How to Fix Pants That Have a Shiny Backside

by Lane Cummings

Disco attire is probably the only time it's okay to have a shiny butt.

Brand X Pictures/Brand X Pictures/Getty Images

While some people enjoy having an eye-catching rear end, it is possible to attract unwanted attention to this area of your body. For example, pants that are shiny exclusively around the backside can make you appear disheveled and your pants look just plain odd and distracting. The shiny spots often come from ironing the pants on too high a setting. Dark colored pants like black or navy blue most often have this problem. You don't need to toss out your pants with shiny backsides though, there are ways to salvage them.

Items you will need

  • Basin
  • 1 cup distilled white vinegar
  • 3 cups water
  • Clean cloth
  • Ironing board or flat surface
  • Iron
  • Fabric brush

Vinegar Method

Step 1

Pour 1 cup white vinegar into a basin, add 4 cups of cold water and mix well.

Step 2

Soak a clean cloth in this mixture. Wring it out. Shake out your pants and lay them in front of you on an ironing board or a flat surface covered with a towel.

Step 3

Press the cloth against the shiny areas. Repeat until you've dampened all the shiny spots with this mixture and let the pants fully air dry. The shine will be gone.

Steam Method

Step 1

Lay out the pants on top of an ironing board or flat surface with the backside up. Place a damp cloth over the shiny areas.

Step 2

Press a hot iron on a steam setting against the cloth, pressing and ironing the damp cloth into the fabric. Repeat in this fashion until you've covered all the shiny areas.

Step 3

Run a slightly coarse bristled fabric brush over the areas you just ironed. This will help to roughen up the threads of the material and prevent them from shining. Allow the fabric to air dry as normal.

Photo Credits

  • Brand X Pictures/Brand X Pictures/Getty Images

About the Author

Lane Cummings is originally from New York City. She attended the High School of Performing Arts in dance before receiving her Bachelor of Arts in literature and her Master of Arts in Russian literature at the University of Chicago. She has lived in St. Petersburg, Russia, where she lectured and studied Russian. She began writing professionally in 2004 for the "St. Petersburg Times."