Photo: Pexels
Denim jeans hang in almost every woman’s closet, and they’re known to be tough and hardy. But did you know that the wrong laundry methods can actually send your jeans to the denim grave earlier than expected? And when it’s so hard to find the perfect denim jeans, it would be smarter to try and preserve them for as long as you can. Learn the basics of denim laundry with these six steps, and save yourself a case of the blues!
1. When to wash your jeans?
Unlike other fabrics, denim is a lot hardier and can withstand a few more wears. We know of people who swear by never washing them, but our inner germaphobes just can’t let us go down that road. If you feel strongly against washing them, hey that’s your choice! But we recommend a wash every two weeks or so. Also, do a visual/smell test. If it looks dirty, smells funky or has just gotten saggy in terms of fit, it probably would do well with a good wash.
2. Turn them inside out
No matter how new or old they may be, turn your jeans inside out before chucking them into the washing machine. This action helps minimise surface abrasion that can damage the fibres of the material.
3. Use a colour-fast detergent
Denim jeans tend to lose colour with every wash, and suddenly your rich indigos are nothing more than another tired, faded pair of blue jeans. To avoid this, use a detergent that’s specially formulated to lock in colour.
4. Do not cram your denims in the wash
Yes, you do get your laundry over with a lot quicker, but the downside is that your denim jeans wear out faster in the wash due to the friction and rubbing against each other. As a rule of thumb, no more than two pairs per wash!
5. Wash gently
If you’re washing your fave pair of denims, it’s a wise choice to stick to a gentle cycle then. The heavier the wash, the more wear and tear (and quicker demise) your jeans suffer.
6. Do not use a dryer
Unless you want to run the risk of over-drying your jeans and potentially shrinking it past the point of no return, do not use a dryer. In fact, just stick to using the good ol’ sun for drying. And a note here: dry your jeans inside out as well!
ALSO READ: HOW TO CARE FOR CASHMERE: 5 WAYS TO MAINTAIN YOUR TREASURED KNITS FOR WINTER
Photos: Pexels, Pixabay, Showbit
