9 Tips for Extending the Life of Your Jeans

Stop Washing Jeans So Often

Unless you are doing heavy outdoor chores or have significant stains on your jeans, you don’t need to—and shouldn’t—wash them as much as you may think. “Indigo dye used on denim is very fragile,” says Jerry Pozniak. “Once the jeans hit the water, they are never the same.” Most of us can wear jeans several times before they require cleaning.

Here are some things you can do to keep jeans fresh between wears:

• Hang the jeans to air dry to remove body moisture; don’t leave them in a heap on the floor.
• Give the jeans a 24-hour rest period between each wear to allow the fibers time to bounce back to their original state. (This will help prevent baggy areas on the jeans.)
• Use a clothes steamer to help remove food or smoke odors.
• Spray with a fabric refresher to trap odor molecules until they can be washed away.
• Spot clean soiled areas with a damp microfiber cloth.

Head to the Dry Cleaner

Many jeans have a care label that reads, “Dry Clean Only.” The Pozniaks recommend you follow those instructions. “We have found that dry cleaning jeans preserves the color, and the fabric doesn’t shrink as much,” Zach Pozniak says.

Zip and Button Up

When it is time to wash your jeans, empty every pocket and fasten all zippers, buttons, and snaps. Taking these steps will prevent accidental stains from forgotten items in pockets and abrasion to the fabric from the sharp teeth of the zipper or button edges.

Turn Them Inside Out

Most of us don’t care what the inside of our jeans look like, just the outside. Turning them inside out before washing helps preserve the color, whether they’re light or dark wash. Dark blue or black jeans lose color when they rub against other fabrics. Light-colored or white jeans can be stained by dye transfer if they are washed with darker colors. Washing jeans inside out also helps reduce abrasion from other fabrics in the wash load and the washer drum.

Use Cold Water

Unless your jeans are covered with mud and grease, Zach and Jerry Pozniak recommend using cold water for washing. Cold water is more gentle on fabrics and dyes than warmer temperatures.

Use a Mild Detergent

For lightly soiled jeans, skip the heavy-duty detergents that contain lots of stain-fighting enzymes. Use a mild detergent, even one formulated for baby laundry, to help preserve the color of your jeans.

Use the Gentle Cycle

The gentle or delicate cycle uses a short wash cycle, which means the jeans will spend less time in water and a slower final spin cycle reduces abrasion and set-in wrinkles.

Add a Vinegar Rinse

Adding one cup of distilled white vinegar to the final rinse cycle will help remove any detergent residue that can leave dark blue and black jeans looking dull. It also helps fibers relax and release lint that may have deposited on the surfaces.

Air Dry

Try not to leave damp jeans sitting in the washer after the cycle is finished or you’ll end up with more wrinkles. When you remove the jeans from the washer, give them a shake to remove excess wrinkles. Turn them right side out and give each seam a gentle tug at the hemline.

It’s best to air dry jeans on a drying rack to help prevent shrinkage. If you must use an automatic dryer, set it to low heat and leave the jeans turned inside out when you add them to the dryer. Remove the jeans while they are still slightly damp and turn them right side out. Smooth the seams and pockets and hang them to finish air drying.