Washing Denim

batmonbatmon 27,574 Posts
edited September 2010 in Strut Central
My jeans came out mad stiff and shrank a little.

Last time i washed a batch they all shrunk to the point where i had to toss them.

This time i washed in cold and didnt dry them in the machine.

My co-worker suggested a softer detergent.

Tricks anyone? Ask your wife.

Str8 501 steez.
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  Comments


  • CosmoCosmo 9,768 Posts
    D.E.L.E.T.E.

  • DelayDelay 4,530 Posts
    if they dont smell like balls and dont have spaghetti sauce on em, dont wash em.

    if you do, wash them inside out in cold water, and line dry.


    rinse and d.e.l.e.t.e.

  • asstroasstro 1,754 Posts
    Most jeans are sanforized, which is a treatment that pre-shrinks the material, so you should see really minimal changes in them after a wash/dry, and they should stretch back out pretty quickly. Cold wash and air dry will shrink them the least.

    However many Levi's (and many other high end, vintage style jeans) are shrink-to-fit, which means that you need to soak them in water or run them thru a wash cycle with no soap before you wear them, because they will shrink a couple of inches after that first wash, and a little bit more for the next few. Jeans that are STF should say so on the tags, and you need to size up to account for the shrinkage, don't buy them because they fit the way you want in the store. STF jeans usually have a lot of starch in them, which makes them stiff and crunchy when they get washed/dried the first time. This goes away pretty quickly though.

  • 501's are like $35. Wear 'em without washing 'til Febreze no longer helps, wash 'em, donate 'em and buy a new pair.

    H.E.R.M.

  • jammyjammy remixing bongo rock... 813 Posts
    is it just me or is the quality of levis really shitty these days?

  • ScottScott 420 Posts
    Dry clean twice a year.

  • Scott said:
    Dry clean twice a year.

    cosine on this. And yes, the quality of Levi's is pretty bad considering what it once was, but it's still a better deal for $40 than anything else.

    Did you know Levi Strauss is the biggest clothing manufacturer in the world?

  • OkemOkem 4,617 Posts
    I'm kinda shocked you aren't an expert on denim Batboy.

    Like Asstro said, it does depend on the type of jean/denim. There has been a increase in raw types of denim that need a little more care when washing, as they have not been washed post dye.

    People spend months wearing in a pair of jeans, with stuff like tins. kept permanently in the back pocket so after the first wash it creates that unique worn effect.

  • A friend once swore to me that you never need to wash your jeans, just put them in the freezer overnight. Unfortunately i can't remember the details (science) on how it apparently helps gets rid of any dirt and leaves the denim good as new.. but he seemed very sure of himself at the time.

  • WoimsahWoimsah 1,734 Posts
    Okem said:
    I'm kinda shocked you aren't an expert on denim Batboy.

    Like Asstro said, it does depend on the type of jean/denim. There has been a increase in raw types of denim that need a little more care when washing, as they have not been washed post dye.

    People spend months wearing in a pair of jeans, with stuff like tins kept permanently in the back pocket, so after the first wash it creates that unique worn effect.

    I had to learn the hard way, after messing up some pretty nice jeans here and there (ruined my Strongholds a few years back -- why must I cry?)

    If you want to be super safe with em, do what I do. Fill your sink with cold water and woolite for darks. Turn your jeans inside-out and fold em into thirds so they're compact. Let em sit in there for a little while. Hang dry. Super safe and works like a charm, not really a pain in the ass either. If you have a washing machine and want to speed the drying process along a little bit, you can just move the dial to the spin cycle, throw em in there post wash and get out the water quicker.

  • And I've also heard that washing them with salt and cold water keeps them from fading.

  • AlmondAlmond 1,427 Posts
    Most women's denim is fitted and is def stiffer and tighter fitting after the wash. My jeans loosen and "grow" throughout the day as I wear them, but I have to deal with the snugness for a couple hours. I suggest a decent amount of fabric softener (2 sheets instead of one) for a med load. Woolite and the detergents saf3 for babies are gentlest on fabric. Try turning them inside out multiple times to loosen the fabric after washing. Ironing can help. As a wearer of women's jeans I thought this was common knowledge. I know a girl who washes her jeans often just to keep them tight fitting, whereas I prefer some slack in my textiles. My guess is that you bought a tighter fit than usual and are not used to it. You prob didn't need to throw those jeans out.

    And dry cleaning 2x a year? I suggest laundering your denim every 1 to 4 times you wear it. Wash your siht, folls.

  • Maybe you're just getting Fatmon

    Ok, I'll get my coat.

