Soccer merchandise is a massive industry that yields a hefty revenue for numerous global brands. This is one of the major reasons why soccer sponsors pay huge sums of dollars to display their logos on visible parts of soccer jerseys.
Apart from simply serving the purpose of differentiating soccer teams on the pitch, soccer jerseys have grown into a vast industry.
Big soccer clubs such as Spain’s Barcelona and England’s Manchester United with huge fan bases are making large sums of money from selling soccer jerseys with fan’s favorite player’s names on them.
Soccer games attract a massive audience both in real life and virtually; this makes it a great channel for advertisement.
Devoted soccer fans consider it an honor to be able to purchase their team’s latest jerseys, which is why they wear them on match days with immense pride and confidence.
The soccer jersey can be said to be the most important part of a professional player’s uniform. What makes soccer jerseys cool and desirable is the fact that they come in fashionable designs and can be worn on many occasions not connected to soccer.
A well-fit soccer jersey is every soccer fan’s fantasy. However, an undersized soccer jersey can be a nightmare. A correctly sized soccer jersey provides flexibility and poise even when you gain a bit of weight after purchasing them.
Shrinking is not an unusual issue with soccer jerseys although most times it is caused by not properly heeding instructions.
But what happens if you mistakenly purchase an undersized soccer jersey and don’t have the option to return them? Will you throw them away, give them out, or try to stretch them to fit?
In this article, we shall be teaching you easy ways of stretching tight soccer jerseys. Perhaps, you should give it a try before discarding or giving them out.
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How to stretch a soccer jersey?
Apart from erroneously purchasing an undersized soccer jersey, soccer jerseys can shrink when used on tumble dryers or when they accidentally come in contact with hot water. It is advisable to avoid using tumble dryers on your soccer jerseys and use natural means instead.
The heat from dryers or hot water can change a soccer jersey’s structure by making the threads contract and abate the interlaces in the material, especially if the jerseys are stretchy. It is a very annoying experience but can be reversed if you know how to.
Stretching soccer jerseys might seem a little complex and difficult but with consistent practice, you can become very good at it.
There are numerous techniques you can apply to stretch soccer jerseys to a fitting size depending on how stretched you need them to become and how much stretch a piece of fabric can handle.
We have compiled a list of easy DIY (Do-It-Yourself) tricks you can easily use in stretching your polyester soccer jerseys to fit perfectly.
Cold Water Stretch Method
Step 1: In implementing this method, you would need a large container like a bathtub, a big bowl, or a bucket, although washing machines are preferable. Fill whichever medium you would be using with cold water.
Step 2: Submerge your soccer jersey in the cold water, allow it to soak thoroughly until its fibers are relaxed. This should take about 10 minutes tops.
Step 3: Retrieve the wet soccer jersey from the water and squeeze out excess water from it, leaving it soppy. You should understand fully well that the more saturated the soccer jersey’s fibers are, the easier it will be to stretch the jersey.
Step 4: Find a wide-backed chair or something similar and place the soccer jersey around its back. Gently apply pressure simultaneously on both edges of the jersey from top to bottom as far as it can easily stretch.
Make sure you don’t stretch the fabric beyond its elastic limit to avoid damaging it.
Step 5: Keep rotating the jersey as you continuously stretch until it gets dry, rotating it gives it an even stretch. When the jersey gets dry, you should stop stretching.
Step 6: Wear the soccer jersey to check if it is evenly stretched, if it isn’t, immerse it again in cold water and repeat the process.
You can keep the jersey close to a fan as you stretch it on the chair’s back to enable it to dry faster. This is particularly important if the jersey is needed urgently. This method is not to be practiced regularly because it can cause severe damage to the material.
Pros of Cold Water Stretch Method
- All required equipment for this method is readily available at home.
