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Denim
Denim is durable and low-maintenance, but frequent hot washing fades the colour and wears out the fabric. The trick is to wash rarely and cool.
At a glance
- Washing
- Rarely, inside-out, cold cycle
- Temperature
- Cold, up to 30 °C
- Drying
- Line-dry, not the dryer
- Ironing
- Medium setting, inside-out
- Colour
- Wash new darks separately
Washing
- Wash only when needed — roughly every 5–10 wears; frequent washing speeds up fading and wear.
- Always turn inside-out and fasten buttons and the zip to protect the outside and the shape.
- Use cold water and a mild detergent; wash new dark jeans separately for the first few washes.
Preserving colour
- Cold water and washing inside-out are the best protection against fading.
- For new dark jeans, a first soak in cold water with a splash of vinegar helps set the dye.
- Avoid bleach and direct sun when drying — both fade the colour.
Drying
- Line-dry by the waistband — high dryer heat shrinks the fabric and ages it.
- If you use the dryer, choose low heat and take them out slightly damp.
Fit & wrinkles
- Slightly stretched jeans bounce back with a cold wash and drying — the fabric shrinks back.
- Iron wrinkles on a medium setting inside-out, or refresh them with steam.
Odours & refreshing
- Air jeans out between washes — often that's enough instead of washing.
- To remove odours, put them in the freezer in a sealed bag for a day.
- Spot-clean marks with a damp cloth rather than washing the whole item.
Common mistakes
- Frequent hot washing and the dryer are the main causes of fading and shrinking.
- Bleach and harsh stain removers leave light patches.