Denim do's and don'ts: How to care for your jeans

To Wash or Not to Wash

Jeans are sort of an odd garment in our wardrobe. New jeans tend to look, well, so stiff and characterless. It often takes months before they can be actually loved. The "Don't machine wash your denim" advice typically applies to "raw denim"—this means jeans that were not washed after dyeing. The idea here is that the jeans will mold themselves, over time and wear, into a personalized fit and look; hence, a harsh machine wash could disrupt that process.

Many manufacturers recommended that jeans should be washed seldomly; some are even suggested only no more than three to four times a year.

When to Wash Your Jeans

You can sensibly wash your jeans once a month. In between, you can just hang them outdoors to air out and spot treat as needed. The manufacturing process is rough on the planet: Cotton requires large amounts of water and lots of chemicals to grow. Washing denim too frequently will cause it to age too quickly, so only wash them when you really need to. However, if you have had a stomach virus or are fighting off a fungal infection, then you should wash your jeans, even if they don't appear dirty.

How to Get Smells out of Jeans

Being a breathable cotton fabric, denim generally benefits from an airing after every wear. So, hanging the jeans outdoors really does little to avoid and even neutralize some of those nasty odors. There's a myth that freezing jeans will kill bacteria, hence rid your jeans of odors. Freezing does put the bacteria into hibernation, but they get reactivated when the jeans warm up, bringing back the smell. If you want a better result, then air your jeans or use fabric sprays.

How to Wash Your Jeans to Make Them Last Longer

The washing of denim leads to the fading of color, so to maintain that, use gentle machine wash with no more than 30ºC. For raw denim handwashing, preserve life by hand washing. Before washing, empty pockets, zip the fly, and turn jeans inside out to protect the color. Put your fabric in a laundry bag to protect it from wear, and take the time to pre-treat stains that are already present on the garment.

Choose color-preserving detergents, especially for dark jeans, and skip the fabric softener. Then, air-dry your jeans on a drying rack or in the drying cabinet. Never tumble dry them, as this causes more wear and affects color loss. After they dry, steam your jeans to restore shape and to make the material soft again.

Always adhere to the care instructions provided by the brand, including PTCL, for the best care practices.