How regularly should you wash your jeans?
Jeans were first created as a durable material for laborers and miners in the American West. The comfort, performance, and durability were as much a hit then as they are now. Only, today we’re slightly more focused on cleanliness and fashion than people were in the 1800s.
So, what is the 21st-century standard for cleaning your pants? Because your great, great (great, great, great) grandpa probably never told you, here’s the low-down on how often you should wash your jeans:
After breaking in a new pair of jeans over a couple of wears, you dread throwing them in the wash and risking the chance of them shrinking, fading, or dyeing your other clothes blue.
It doesn’t seem like there’s a hard-and-fast rule about how often you should wash your jeans, and all you have to go off of is the tiny faded tag inside your denim. We have some good news for the lazy launderers and jean purists out there.
Yes, the answer to this question surprised me as well, the answer is “it depends.” Some experts believe that you can go as long as six months before washing your jeans. At the same time, Levis Strauss suggests washing jeans after about ten wears.
As gross as it may seem, most experts advocate for the smell test. When it comes to washing your denim, your sniffer should have the last say.
This might seem like a long time for an article of clothing, but in fact, a study done by a Canadian student who wore their jeans for 15 months found that the bacteria on the jeans were at normal levels, even after 15 months of wear.
You might not realize this, but the material your jeans are made of can help you determine how often to wash them. Classic denim pants are meant to be worn several times before washing. That faded and broken-in look of your favorite jeans is lost once you wash them.
Therefore, you can go longer between washes for 100% denim. However, jeans with polyester or spandex can lose their shape after several wears. Washing them can help bring them back to their original shape.
When it comes to the jean-washing debate, you eventually should wash them. But how often you clean jeans depends on your lifestyle. If you are active in your jeans and sweat, then probably daily. However, under normal circumstances, they can last about ten wears. Just make sure you launder your jeans properly to make them last longer.
Source: AWM
