Here are important tips for the best care of your denim jeans. Jeans will last longer and fit better if you treat them a little differently than your other clothes.

label check

Please refer to the cleaning instructions and the type of your jeans which can be found on a label inside your jeans. “Pre-washed” or “pre-worn” indicates that the jeans have undergone manufacturing processes to create discoloration and minimize shrinkage. However, these jeans can still fade and shrink if washed in hot water and dried on high heat. To minimize fading and shrinkage, always wash in cold water and air dry. Even safer is dry clean.

“Raw” or “dry” indicates that the jeans have not been washed and the blue color is not fixed.

“Single wash” means that the jeans have been soaked once in cold water to soften the fabric and set the blue dye.

“Sanforized” means that your jeans have been preshrunk. Most jean fabrics are processed using this proprietary technique. It has been around for 70 years. There are no chemicals involved. It may still shrink if you use hot water to wash or tumble dry on hot air.

“Unsanforized” or “shrink to fit” indicates that the jeans will definitely shrink up to 2″ at the waist. The longer you soak the jeans and the hotter the water, the more they will shrink. Drying them in a machine will increase the shrinkage.

Washing and drying

The more you wash and wear your jeans, the more they fade and the shorter their lifespan. Some believe that never washing jeans will make them last longer, but this is a myth because the acids and oils on your own skin wear down cotton fabric. It’s a “damned if you do, damned if you don’t” situation! So the best care is the gentlest wash, like turning them over and soaking them in the tub and gently agitating them, and then air drying them, and as little as possible! Again, dry cleaning is the safest.

You can add a little table salt to cold water to further minimize discoloration and shrinkage. Use one cup per bathtub or one cup per washer load.

Some believe that putting jeans in a freezer bag and then placing them in the freezer overnight will clean them out. Unfortunately, this is also a myth. Freezing kills odor-causing bacteria, but removes oils and acids from our skin or dirt.

soap and detergent

Some jean fans don’t use soap or detergent. They just soak their jeans and freeze them to get rid of the smell. If you want soap, a mild type will minimize discoloration and deterioration. The mildest soaps are Woolite and Dr. Bronner’s. The mildest detergent is Orvus Paste, which is used to wash quilts and horses! Turn the jeans inside out and soak them in cold water with the soap or detergent already dissolved for about 45 minutes. From time to time gently shake the jeans with your hands. To dry simply hang them outside preferably flat.

To machine wash, the best way is to turn the jeans inside out. Set your washing machine to the most delicate cycle with cold water for both the wash and rinse cycles. Also use as much water as possible and don’t wash the jeans with any other clothes except other jeans of the same color, but no more than 5 pairs per load. Fill the washing machine with cold water and dissolve the mild soap in the water, then add the jeans. If you want to use fabric softener, never pour it directly into the washing machine water. Rather, use the fabric softener dispenser. When the wash is done, hang the jeans inside or out to dry.

The best way to dry jeans is never in a machine! If you must use a dryer, be sure to use the lowest heat setting or no heat at all.

Bail

Hot water and hot machine drying cause fading and shrinkage even if the jeans have been pre-shrunk. Never use bleach unless you want to “acid wash” your jeans; see my instructions for acid washing. Never mix jeans with clothes of another color in your washing machine. Wash light blue and dark blue jeans separately. The safest way to stretch jeans is to wear them while they’re wet! And believe it or not, there are health concerns for both men and women that involve skinny jeans. Studies show that women who are susceptible to yeast and bladder infections should minimize wearing skinny jeans. Studies also show that men who consistently wear tight pants have reduced sperm count!