the spandex to relax.

Try moving with different poses and postures because the more you move, the more stretchy it will be. The required time to dry the material depends upon its thickness.

However, this is the best way to try it at home for a little more stretch of your fabric.

For more significant expansion, try some other methods too.

2. When You Want To Stretch Spandex Significantly

 Another way to stretch and relax your material is to use some weights. To stretch and relax your material, you need to soak it into a tub of hot water, or you can run it into your washing machine with the highest settings. Ensure that the water heats up to 120-140-degree Fahrenheit.

Once the soaking is done, evenly place it on a flat and hard surface and place about 3-5lb of weight on one side of the garment. The weight should be heavy enough to hold the clothing well when you stretch it from the other side. Make sure that weights don’t damage garments by leaving color on it as you have to place the weights on wet clothes.

Now you will think how weights and stretching will help to stretch the garment? It is so simple to understand that if you place weight on wet clothing and stretch it from the other side, it will allow the fabrics of the garments to relax and stretch.

Keep on doing it until you don’t reach your required stretch and allow it to dry while stretching it as if it is not done, so the spandex garment will shorten again and come to its original size.

3. When You Want Greater Degree Of Expansion

 The third method is quite simple and easy that you can do on your own at home. Isn’t it cute to use baby shampoo? Just like the cuteness of baby shampoo, you stretch and gently relax spandex.

Here we show you how.

First, you will need a tub or sink of hot water. Ensure that the water should not be too hot as 85-90-degree Fahrenheit will be good enough because too much hot water can damage the fiber of your spandex material. Then, add a baby shampoo to it and stir it till the soapy consistency. Now soak your spandex garment to it and let the shampoo penetrate well into it, as it will soften the spandex fabric and will help you to stretch it quickly.

After 30 minutes, wring out the excess water from it. If you still find your garment moist, roll it into a dry towel because the dry towel will absorb the moisture from it.

Likely to the previous method, repeat the process by laying it onto the flat and hard surface and put 3-4lbs of weight on one side and stretch it from the other end. Like before, make sure that the weights will not leave any color stains because it can damage your garment. Let the garment completely dry off in a stretched-out manner.

The greater degree of expansion method on spandex material will help you get the required stretch. Still, if not satisfied with the stretch, repeat the process.

How To Take Care Of Stretched Spandex Clothing?

One of the most common questions asked by beginners is, “How to take care of stretched spandex material?” The only way you can take care of stretched spandex material is to use a mild detergent and wash it with cold water. It is always advisable that too much hot water will damage your spandex garments” fibers. If the fabric is not exposed to too much heat and cleaned with the right detergent, it will be able to retain its elasticity and maintain its shape. This will allow you to do your laundry effectively and conveniently and not waste too much time.

Stretchable fabrics are not meant to be cleaned using regular detergents. A mild detergent would have to be added in order to take care of the fabric properly. Any detergent should be avoided when washing the spandex garment as it will affect the performance of the clothing.

To avoid damaging the fabric, it is always better to use a non-irritating detergent when taking care of the spandex material.

There are many types of detergents available in the market today which are supposed to clean your clothes. When looking for the proper detergent, you must use one that is made from ingredients such as washing up liquid, glycerin, sodium hydroxide, vinegar, tannic acid, lanolin, sodium sulfate, potassium sorbate, aloe-vera gel, citrus acids, citrus oil, and herbs such as peppermint, sage, and menthol. You should also avoid detergents that contain chemicals such as chlorine bleach, phosphates, trisodium phosphate, and mineral oils.

Non-irritating detergents are mainly made of non-bleach components. These detergents dissolve the protein complexes present in the fabric. This makes the fibers of the fabric weak and unable to hold its shape. These fibers get pulled and stretched out of their natural forms by the detergent, making them look lumpy and wrinkled.

If you want to take care of the stretched spandex material, always remember to use a mild detergent. Never use harsh cleaning products, as it will lead to the stripping of the fibers from the fabric. The garments will look loose and wrinkled.

The detergent should be used on the material that you are wearing right now. If you do not want to use it, you will waste your money. It is best to make a routine of washing the spandex clothing once every week so that the mild detergent can work its magic.

It is recommended to dry them in a dryer in a cool setting. Always be careful while washing it and still be attentive when drying it off.

Conclusion

With this listed simple way, you can stretch the spandex material and that too at your home. However, a tag on your garment will guide you to maintain your spandex material.