- Easy to learn
- Makes soccer jerseys comfortable and fitting to wear
- Saves cost
- A good way to exercise and flex the muscles
Cons of Cold Water Stretch Method
- Causes body aches and pains when the jerseys are many
- Very stressful and can lead to fatigue
- Reduces the jersey’s elasticity and durability
- Not suitable during winter periods
- Makes the jersey material wrinkle more easily
- Wastes a lot of time
Conditioner Stretch Method
Step 1: Get the soccer jersey damp by dipping it in a large bowl of lukewarm water. Make sure the level of water in use is enough to saturate all the parts of the jersey you intend to stretch.
Make sure the water is at room temperature because anything hotter than that would mess up your soccer jersey when stretching.
Step 2: Measure 15 ml (Tbsp) of hair conditioner into each liter (1 quart) of water used. Thoroughly stir the mixture with your hands until it dissolves completely and there are no visible globs.
The hair conditioner acts as a fabric softener, helping the soccer jersey stretch faster. Baby shampoo can also serve as an alternative if a conditioner isn’t available. It is okay to use a cheap conditioner for this method.
Step 3: Submerge the soccer jersey for about 10 to 30 minutes but you must do it with the jersey dropped flat on the water surface or you can gently submerge it from the side of the bowl. You must make sure the mixture touches every fiber of the soccer jersey.
When some parts of the jersey are not touched, they stretch differently. To avoid this from happening, hold the jersey down to the bottom of the bowl for a minute or two.
Step 4: Retrieve the jersey from the bowl, discard the water, and clean up the bowl or use a different bowl. Refill it with clean water. Rinse the soccer jersey the same way you would rinse your hair after applying a conditioner to make it clean from the sticky residue.
Dedicate a decent amount of time in rinsing the jersey, making sure that every fiber in it is clean from the conditioner.
Step 5: After gently squeezing water out of the wet jersey, find a flat aerated surface where the jersey would be spread to dry but before you spread it, place a large clean towel on the surface and then spread the jersey on top of it.
Step 6: In case you have a logo on the shirt you wouldn’t want to stretch along with the wet jersey, simply target it with a hot iron and iron it until it gets dried up but make sure not to iron other parts of the jersey by mistake.
Step 7: By applying mild amounts of pressure, stretch the soccer jersey by placing your forearms in the part that needs stretching and stretch until you gain the desired amount of stretch. Stretch from left to right to attain an equally stretched soccer jersey.
Step 8: Spread the stretched shirt back on the towel to properly dry. Sometimes the shirt might wrinkle or shrink again after they dry, to prevent this from happening, simply place heavy objects against all corners of the soccer jersey to keep it straight as it dries.
Don’t use direct sunlight in drying newly stretched soccer jerseys. You can repeat this process if it doesn’t resize the way you want it to.
Pros of The Conditioner Stretch Method
- Easy to learn and practice
- Doesn’t cost a lot of money
- Guarantees a quick result
- Maintains the present size of a soccer jersey until next wash
- Maximizes flexibility and comfort
- It is formulated with olaplex bond building chemistry
- It restores internal strength and moisture levels to add incredible shine and manageability
- It is recommended for all hair types
Last update on 2023-11-10 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Cons of The Conditioner Stretch Method
- Wastes a lot of time
- Require more water than other methods
- Conditioner may damage the jersey’s texture if not properly rinsed
- Makes fabrics fade if used often
The methods we listed above are for temporary application; using them constantly will damage your soccer jersey beyond fixing. Always read the instructions attached to your polyester soccer shirts to see if they can withstand the stretching methods we listed.
Conclusion
Clothes do not grow but they have elastic capabilities which only come about when pressure is applied to them. Normally, soccer jerseys weren’t designed to be stretched due to the delicate nature of their fabric and subtle detailing.
Although some people see nothing wrong in stretching soccer jerseys, other people believe losing weight or buying a new soccer jersey entirely is a more befitting option than wasting precious time trying to stretch them. Well, it is up to you to decide what works for you.
Hi there, I’m Jay.
Soccer is everything in my life! My friends and I have created this blog with all our enthusiasm, passion, and understanding after years of playing pro soccer. Hope you will enjoy it!