Do jeans really never need washing? 4 proper denim-washing tips, straight from the former Levi's CEO

Key takeaways

The weather has been getting hotter and more humid, and the smell of sweat-soaked clothes is always irritating. Unexpectedly, a heated online debate has recently emerged between two camps over whether jeans should be washed at all. To preserve the perfect fit and wash, many women hesitate to toss newly bought jeans straight into the washing machine. Yet with everyday dust and body oils to contend with, what’s the right approach?

• Related article: What’s the most stylish way to wear jeans? Stop assuming dark denim is slimming – this year, you need to know how to wear light-blue jeans!

Do jeans really not need to be washed?

For fashion lovers who love denim, washing jeans as little as possible seems to be an unwritten rule. Even Levi’s former CEO Charles Bergh has publicly said that he would never put his jeans in the washing machine. If they got dirty, he would even wear them into the shower and rinse them there. Many people have treated his words as gospel, since excessive washing can damage fabric fibers and the carefully designed wash.

 

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However, considering the dust jeans pick up when you’re out and about, along with sweat and dead skin your body sheds, never washing them is clearly unhygienic. As long as you know the right frequency and method, you won’t have to worry about ruining a favorite pair.

4 proper washing steps to preserve the fit and wash

 

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To keep your jeans looking new for years, the first wash is especially important. For a brand-new pair, it’s best to take them to a professional dry cleaner the first time, which helps set the shape and color as much as possible. When you later need to machine-wash them yourself, be sure to fasten every button, zip up the zipper, and turn the entire pair inside out. This small step can greatly reduce damage caused by metal hardware rubbing inside the machine while protecting the surface wash.

A mild, neutral detergent is the basic choice, and the water temperature must be kept below 30°C. If there’s a noticeable stain in one area, don’t rush to wash the entire pair. Instead, apply a little mild, neutral detergent to the stained area and gently rub it by hand. Finally, set the washing machine to the “wool” setting or its gentlest cycle, and don’t let the spin cycle run too long. For darker raw denim, washing it separately is the only rule for avoiding a color-transfer disaster.

Never put them in the dryer

 

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How you dry your jeans after washing also matters. Many households now rely on dryers, but they’re fatal for jeans: high heat can make denim shrink instantly, causing a once-perfect straight-leg or slight-flare fit to lose its shape right away.

After taking washed jeans out of the machine, gently shake and pat them to remove excess water and loosen larger wrinkles. Next, use a clip hanger to secure the bottoms of the pant legs, then hang the jeans upside down in a cool, well-ventilated spot to air-dry naturally. The weight of the waistband pulls downward as they dry, naturally smoothing the fabric and helping prevent shrinkage and annoying fine creases.

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