5 Tips to Care for Your Jeans

A good pair of jeans is a staple in our wardrobe. Most of us have at least one pair (or a dozen!) that we can grab and match with just about anything in our closet – whether we are going to class, to barkada hangouts, or to a date, we have that perfect pair that we can always rely on. Here are five basic tips to help you take better care of your denim jeans to keep them looking good as they did on the day you bought them.

Wash them sparingly

Good news for all the busy-bees out there. Jeans do not need to be washed after every wear. In fact, they shouldn’t be washed often, because washing your jeans often will fade its color faster. Faded jeans reflect your personal style but a good fade comes from living in your jeans, not from over washing.

A good tip is to have two to three jeans on rotation. Wear one pair today and switch out to another pair tomorrow. That way each pair will have time to air out so you keep them fresh and clean longer!

Flip them and wash on cold

A good rule of thumb is to wash your jeans after at least ten wears (or when they start to smell funky). And when you do wash them, make sure to flip them inside out and use cold water. Using cold water keeps them from fading and is also energy efficient for your washing machine, which means you save money and the environment, woohoo!

Or wash them by hand

If you do have spare time, the best method is to wash your jeans with your own two hands. Fill a sink with a few drops of mild detergent, turn your jeans inside out, then plop them in the water, and just walk away. Yes, you read that right, walk away. Scrubbing will just irritate the fibers on your jeans and damage them over time. Come back in an hour and rinse them off with cold water. Hang dry, and you’re done!

Air dry

Hanging them up to dry is your best bet to help preserve its color and fit. Hang them indoors and out of the sunlight or a shaded area outdoors. Don’t forget to put an old towel under to catch any dripping, you don’t want to come back home only to find your floor stained blue.

Hold the bleach

I know that bottle of bleach is tempting when you want to get rid of stains, but hold off the bleach when you’re washing your jeans. Not only will it mess with the color of your favorite jeans, but it’ll also deteriorate the fabric.

If you do come across those pesky stains from, say, that one time when you had ice cream dripping on it because you were taking forever getting that perfect ice cream selfie (not from experience), you can use a damp cloth or an old toothbrush with mild soap to remove light stains. For heavier stains, let it dry and, if it’s food stain, scrape off any residue first, or better yet use a napkin on your lap next time you eat a bowl of pasta or a rack of ribs (not that I’ve spilt any on my jeans before). If you’ve stained your perfect white jeans, throw them in the wash or hand wash with lukewarm water. Still, avoid the bleach as it will just give your white jeans a yellowish look.

What do you think of these tips? How do you keep your jeans looking fresh and clean? Let us know in the comments below. We’d love to hear from you!