Jeans are popular items of clothing. On a scale of 100, at least 90% of people wear jeans. It can be worn with a jacket, shirt, T-shirt. We’ve all had problems with washing our jeans. Especially if we bought them new and all of a sudden they get dirty and need washing. And we probably are aware that today, a great pair of jeans is an investment and a very essential part of our wardrobe. Keeping our jeans clean for durability should be one of the priorities we should have in mind. Why not wash jeans with a washing machine?
At this point you want your jeans to last like forever. This prompts a lot of questions – “Should I wash my jeans?”, “Should I wash it in a bathtub or with a washing machine?”, “Should I use hot or cold water?”. So many questions we ask. Here’s what we have for you concerning washing your jeans.
Can I Wash Jeans With A Washing Machine?
I know you’ve heard so many myths about washing your jeans. Things like “Never wash them”, “Stretch them after washing”, “Fold and put in a freezer”, “Don’t wash them in a washing machine”. You are probably even wondering; Do I even need to wash my jeans?
But in spite of all these myths, the question still remains, Can I wash my jean in a washing machine? The answer is yes. There are a couple of ways you can use the washing machine to take care of your jean that will ensure that it does not wear out, wrinkle, or get old easily and faster. The mistake we make most times is that we just toss in our jeans with other laundry cloth of a variety of colors without knowing the effects.
Most jeans are made of cotton materials that are weaved in warps and wefts. The blue jean color that we see is dyed with what is called indigo dye. It is always the warp that is dyed, leaving the weft white. That’s the reason why the inner part of a blue jean is lighter in blue. And we basically have three types of jeans; the pre-washed (regular), raw (untreated and stiff), stretched (which has elasticity) and also, the ripped jeans. Each category of jeans has a unique method of treatment. You are to handle (and wash) them differently.
Let’s make a quick highlight on that before we give you general tips on how to wash your jeans.
How to Handle The Different Kinds of Jeans
Pre-washed Jeans
The pre-washed kind of jeans doesn’t need too much washing. You can wash them in a space of 2 – 4 months. And is advisable to always use the gentle cycle and not soak them to avoid the fading out of the dye
Raw Jeans
Just like the name implies, it is raw and strong and you have to be more careful with it. Wash with cold water. You can’t afford to wash with hot water. Soak for about 30 minutes to ensure the water gets into the fabric before washing. And please don’t wash often because of the dye. You might want to fold it into two places like a flip before line drying them.
Stretched Jeans
This is the lightest form of jean (fabric wise). And so, it requires special and soft care while washing.
Ripped Jeans
This is the regular kind of jean. We see people wear it everyday and we all have at least one pair of it in our wardrobe, (especially the ladies — no offence). Please, when washing this types of jean, it is advisable to use Sock Cops, it is designed specially for keeping socks paired up in a wash (kind of like a clip). You use it to hold the ripped areas to avoid excess tear on the ripped parts.
How to Take Care of Your Jeans Using a Washer
Here are some general tips on how you can take care of your jeans using a washer:
Read The Fabric Care Label
Make sure you read the fabric care label on the jean before washing. This keeps you informed on how to treat your jean. You will know the kind of cycle for it, detergent to use, the quantity to use, and other things you need to know.
Cold Water Wash
This is one of the golden rules in washing your jeans. Do not use hot water to wash your jeans. Reason being that hot water causes color loss on the jeans and weakens the fabric. Lukewarm water can also be used.
Detergent
When washing your jeans, it is best to use a dark color detergent for your jeans. Woolite Darks Liquid Laundry Detergent or Tide Studio Darks and Colors can be recommended for your jeans. These detergents comprise an ingredient that helps fabrics (jeans precisely) to hold onto their dyes. It also deactivates the chlorine in the water that can cause the color of the dye to fade away.
Turn Your Jeans Inside Out
Some persons say that this fact is not true. However, if you are using a washer for you cloth, it is advisable that you turn your jeans inside out while washing them in a washing machine. It helps to reduce the wearing out of the material that might be caused by the washer. Mostly this wear and fading happens along the pocket side, the hems, the fly and waistband edges. It is also important to zip zippers and every button and snaps — this helps to keep the jeans in shape.
Washing Your Jean With Other Jean Color
This is one factor to consider when washing your jeans. Don’t think that washing your jeans with all colors of jeans (both lighter and darker colors) is safe. Mixing your jeans with other colored fabric is risky, because the darker-colored jeans will definitely affect the lighter-colored jeans. The blending of colors gives the jeans an awful look.
So, washing your jeans with thesame color blend helps it preserve the indigo dye. Moreover, not washing your jeans properly might make the jean’s color fade away.
Use a Gentle/Delicate Cycle
Setting your washer to gentle or delicate cycle helps maintain your jean the way you got it. It keeps the designs on the jean intact and prevents it from wear and tear or wrinkles.
Line-Dry Your Jeans
Never put your jeans in a dryer. When you do that it shrinks and wrinkles your jeans. It begins to wear and tear. And that makes your jean to age and fade easily. The best way to dry your jeans is to airdry them by hanging them on a hanger line.
More Laundry Tips For Your Jeans
- Notably, don’t wash your jeans with bleaching detergent because it will make the jean fade and produce more cotton on the jean, and the more the cotton content, the more the jean fades. You can also use a dark-colored detergent (like Woolite)
- When line drying your jeans, do not put them directly under the sun, because too much heat from the sun can also make the color to fade away.
- Do not wash your jean with your washer set to heavy-duty cycle, unless it’s a raw kind of jean. This can cause it to wear out easily.
- Do not throw in too much cloth into the machine; even if you are using the gentle cycle. It is true that the more cloth you put into washer, the faster the washing. But in the same way, the faster the wear and tear on the jeans.
- Remove stains promptly (most especially with white jeans). When you remove the stain promptly from your jeans, it helps you not to put your jeans more often in the washing machine.
- Don’t forget to always give your jeans a smell test. It is one sure way to know when your jeans need washing.