To deliberately shrink a load of baby clothes so they fit?

[kindereggsurprise]

I have a 12 month old so I’ve bought his winter clothes in a 12-18 but he’s never going to get in any of them this winter and by the time they fit he’ll be back in summer wear.
I can’t exchange any of it as I’ve bought bits over the last couple of months with winter in mind.
The only trousers he can wear are last years 3-6 and 6-9 months.
Long t-shirts and jumpers too.
Should I just put them all in the tumble dryer or buy all smaller.
He may grow a bit but he’s not going to fit most of it.

We have spent quite a lot on his clothes and some I really want him to wear because it’s lovely.
I have read if you soak the clothes after washing in hot water for 5-20 mins and then dry them on high heat they will shrink more. Has anyone ever tried?

Unless they’re fancy designer ones I wouldn’t expect much shrinkage because most normal baby clothes can go in the dryer. If he’s still in some 3-6 month trousers now then there’s also a decent chance that 12-18 months may still fit him next winter and given the typical climate in this country surely most stuff can be worn year round? It’s not like you don’t ever wear a jumper in spring/summer. Just pop it away until it fits and buy whatever you need now in the correct size.

Will they definitely shrink? I’d probably just stick them on Vinted.

I might have to, just don’t really want to spend all that money again.
Nothing is designer just supermarket, mostly Tesco and Asda.

I don’t know, I’ve definitely shrunk a few things by accident before

I’ve swapped things at Asda which I bought outwith the standard 28 days window and without a receipt. Worth trying to return for an exchange

Very unlikely supermarket stuff will shrink in the dryer. But they are usually decent with returns. If they still have tags on it’s worth trying.

Unless budget is really tight I wouldn’t stick stuff on Vinted to sell at a loss only to buy it again next year at full price when he needs that size. Except maybe the coat if you think he won’t be in that size next winter. If it’s stuff like long sleeved tops and trousers you get wear out of those year round.

I can't see supermarket baby clothes shrinking. They're made to be fairly robust for washing after nappy explosions and vomit and all other babyhood disasters.

Hot wash and ling cycle in the tumble drier will probs shrink them. But may shrink in funny ways, like T-shirts get short and wide etc. it’s a gamble. worth a shot if you don’t have the time/energy to sell on Vinted and/or the cash to buy new. I would probs try shrinking them if it were me x

When I have things shrink by accident they never shrink in the 'right' way.

The body might get tight but the arms stretch and go floppy or trousers shrink in length but the waistband stays the same.

You might just end up with a pile of ill-fitting, misshaped rags.

If he’s only in 3-6 and 6-9 months now he may fit the 12-18 next autumn. Growth slows down a bit around a year old, clothes sizes are 6 month intervals rather than 3 months. Just keep it for next year.

Could you not alter them? Fold the ends of sleeves over and add a simple stitch. Then when he grows, you can un-do the stitch.
Same for trousers but I appreciate a bit more "technical" to add a dart round the waist.

Asda have a 100day return policy which you may find useful?

have they still got the tags on? Supermarkets might exchange them for a different size if they do.

my experience of accidental shrinkage has ended up with clothes in very odd shapes - they don’t seem to shrink in a uniform fashion!

I often tumble dry baby clothes and they generally don't shrink.

Have you tried them on him? Sizing between different brands can vary a lot.

They might not be as bad as you think. Especially if they are the outer layer. By the time you have on a vest and long sleeve t shirt a roomier jumper might be better.

If you don't want to put them on him then compare each to his current larger size item and separate into autumn/winter and winter/spring. It's going to be half his life again before he's in shorts or not needing a jumper so surely there's still time to use them.

Are boys clothes that different by season? Don't you just reduce the outer layers e.g just out in a jumper and no coat come late spring. Joggers are all but the hottest summer months.

I'd wash them and tumble dry them to thoroughly dry but not over done. I do think most clothes shrink a little.

That way you are less likely to destroy them if you want to resell.