Easy Tips to Wash Your Jeans and Make Them Last Longer

You'll find many conflicting views on the best way to wash your jeans. Some believe they should be hand washed while some insist that they should be laundered in a washing machine. Let's end this confusion once and for all. Here's everything you need to know about how to wash jeans. 

1) Washing Your Jeans in a Machine 

Before tossing the jeans in your washing machine, be sure to read the wash care label. If machine washing is allowed, turn them inside out and put them in the wash drum. 

Make sure that there are no light coloured garments in the wash cycle while washing your jeans. Your jeans may colour bleed. It is best to wash your jeans separately or with other dark coloured clothing items. Use suitable laundry detergent. You may use Surf Excel Matic Liquid. It is specially formulated for your washing machine and helps maintain its life. Set the machine on a 'normal' or 'heavy' wash cycle depending on how soiled it is. Use cold water. 

It is wise to take out your jeans from the dryer while it is still slightly damp. Stretch it out on an even surface and run your fingers through its edges to smoothen its creases and folds. Doing so will help you retain the shape of your jeans for longer. 

2) Washing Your Jeans by Hand 

If your jeans have some embellishments or sequin work, you must hand wash your jeans. You do not want to damage the delicate embroidery work with the tumbling action of a washing machine. Read the clothing care label to know the optimum temperature of water to be used while cleaning your jeans. Fill a bucket with water. Add effective laundry detergent. If you prefer to hand wash your clothes, you can use a detergent powder such as Surf Excel Easy Wash. It is easily available in the market. Check the pack to understand the correct usage instructions. Now, twirl the water to ensure that it is properly dissolved in the water. Soak the jeans in the detergent solution for 15 to 20 minutes. Take out your jeans and drain the dirty water. Scrub the jeans gently with a clothes brush to remove any detergent residue or dirt. Soak your jeans in clean water for another 15 minutes. Roll your jeans to remove excess water and hang them on the clothesline for drying. 

3) Washing Your Jeans for the First Time

If it's your new jeans, we suggest you wash them by hand for the first time. Read the clothing care label. Turn them inside out before washing. You must wash your new jeans separately to ensure that there is no dye transfer on other items in your laundry. Once you've finished scrubbing, rinse them properly. There should be no detergent residue. Hang them on a clothesline away from direct sunlight. Ensure that the room is well-ventilated.  

4) Drying Your Jeans 

Simply knowing how to wash jeans is not enough. To keep them in top shape, you must also know the best way to dry your jeans after washing. 

You must set the dryer on a delicate cycle with low heat setting unless the clothing wash care label says otherwise. Too much heat from the dryer can ruin your jeans' shape. If they are made from a stretchable fabric, the heat will damage your jeans' stretching capabilities. 

It is best to remove the jeans from the dryer when they are slightly damp. Use your fingers to even out the creases on your jeans and spread them out on a flat surface. Doing this will help you maintain the shape of your jeans for longer. 

5) When and How Often to Wash Your Jeans

You can wash your jeans after 3-6 wears on an average. If you wear your jeans often, ideally you must wash it after 3 uses. Whereas, if you wear it occasionally, you can wash it after 5-6 wears. Washing your jeans frequently without using it well can cause the fabric to fade.

6) Washing Ripped Jeans 

For washing your ripped jeans or jeans with tasselled hems or holes, use sock clips. They will hold the openings together and prevent damage due to machine agitation. Ripped jeans have delicate threads connecting the edges. They can be damaged in the machine. If you want to prevent these threads from tearing apart during the wash, you must hand wash your ripped jeans.  

7) Remove Stains Promptly

Don't put your jeans for washing after every use. But, to keep them clean and stain-free, you must act on the stains as soon as you spot them. To spot treat the stains, you can try using white vinegar. Dampen the stained area and directly pour 3-4 drops of white vinegar on the stain. Rub it gently and then wash it. You can also try Surf Excel Matic Liquid as it leaves no residue (like powders do) as being a liquid it dissolves completely in water. Check the pack to understand the correct usage instructions.

8) Close the Zippers of Your Jeans

Always check if the zippers are closed before tossing your jeans in the machine. Unclosed zippers can snag against the stitching and damage your favourite pair of jeans. 

9) Avoid Cramming Your Machine 

To be cleaned effectively, your jeans need to tumble and circulate freely during the wash cycle. Cramming your machine with clothes will affect your machine's performance. Also, the chances of wear and tear because of the clothes rubbing against each other will increase dramatically. You may think that it will save you some time by getting more clothes laundered at once; however, you may end up losing time untying the laundry knot you'll get at the end of the cycle. 

10) Wash Light and Dark Coloured Jeans Separately 

Intuitively, you may round up all your pieces of denim together for washing. However, you must inspect each piece individually. The extra dye from your dark coloured denims may get transferred on the light coloured ones during the wash cycle. So, you must wash and dry them separately. 

Denims may never go out of style. They are comfortable and easy to maintain. If you have a pair of denims that fits you so perfectly that you want it to last forever, use the washing tips and techniques given here. Make your favourite pair of jeans, even more long-lasting. 

Wash your dark coloured denims with other dark coloured clothes to prevent it from fading.