Restring Hoodies And Sweatpants After Washing Using A Nifty Paper Clip Trick

The laundry list of annoyances (pun intended) that your washing loads can create may seem to increase every time you do a cycle. Perhaps the most aggravating of all is when the string pulls itself out of its home and gets lost in the fabric "tunnel" or comes out completely. While the easy way to save your favorite hoodies and sweatpants from tangling in the wash keeps drawstrings in their proper place, sometimes they can still become snagged or untied, so knowing how to rescue the string is imperative. All you need is a paper clip and a little patience, and your clothes will be ready to scrunch, tighten, and secure in no time!

To efficiently restring your drawstring clothing with the paper clip method, you will need access to both ends of the string. This may require you to pull the whole thing out if one end is submerged in the tunnel of doom, but don't worry — this is only temporary. Check to ensure the paper clip you're using will fit into the holes where the drawstring lives. Use one end of the paper clip and push it through the fabric of one end of the string. Straighten out the other end that isn't holding the string and insert it into one of the clothing drawstring holes. The paper clip will create a rigid support that makes it easier to pull the string through. Once the paper clip comes out the other end, pull it out, unhook the string, and viola! Your clothing is ready.

This method also works with a safety pin instead of a paper clip, but the pointed end may make it a little trickier to finagle. It might help to tie a knot on each end of the drawstring to keep it in place. Then, tie the strings into a bow before adding them to the washing machine, which will help prevent it from slipping or pulling out completely. 

Larger paper clips can work, but you will need to alter their shape to make a small curve to hook your string onto. Then, straighten out the rest of the paper clip so it fits into the hole. The benefit of repurposing a larger paper clip for this method is that the metal will stretch out into a longer piece, which will cut down the time it takes to pull the string through. If wandering drawstrings are a frequent problem, you can keep this particular paper clip handy for any time the need to restring arises. If one edge of your string is frayed, it may be trickier to pull through, so try adding glue to the tip. This handy hack can transform paper clips into quite a useful tool, and you'll never have to deal with saggy sweatpants again!