Tips On Caring For Your Jeans
Who doesn’t love a pair of American made jeans? Denim is the staple of so many wardrobes and with their ‘dress up or dress down’ versatility, jeans are the go-to fashion item for the modern man about town.
But finding your perfect pair of jeans is one thing, keeping them looking sharp is a whole different ball game. Although denim is durable, it can wear out and without the right care and attention, your new jeans could go from wardrobe to dumpster sooner than you’d like. If this sounds like you and you’d like to make your denim last longer, then help is at hand.
Check out our 8 cool tips on extending the life of your jeans.
1. Choose Quality Over Quantity
When it comes to your denim, the old adage ‘you get what you pay for’ certainly rings true.
Bargain-basement jeans may seem a good deal, but they’re not going to last that long and you’ll soon be back to buy some more. Factor in the amount of use you want to get out of your cool blues and investing a little more in a well-made pair is good value for money over time. The color of the denim will also make a difference to how long they last – faded denim has been treated with chemicals to get the right look, meaning the lighter or more distressed the color, the more worn out the denim is. For a long-lasting pair of American-made jeans, dark blue is the way to go.
2. Wash Infrequently
Hmm, this essential tip to extending the life of your favorite jeans may take some getting used to but trust us, it works. While you don’t want to be walking around in smelly denim, reducing the frequency you wash your jeans can really make a difference in how long the fabric stays in tip-top condition. Some jean aficionados believe a new pair of jeans shouldn’t be washed for the first six months as it can take this long for the denim to take on your body shape but we’re not asking you to be so extreme. Just try not to wash your jeans after every wear and extend the time between washing for as long as you can bear. Then when it comes to a full wash, turn your denims inside out before popping them into the machine to protect the blue from fading.
3. Wash In Cold Water
When it comes to machine washing your new jeans there is another key rule you need to follow – wash in cold water. Cold water is your denim’s best friend – with a good detergent, it still cleans really well but also helps to avoid shrinkage and will keep the color lovely and blue for much longer. And, when it comes to the darker denim, here’s a great tip: add half a cup of distilled white vinegar to the final rinse to slow down any color fade.
4. Take It Easy On The Detergent
Here’s a short and sweet tip on how to extend the life of your jeans – don’t overdo it on the washing powder. It may seem obvious but we’re all prone to overloading on the detergent to get our clothes squeaky clean. But when it comes to your favorite denim, detergent can really help to speed up color fade, particularly on jeans that have already been deliberately distressed. For longer jean life, when it comes to detergent – less is more!
5. Jeans Don’t Like To Be On Their Own!
When washing your denims, don’t wash them on their own but put them in with other similar dark jeans and clothing items. Washing jeans with similar colored items can actually help to keep your jeans looking new. Washing inevitably takes out some color in denim but with other dark jeans in the wash, that color dye circulates and can help your favorite jeans retain their original shade for much longer. Make this your washing rule for fighting off denim fade.
6. Spot Clean Minor Stains
If you’re struggling with the new rule of washing infrequently, then there are ways to keep your denim dirt-free and looking great between machine washes. And that’s spot-washing. Let’s say you’re at the game and you’ve just spilt a little mustard on your jeans. Before you rush to put them in the washer, try a spot wash. Simply use a mix of warm water and washing detergent and with a soft cloth, spot-clean the mustard away. The trick is to blot the stain until it comes up clean rather than scrub as scrubbing can force the dirt further into the fabric.
7. Keep Your Jeans Smelling Sweet
OK, so now you’ve got your head around the ‘less is more’ mantra when it comes to washing your jeans, what can you do in-between washes to keep your blues smelling fresh? Well, we’ve got a couple of great hacks for you to keep your denim sweet. First up, hang them in the bathroom when you are in the shower – all that hot steam will keep them looking sharp and smelling good. Or if they are starting to get an odor of their own, pack them in a plastic bag and pop them in the freezer for a couple of days. Sounds crazy but it works as freezing can kill any odor-causing bacteria in the fabric, giving you a little longer before they need to go into the wash.
8. Air Dry Your Jeans
Another great way to extend the lifespan of your American made jeans is to hang them up to dry. Avoiding the clothes dryer by pegging them up will keep them looking new for so much longer. For best results, hang them up inside or outdoors in the shade (direct sunlight will fade your denim beauties in no time) and peg them by the ankles to help preserve their shape. If they are a little stiff when dried on the line, pop them in the dryer on the lowest heat setting for a few minutes to soften.
Source:
- How to Wash Jeans – wikiHow
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