Kept washing my jeans way too often until a friend asked why they looked faded after 3 wears

I was throwing my jeans in the wash after every single wear, thinking that was normal. Then my buddy Mike looked at me and said 'why do your jeans look faded after 3 wears?' It hit me that I was running them through the machine way too much. Now I only wash them after 5 or 6 wears unless they get actually dirty. Has anyone else figured out a good washing routine for denim?

3 comments

3 Comments

keith90010d agoTop Commenter

Wait, are you doing a cold water cycle or just a regular hot wash with that faded result?

allen.kai10d ago

Hot water ACTUALLY helps set the dye if you do it right the first time. I ALWAYS wash my dark jeans in hot water for the first wash to lock the color in, then switch to cold after that. Cold water never got rid of the excess dye properly for me, it just left it sitting in the fabric and it bled out later. Hot wash plus a vinegar soak in the rinse cycle keeps my blacks looking black way longer than any cold cycle ever did.

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hugoj1210d ago

Cold water is the way to go, @keith900. Hot water beats up the dye way worse. I only do a gentle cold cycle and hang dry them, that keeps the color way longer.