Life Hack: How to wash and dry jeans — and how often — to ensure they don’t fade or shrink
The way you wash your jeans can affect how long they last. Picture: iStock
Fashion fads come and go but a staple in most wardrobes is a trusty pair of jeans. The skinny jean may be overshadowed by looser silhouettes at the moment but no matter the style, a well-made and classic pair of jeans will see you through many years and many fashion cycles — if you care for them correctly.
Some common problems that crop up as your jeans wear with time is sagging and stretching material as well as fading dye on the fabric. How you wash and dry your jeans plays a major role in how many years you can make them last.
Denim brand Levi’s has been making jeans for over a century so they know how to make the fabric last. They say there’s no need to hand wash or dry clean your jeans as “denim started as workwear — it’s not especially delicate, and it can absolutely get wet, so dry cleaning is pretty unnecessary and handwashing is the same.” They say the washing machine is perfectly fine for your sturdy denim as long as you follow some simple guidelines.
First, turn your jeans inside out. This will protect the colour from fading when it comes into contact with detergent. You should also close the zipper to help maintain the shape.
Believe it or not, a cold wash is the best way to clean your jeans. This will prevent the fabric from shrinking and also helps prevent the colour from fading. Also Levi’s says denim is durable, they also recommend using a gentle or delicate cycle on your machine “to make sure your jeans aren’t being put through any unnecessary stress”. For dark blue or black jeans, add a gentle detergent.
There is a slight variation in that system if you are washing a new pair of jeans for the first time. Follow the same steps but do not add any other items to the wash when you put your jeans in the machine. “New denim, especially new dark wash denim, has a tendency to bleed its excess dye during its first wash,” Levi’s says. “Put a light-colored piece of clothing in there with that bleeding dye and it could come out with a blue or black tint.”
Unsurprisingly, you should avoid using a tumble dryer to speed up the drying process. Air drying your jeans will make sure the fabric doesn’t sag or shrink. Instead, hang them inside on a clothesline or a clothes horse and ideally in the shade to avoid fading the fabric.
As a rule of thumb, less is more when it comes to washing denim. Levi’s recommends washing jeans once every 10 wears “at most” to protect the fabric and minimise sagging. In between washes you can remove small stains and spot-clean your jeans with soap and a damp cloth.
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