How To Care For Your Designer Jeans

Caring For Your Designer Jeans

In research, it has recently been said that a woman owns seven pairs of denim jeans! I’m sure a lot of us here though at The Jeans Blog are well above that amount. 56% said it was for their durability and 71% said it was for their flattering look when asked for reasons why they purchased this type of pant. So, understandably, we want these qualities to last. Wear and tear is often inevitable but there are ways to maintain the colour and care for your designer denim.

Storing and wearing

Denim is now considered the go-to option when finishing any outfit at any time of the year! We definitely get our wear out of jeans and wish for them to be as long lasting as possible. There are some things that you can do to help maintain their flattering shape and fit, so combined with our advice and links to older posts, we caught up with Trilogy Stores, stockists of designer skinny jeans, to hear about their tips too.

First things first, before the first wash, try to get as much wear out of the jeans. This helps the denim conform to your body and help preserve them in the shape that you need them. Instead of washing after every wear, as you might with other clothing, denim experts recommend that you wash your jeans as seldom as possible. Washing too frequently has been known to fade the colour and damage the denim material. Instead, spot clean with a damp sponge or soft toothbrush to remove smaller stains. Or, if you feel as though your jeans need a freshen up, hang them outside to air or spray them with a fabric freshener. I treat my own denim a lot like raw denim, so I only wash them if it’s absolutely necessary and always on a cooler temperature.

If your jeans live hanging up in the wardrobe, it’s recommended to avoid hanging them up with clipped hangers. These can create impressions and dig into your denim in the waistband or in the knees that can be hard to get rid of. Instead, fold jeans and place them on shelves, or buy S hooks which you can attach to the belt loops and hang on a regular coat hanger. Make sure the belt loops are sturdy and the not likely to rip.

Washing Procedure

Depending on the technique you use, you could be fading your jeans quicker than necessary without even knowing it when washing them. A key tip which not too many know about is that it’s best to turn your jeans inside out; It then reduces fading and prevents as much colour from running onto other garments. This method also stops buttons hitting against the drum in the washing machine and avoids damage to zips or press studs. It’s something I have done for years!

Any wash above 30 degrees can destroy the elastane and ruin the fit/shape of your jeans so wash on a cool and gentle cycle to get the best results. You can buy a denim wash that has been designed to care for the colour and fibres in denim, it is non-biological and suitable for washing your favourite pair of jeans.

You also must consider how many pairs of jeans you put in the machine at one time as this can effect how your jeans come out.. It is recommended that you wash a maximum of 4 jeans at once. You could also try hand-washing. Although it can be time-consuming, it’s a good way to avoid damage that could occur in the washer. Simply soak for 20 minutes in detergent and then air dry.

Keeping colours separate is a must when washing your jeans. It’s not wise to put an indigo pair of denim jeans in with a pastel pair as the colour may run onto the lighter jean. When it comes to coated denim, these jeans should avoid the washing machine completely — opt for a dry clean instead, but take our advice in this how to wash coated jeans blog post as you need a specialist cleaner. Using too much heat melts the wax off.

There are some other tips which are quite out of the ordinary but could be a life-saver for your denim… Some suggest freezing the jean when they need freshening up. Simply make sure that the pockets are empty, fold up and place in a plastic bag. Keep them in the freezer until you’re ready to wear them next. Another recommendation is adding salt and vinegar to a hand wash. This is meant to prevent colour bleeding and keep the fabric colour set for longer.

Drying The Right Way

You need to be careful that you don’t distort the shape of the jeans or encourage fading when it comes to drying your designer jeans

Wring drying is definitely frowned upon since this can cause the shape of the jeans to change and cause wrinkles and creases that you’ll soon want to get rid of. Instead, roll up the jean and press firmly to release and excess water. You could hang the jeans up outside and allow to air dry, however some people are against this as the sunlight can cause fading. Alternatively, you could dry on a flat surface indoors or use a clothes rack.

To avoid damaging your jeans by using too much heat it is said that drying on a radiator or in a tumble dryer is a last resort. For the same reason, avoid ironing your jeans — simply put them on and the creases will fall out on their own. You can read more advice in our how to shrink jeans post.

A final tip is to read the manufacturer recommendations on the tag. The manufacturer knows the material the best and how to care for it without causing damage. Follow this advice for long-lasting jeans that will continue to flatter you. Do any of you denim lovers have more tips on caring for jeans?