“Don’t wash your jeans!”
We hear it over and over, and many of us abide by this denim-addict’s rule of thumb when it comes to letting denim take its shape around your figure, and letting wear happen naturally. But the fact is, after a certain period of time, you’re going to want to remove odors, dirt, and even dead skin cells (yep, their final resting place is your jeans). Freezing denim removes odor to some extent, but if you’ve decided it’s time to take action with *gulp* water… there’s a right way to do it.
Check out this awesome tutorial on washing raw denim from Park & Bond (and visit the original to see their informative graphics).
Step 1: Fill a sink, tub, bucket or other jean-sized vessel with lukewarm water and a small amount of ultra-mild detergent. Woolite Dark is a good bet, but it’s very concentrated, so start with just a couple of teaspoons. Take a deep breath, ignore the anticipated slights from the hip police running through your mind, and put your smelly-ass jeans in the tub. Make sure they’re fully submerged (this may require you to weigh them down).
Step 2: Soak them for about an hour, giving them a stir half way through to loosen any dirt that’s worked its way into the denim.
Step 3: Remove the jeans, drain the tub (of course), and rinse them thoroughly with cold water to remove detergent residue. Roll them up in a dry towel that you don’t mind staining blue to remove some moisture.
Step 4: Hang them out to dry. (Note: Make sure you hang them in a place that has good air movement, as you don’t want your jeans to mildew. Also, take care to hang them somewhere that won’t be ruined by a steady flow of indigo-infused water.) Do not tumble dry, as all that heat will undo your good work. Once your jeans are dry, pull them on and proceed to beat the hell out of ‘em till they need a bath again.
Original tutorial via Park & Bond.
—DT Staff
Tags: denim care, freezing denim, how to wash denim, raw denim, should i wash my jeans, washing raw denim
Denim Therapy’s founder Francine Rabinovich shared her expertise on cleaning your denim and sparing it from fading and color bleeding: “The stronger the detergent and the hotter the water, the more you’ll compromise the fabric’s strength and color.”
Check out this and more tips in the Men’s Health 2011 Guide To Denim.
—DT Staff
Tags: denim guide, Denim Therapy, how to care for denim, how to wash denim, how to wash jeans, men's health, prevent denim fading
Ruined jeans? Colors faded or dye bleeding? Oh no! Chances are, it could have been prevented. Garde Robe imparts some knowledge on making sure you don’t destroy your jeans when you’re washing and caring for them. This tip comes from our previously Q&A, which you can read for more expert advice.
“We’ve all had the experience of a pair of jeans bleeding or shrinking in wash. It’s important like any garment, to read and follow the care instructions for each and every pair of denim jeans we own.
Follow the instructions carefully to keep them looking bright and new, or break all the rules and create the denim you want. I’d always recommend washing denim by hand, if not professionally. If you do machine wash your jeans, I’d recommend separating and washing your jeans individually in a cold wash to prevent bleeding & shrinking.
Wash inside out with all buttons or zippers unfastened. Use a half-sized amount of color guard detergent of your preference. Wash on a gentle or hand dry cycle. When done, tumble dry on a low heat, never high. Remove from dryer when still damp to touch. Dry flat.”
—DT Staff
Tags: care for jeans, denim care, Garde Robe, how to wash denim, how to wash jeans, should i wash my jeans
Style blog Lavish Livez gave us a great summary of top notch men’s denim for fall yesterday, complete with styling tips and accessories suggestions. Today he’s sharing five tips on wearing and caring for denim, so you can get the most out of your trusty jeans this season. Check them out below.
1. When your raw denim starts smelling funky (as washing regularly is a no-no), there are a few things you can do. Put them in the freezer, add dryer sheets to the pockets overnight, or dry clean them. I advise against washing raw denim for the first six months.
2. When you buy raw denim to begin with, buy the snuggest fit possible. They’ll stretch out.
3. Don’t be afraid to get rough with them! That’s how raw denim gets it charm and eventually begins to tell the story of its owner by wear and tear.
4. When you wash any denim, use Woolite. It will help preserve the original color.
5. Find a good tailor, it isn’t 1992 anymore, so your pants shouldn’t be hanging off a la Kriss Kross.
—DT Staff & Lavish Livez
Tags: denim care, how to care for denim, how to wash denim, raw denim, Woolite
We snagged the following tip for you from the Glamour blog:
“Brand new denim in bold (or even dark) colors can lose its hue all over your washing machine–and all over whatever other clothes are in there. The dye can also rub off on your sofa, your white trench coat, and the camel-colored handbag you’re holding against yourself. To prevent major color running, I did some Hints-from-Heloise style searching on the internet, and discovered that there’s a super-simple trick to keep your red in check: Vinegar! Add a full cup of white vinegar to the rinse cycle when you’re washing your jeans, and skip the fabric softener. Alternatively, you can soak the pants overnight in a solution of two parts vinegar to one part cold water, then run them through a regular wash. The vinegar acts as a fixing agent and keeps the dye where it belongs!”
Via Glamour Blog.
—DT Staff
Tags: colored denim, colored jeans, denim care, how to maintain colors, how to wash denim, how to wash jeans, should i wash my jeans
We sourced this gem of wisdom during our denim style and care Q&A (which goes down weekly at 3:30PM – 4:30PM EST on Wednesdays)…
“To make jeans last longer, don’t dry them in a dryer! Lay flat to dry or dry hanging upside-down (this will keep the length of your jeans long as they dry, and keep the butt area from being stretched out).”
—Renee, resident Denim Therapist.
Check Renee out at the Raw Denim Project!
Tags: denim care, denim washing, how to care for jeans, how to dry jeans, how to wash denim, how to wash jeans, make jeans last longer
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