Want to keep your jeans from fading and wearing out so quickly? Then you should turn them inside out each time before you toss them in the washer.
Learn more about why you should turn jeans inside out before washing and the best way to wash jeans of every color.
Why You Should Wash Jeans Inside Out
- Preserves color. Dark-colored jeans lose color when they rub against other fabrics. Light-colored or white jeans can be more easily stained by dye transfer if they are not turned inside out.
- Reduces abrasion and snags. Many jeans have metal studs, zippers, and embellishments that snag or rub against the other jeans in the washer or dryer. Closing the zippers, buttons, and snaps before turning the pants inside out will help reduce wear and tear to other jeans.
- Lessens dye transfer. Turning the jeans inside out will not stop dye bleeding, but it can reduce the amount of dye transferred to other fabrics in the laundry load.
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4 Easy Steps to Wash Jeans
The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska
- Prepare for washing. Empty pockets and fasten all zippers, buttons, and snaps. Turn the jeans inside out.
- Select washer settings. Select the gentle cycle and set the water temperature to cold. If the jeans are heavily soiled, use warm water.
- Load the washer. Jeans should be washed with other jeans or fabrics that are similar in weight. Always sort the laundry load by color—don’t wash white jeans with black jeans!
- Dry the jeans. Remove the jeans from the washer and give them a shake to remove excess wrinkles. Air dry or use an automatic dryer set on low heat. Remove the jeans while they are still damp, turn them right side out, and allow them to finish air drying.
How to Wash Black Jeans
Black jeans should be washed following the same steps as blue jeans. Turn them inside out, use the gentle cycle, cold water, and air dry. To help reduce lint and fading, always wash black jeans with other other dark colors.
How Often Should You Wash Jeans?
Jeans should be washed when they have stains or are heavily soiled. Your kid’s jeans or ones dirtied from yard work may need to be washed after every wear. Jeans worn to the office or for a night out usually don’t need washing each time you wear them.
To decide if the jeans need to be washed, check for any obvious stains. If the jeans don’t smell fresh, hang them outside or on a drying rack to air out for at least 24 hours.
It’s a good idea to give jeans a 24-hour rest period between each wear to give the fibers time to bounce back to their original state and help prevent baggy knees.
4 Additional Tips to Prevent Jeans from Fading
- Use a mild detergent when washing, especially one formulated for dark clothing.
- Add one cup of vinegar to the final rinse cycle to help cut through detergent residue that can leave jeans looking dull.
- Washing a pair of jeans by hand is more gentle on the fabric than machine washing. There is less abrasion that dulls the color.
- Dry cleaning jeans will help preserve the color longer than washing jeans in a machine or by hand.
FAQ
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New jeans should be washed separately because there may be loose dye that will transfer to other clothes. Once the jeans are no longer releasing dye, they can be washed with similarly colored jeans. If you must mix them with other clothes in the same load, choose fabrics that are similar in weight to denim.
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White jeans should be washed following the same steps as blue or black jeans. However, they should only be washed with other white clothing of a similar weight. To keep white jeans looking white, add a scoop of powdered oxygen-based bleach to the washer drum.
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It is best to air-dry jeans to help preserve their color and reduce the shrinkage of the denim fibers. If you use a clothes dryer, use low heat and remove the jeans while they are still slightly damp. Turn them right side out and allow them to finish air-drying. If you like form-fitting jeans, put them on when they are 90 percent dry to allow them to mold to your body.
