Jean Care 101
By Aaron Crowe
Aaron Crowe is a freelance journalist who specializes in personal finance. Aaron blogs via Contently.com.
You know that pair of jeans you have that that fit so perfectly and are so comfortable you could sleep in them? Of course you want them to stay that way for a long time. So learn the basics of jean care.
- Never use the washer: Well, do use the washer when right after you’ve bought them if you want to get rid of that brand-new look and feel. But wash them over and over, and you’ll slowly wear down the denim. Frequent bouts with laundry detergent, hot water and the washing machine spin cycle are enough to damage any pair of jeans. Carl Chiara, director of brand concepts and special projects for Levi Strauss & Co., recommends using the bathtub every six months. Denim shapes to a person’s body, and machine washing takes away most of that shape. Chiara told the Wall Street Journal that he doesn’t like to put his jeans in a washing machine because agitation makes the cotton fibers swell and “bloom,” which causes yarns to tense up and get shorter, shrinking the jeans. It may also cause the color to fade or change. He also avoids heat — both hot water and the dryer — to protect the jeans.
- Don’t dry-clean either: The Levi’s executive also doesn’t dry clean his jeans because he doesn’t want them coming back stiff or center-creased, dress pants style.
- Spot clean instead: To clean the 15 pairs of jeans he owns, Chiara gently spot-cleans spills with a damp sponge and some cleaner . . . such as Windex!
- Freshen them up: Every night Chiara hangs his jeans on a hook in the bathroom to freshen them up a bit with steam when he takes a shower. Hanging them by a belt loop preserves their shape.
- And every six months: At the six-month mark, Chiara does a comprehensive cleaning. (For those of you who are grossed out by the idea of not washing clothing for six months, do this instead of throwing your jeans in a washer.) Fill a bathtub with six inches of room-temperature water, add two tablespoons of Dr. Bronner’s Magic Liquid Soap, and immerse the jeans flat in the tub. To prevent dark jeans from fading, add 1/8 cup of white vinegar. Don’t scrub the jeans or move them around in the tub, just let them soak for 20 minutes before hanging them by the belt loops to drip dry. When almost completely dry, leave them out in the sun for a bit of special helio-magic. Then comes the final step: put your jeans, even if you don’t intend wearing them right away. This way they’ll reshape to your body.
- Exception to the rule: You’ve opened a jar of pickles and the juice splashes all over them. Your friend’s dog has decided to do something really impolite in your lap. In cases like these, when your jeans really smell or sport significant spots, you may want to resort to scrubbing and the washer. But the bath method may work as well, so try that first.
Chiara’s guide to jean care is great for the environment, too, since you use less water and don’t put so many cleaning pollutants into the tmosphere. The wash-every-six-months strategy is easy on the pocketbook as well. You’ll won’t be buying as much laundry detergent, and you’ll be using the washer and dryer less, saving on energy costs.
Bottom line, though: you’ll keep your jeans looking good and lasting a lot longer than they would with regular washings. And that’s what really matters.
