Always Check the Label

Both washing and drying instructions should be on most denim care labels and are specific to each piece of clothing. Some dyes used in denim production are water-soluble, and traditional washing can cause damage depending on which dye was used.

Denim is made primarily of cotton and spandex in various amounts, giving the otherwise rigid fabric a little stretch. This blend is what gives denim that iconic figure-hugging appearance. Even though it’s only partly made of spandex, this material is sensitive to heat and doesn’t stand up to long-term heat application.

This is another reason designers and manufacturers of denim products customize the care labels for individual pieces. Drying instructions may also be adjusted based on the amount of spandex woven into your garment. Checking the label is critical to the lifespan of your denim clothes.

Wash Denim Inside Out

Before every wash, make sure you turn denim clothes inside out. This reduces the friction on the dyed areas of the garments, ultimately preserving the color. Turning denim inside out will also protect any grommets or buttons that are attached from banging around in the washer or dryer, either causing or sustaining damage.

Assuming your jeans are made of raw denim — as opposed to washed denim — turning them inside out before will preserve their original color. Raw denim jeans are defined by their use of raw, unwashed denim. They are made of denim that hasn’t been washed during production. This is in stark contrast to washed denim jeans, which as the name suggests, are made of denim that is washed during production.

Both raw denim and washed denim jeans can fade. Fading, though, is more common with the former type of jeans. Raw denim isn’t washed during production, so it contains more loose dye than its washed counterpart. Turning your raw denim jeans inside out before washing them will help to “lock in” the dye. Less dye will be released from your raw denim jeans if you wash them inside out. As a result, they’ll be better protected against fading.

Limit Washes to keep the Denim Looking New

The CEO of Levi’s says that “a good pair of denim doesn’t really need to be washed in the washing machine except for very infrequently or rarely.”

His argument is based on the fact that washing a good pair of Levis actually causes damage to the material, and is a waste of water.

He isn’t the only denim expert to come out with this advice. Hiut Denim’s website says: “Raw denim is best given a good six months before washing. The longer you can leave it, the better your jeans will look.

“The reason for this is that the indigo will have worn off in places where you make natural creases. Just by sitting down, putting your phone in and out of your pockets, your hands in your pockets. All these daily little things will make your jeans look great.

Of course, you have to wash your clothes to keep them clean. However, there is such a thing as washing too often. For the best results, denim should only be washed in moderation. Most experts recommend infrequent washes to preserve color and style integrity.

Washing ripped jeans is particularly difficult because

Use a Delicate Bag in the Washing Machine

Ripped jeans need to be contained in a delicate mesh bag in your washing machine. Do not overload the washer drum. Oftentimes it is best to wash ripped jeans alone. This is because the rips can snag on other clothing in the load – buttons, zippers, etc. Anything with rips should be washed in a smaller load (or a single load) within a mesh delicates bag.

Add a Seam to Prevent More Ripping

If the rip is not contained, it will spread. We recommend that you find a matching thread color and stitch all the way around just above the raw edge to provide a barrier against more fraying. This added seam creates a very practical limit to the fraying and is not noticeable. If you are not comfortable making this alteration yourself, consider asking a tailor.

Zip Zippers and Button Buttons

The goal is to eliminate any unwanted snags while tumbling. Zipping up your zipper and buttoning your buttons is a small insurance policy to make sure nothing snags while tumbling. In general – whether in the washer or out in public – we recommend you avoid putting your ripped jeans in situations where they are likely to get snagged or ripped.

Hand washing sounds like…a lot of work.

You’re picturing an old fashioned wash board that takes some elbow grease and a big bucket of water. Not only is there no time for that, there is no space for that either.

Hand washing is glorified soaking. Soaking your jeans before doing a light scrub will help ease out any stains and will help get the fabric clean. You really don’t need to scrub it much if you’re using detergent. Next time you see a Hand Wash garment – don’t sweat. It’s quite simple.

Laundry that has been soaking in detergent for 45 minutes will be mostly clean. That’s about as long as a typical washing machine cycle.

Cleaning requires four things: time, temperature, chemistry, and agitation. 

Here are the cleaning requirements for hand washing your delicate laundry:

Steam cleaning involves the use of steam for cleaning. When it comes to laundry, a steamer incorporates steam into the denim to rid jeans of stains or odors. Steam cleaning is a very eco-friendly way of cleaning.

Steam is a one-of-a-kind sanitizer that is both gentle and penetrating at the same time.

Because steam can reach temperatures higher than the boiling point of water, it can kill germs and sanitize clothing – without washing. Its high temperature and moisturizing properties are also highly effective at breaking the bonds of dirt and other stains or odor-producing materials.

Treat Stains Immediately

If you let a stain soak and sit on denim for too long, it could set and be very difficult to remove.

You will have much better chances at full restoration if stains and smudges are treated immediately. When a stain is set, more friction is required in order to get it out, which can result in additional dye loss and unnecessary wear and tear.

Avoid Excessive Heat

If that perfect body-hugging shape is important to you, skip excessive heat exposure and long drying times. Always launder your denim in cold water and hang dry to prolong that perfect fit.

Dry Cleaning Preserves Color

If color preservation is your primary goal, most denim dyes are water-soluble and should be dry cleaned. Dry cleaning doesn’t use water at all and cleans with a non-water-based solution. This keeps dye loss to an absolute minimum, compared to traditional laundering.

Try Using a Laundry Service

Premium laundry services like 2ULaundry help you execute the best possible care for each denim piece in your wardrobe and do all the heavy lifting for you. Take the time and frustration out of denim wash and get your freshly cleaned items delivered right to your door! Need some help? We’re here to make laundry day easy!

Our laundry delivery service makes it easy to skip laundry day, with delivery right to your door. Sign up for a weekly service, or use us when the laundry starts piling up. We’re here to help lighten the load!