Washing jeans: What you need to pay attention to when caring for them

What you should consider when washing jeans

The first question you may have is when you can wash a new pair of jeans. If the trousers have not been worn before, they should be washed after purchase. It makes sense to wash jeans before wearing them for the first time.

Although all pants go through an industrial delicate wash cycle beforehand, they can still pick up fine layers of dust during subsequent transportation or sale. These often invisible particles make a new wash cycle necessary. It is also possible that jeans bought in a local store have already been tried on by others.

The right wash cycle for washing jeans

To wash your jeans properly, you can either clean them by hand or gently in the washing machine. If you decide to wash them by hand, you can wash gray men's jeans in a solution of mild soap, inside out. For stubborn stains, you can rub the jeans inside out. However, be careful not to scrub in order to preserve the specially woven fabric of the pants. If the stain cannot be removed in this way, gentle stain removers are also suitable for spot cleaning. You should then wring out the wet garment thoroughly and hang it up to dry.

Choose the right wash cycle

Authentic blue denim jeans can of course also be cleaned in the washing machine. It is important to choose the right wash program. To ensure that the fabric survives the wash cycle undamaged, you should wash the garment inside out. Although denim fabric is very robust, careful handling is essential due to the coloring and special washes in order to preserve it for as long as possible. It is advisable to only wash the trousers together with similar denim jeans and garments. To protect the fabric, you should opt for a short wash program.

Set the perfect temperature

It is best to wash your denim pants on the short wash program at a temperature between 30 and 40 degrees Celsius. If your trousers are made of pure cotton, they can withstand temperatures of up to 60 degrees. Make sure to spin your classic jeans at a speed between 800 and 1000. This will prevent abrasion marks that could damage the fabric.

Finding the right detergent

To preserve the color and texture of your jeans as much as possible, you should avoid using heavy-duty detergent. You can use liquid detergent for delicates or colored fabrics, but with caution. You should be particularly careful with dark or even black jeans. These items are very sensitive in terms of fabric. You should therefore avoid fabric softeners completely, as they can soften the fibers.

The next challenge: Drying jeans properly

Once the wash cycle is complete, it's time to dry the jeans properly. However, these pants are not in good hands in the dryer. Especially those made of elastic materials can shrink when drying. It is therefore always better to hang the wet jeans on a washing line.

Further tips & tricks for caring for your jeans

As a general rule, you should wash your jeans as often as necessary, but as rarely as possible. Ideally, you should only wash your favorite blue jeans if there are visible stains or odors. A rough guideline is that delicate fabrics should be washed after being worn about five to six times. Remember to empty the trouser pockets before the upcoming wash cycle so that items stored in them do not end up in the machine and damage your jeans during the wash.

If you want to get coated jeans clean, you will need to clean them by hand. You can do this by soaking them overnight in cold water, for example. The next day, simply wring them out and hang them on the washing line. Incidentally, your jeans will dry best in a shady place because they are protected from the sun's fading rays.

Alternatives to washing your jeans

If you don't want to wash your jeans at all, you should consider the following alternatives:

For bad odors, hanging your pants outside overnight sometimes helps. Unpleasant odors such as cigarette smoke can reduce night-time ventilation. This measure is useless for strong smoke odors, such as from a campfire. In this case, hang your favorite jeans directly over the bathtub, preferably over steaming hot water. Thanks to the warm and humid air, the odors will dissipate after a while.

Contrary to popular belief, some other alternatives are less promising. These include, for example, the assumption that dirty jeans can be cleaned with the help of vinegar water. Although vinegar can disinfect soaked jeans, it will not remove heavy stains. Vinegar can also damage the color/wash.

The ultimate tip from real denim enthusiasts, who prefer never to wash their denims, is to kill bacteria and odors in the freezer by placing the pants in a plastic bag and leaving them in the freezer overnight. That's it.

Conclusion: washing jeans properly is a skill to be learned

There are many things to consider and sometimes it takes a while before you find the right method for caring for your jeans and establish it in your everyday life. Like many a jeans expert, you may decide to wash your jeans once and then never again. Sounds crazy, but it's an insider tip among real jeans lovers.

In any case, you shouldn't overdo it with the cleaning and give the trousers time to develop their color. This is because new jeans for men or women need time to develop their individual coloring even after washing. Depending on how often they are worn, it can take up to a year before the garment looks individually registered.