How to Thread a Lost Drawstring Back into Your Hoodie in Under 5 Minutes

The Frustrating Case of the Lost Drawstring

We’ve all been there: you pull your favorite hoodie or sweatpants out of the washing machine, only to find one end of the drawstring has retreated completely inside the hood or waistband. Trying to squeeze it out with your bare fingers is a recipe for frustration. Fortunately, you don’t need to throw away your favorite loungewear. Here are three incredibly simple, fast methods to thread your drawstring back through in under five minutes using common household items.

Method 1: The Safety Pin Method (The Classic)

This is the most reliable method and works for almost any type of drawstring channel.

• Step 1: Attach the pin. Secure a medium-to-large safety pin firmly through one end of the drawstring, about half an inch from the tip. Clasp the pin shut.
• Step 2: Insert the pin. Push the safety pin into one of the drawstring eyelets (the entry holes).
• Step 3: Inch it through. Hold the safety pin through the fabric with one hand. Use your other hand to bunch up the fabric of the channel behind the pin, pushing the pin forward. Hold the pin in its new position, and pull the bunched fabric straight behind it.
• Step 4: Pull it out. Repeat this "inchworm" motion until the safety pin emerges from the opposite eyelet. Unpin it, and you're done!

Method 2: The Straw Method (The Speed Run)

If you have a plastic drinking straw handy, this method is often much faster because the rigid straw glides smoothly through the fabric channel without snagging.

• Step 1: Thread the straw. Push about two inches of the drawstring end into a plastic drinking straw.
• Step 2: Secure the string. Staple through both the straw and the drawstring to lock it in place. If you don't have a stapler, you can slide a safety pin through both, or wrap a piece of tape tightly around the connection.
• Step 3: Push it through. Insert the straw into the eyelet. Because the straw is rigid, you can easily push it through the channel in long, satisfying sections.
• Step 4: Retrieve and release. Once the straw pops out of the other side, remove the staple (or tape) and slide the straw off.

Method 3: The Wire Hanger Method (For Tight Channels)

If the drawstring channel is exceptionally tight or long, a wire coat hanger provides the structure needed to get the job done.

• Step 1: Prep the hanger. Untwist a wire coat hanger and straighten it out as much as possible. Bend one end into a tiny, tight hook.
• Step 2: Secure the string. Tie or tape the end of your drawstring securely to the small wire hook. Keep the profile as slim as possible so it doesn't catch.
• Step 3: Feed the wire. Push the straight end of the wire hanger through one eyelet and slide it all the way through the channel until it exits the other side, pulling the drawstring behind it.

How to Prevent This From Happening Again

Once your drawstring is successfully re-threaded, make sure you never have to do this again with two simple preventative habits:

• Tie the ends: Tie a knot at each end of the drawstring that is significantly larger than the eyelet holes.
• Tie a bow before washing: Before tossing your hoodies or sweatpants into the laundry, tie the drawstrings into a secure bow. This keeps the ends from getting sucked into the waistband during the spin cycle.