  • OkemOkem 4,617 Posts
    Almond said:
    And dry cleaning 2x a year? I suggest laundering your denim every 1 to 4 times you wear it. Wash your siht, folls.
    Like I said, it depends on the type of denim. For unwashed denim even manufacturers recommend wearing your jeans for 6 months before washing. - http://www.nudiejeans.com/thisisnudie/takecare#1

  • AlmondAlmond 1,427 Posts
    Okem said:
    Almond said:
    And dry cleaning 2x a year? I suggest laundering your denim every 1 to 4 times you wear it. Wash your siht, folls.
    Like I said, it depends on the type of denim. For unwashed denim even manufacturers recommendwearing your jeans for 6 months before washing. - http://www.nudiejeans.com/thisisnudie/takecare#1

    Am I the only one who thinks this is gross? I own less than 10 pairs and I launder frequently.

  • Almond said:
    I know a girl who washes her jeans often just to keep them tight fitting, whereas I prefer some slack in my textiles.

    U SoUnd FAt.

  • batmonbatmon 27,574 Posts
    [quote author="Okem" date=1285881115 Batboy..
    Fuck outta here.

  • Spacecho said:
    A friend once swore to me that you never need to wash your jeans, just put them in the freezer overnight. Unfortunately i can't remember the details (science) on how it apparently helps gets rid of any dirt and leaves the denim good as new.. but he seemed very sure of himself at the time.

    It'll cause the stink-causing bacteria to hibernate, temporarily removing the smell, but it won't remove them permanently. You'll end up having to freeze your jeans every other day. Just wash 'em.

    sabadabada said:
    And I've also heard that washing them with salt and cold water keeps them from fading.

    Kind of. It can cause them to fade in different ways though, too, that some people find more aesthetically pleasing.

    Almond said:
    Okem said:
    Almond said:
    And dry cleaning 2x a year? I suggest laundering your denim every 1 to 4 times you wear it. Wash your siht, folls.
    Like I said, it depends on the type of denim. For unwashed denim even manufacturers recommendwearing your jeans for 6 months before washing. - http://www.nudiejeans.com/thisisnudie/takecare#1

    Am I the only one who thinks this is gross? I own less than 10 pairs and I launder frequently.

    Wash them when they're dirty or when they stink. Otherwise, why are you washing them?


    My recommendation is to bite the bullet, and buy some quality raw stuff i.e. APCs 2 sizes down, or some Iron Hearts or something similar from Self Edge. Quality denim = game over

  • El PrezEl Prez NE Ohio 1,141 Posts
    Scott said:
    Dry clean twice a year.

    Yup....If they are selvage denim dry clean them no washing at home. Any other type of denim I wash em and hang dry. I buy them a little to big and the ones i wash I don't do it often I also buy enough denim whereas I don't really have to wash them as often.



  • :necessary:

  • dbl pst

  • The_NonThe_Non 5,691 Posts
    I was hopin for a Batmon old school Grandmaster Flash/2 Live Crew acid washed jeans NYC loft party outta this


  • AlmondAlmond 1,427 Posts
    sabadabada said:
    Almond said:
    I know a girl who washes her jeans often just to keep them tight fitting, whereas I prefer some slack in my textiles.

    U SoUnd FAt.

    You are fat.

  • Almond said:
    sabadabada said:
    Almond said:
    I know a girl who washes her jeans often just to keep them tight fitting, whereas I prefer some slack in my textiles.

    U SoUnd FAt.

    You are fat.

    just because im fat doesnt mean i dont have feelings. :(

  • The_NonThe_Non 5,691 Posts
    Hahaha! The caterpillar has emerged from her cocoon as a shark, with a gun for a mouth!

  • DB_CooperDB_Cooper Manhatin' 7,823 Posts
    I rock 505s and just wash them normally and use a dryer sheet. They come out a bit shrunk but then stretch out after a couple of hours. And I pretty much keep wearing them until they fall apart, so after a while they don't shrink as much in the dryer anymore. The idea of wearing them until you have to wash them and then donating them is insanity to me. They don't even get really comfortable until you've worn them a good 50 times.

  • AlmondAlmond 1,427 Posts
    sabadabada said:
    Almond said:
    sabadabada said:
    Almond said:
    I know a girl who washes her jeans often just to keep them tight fitting, whereas I prefer some slack in my textiles.

    U SoUnd FAt.

    You are fat.

    just because im fat doesnt mean i dont have feelings. :(

    The sheet you wear can double as Kleenex.

  • parallaxparallax no-style-having mf'er 1,266 Posts
    Hello friends,

    I remember (vaguely) reading somewhere that jeans aren't meant to be washed.

    I have heard of the freezer trick and also wearing your jeans in the shower from the Rogan website--they make good jeans.

    Not sure I would do either of those. I usually wash after 4 or less wears. Delicate cycle, cold water, Woolite, hang to dry.

    Kindly,
    parallax

  • HorseleechHorseleech 3,830 Posts
    I never realized that this was so complicated. I wash 'em when they're dirty in cold water and they last a couple of years, then I buy new ones.

  • holmesholmes 3,532 Posts
    Horseleech said:
    I never realized that this was so complicated. I wash 'em when they're dirty in cold water and they last a couple of years, then I buy new ones.
    yep
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