How Often Should You Wash Jeans?

Few questions in laundry generate as much confident disagreement as this one. Some people wash jeans after every wear. Some people have not washed a pair since the previous administration. Both groups are convinced.

The honest answer is that jeans don't need washing on a schedule. They need washing when they need it. That sounds like a dodge, so here is what "when they need it" actually means.

Wash jeans when one of these is true

• They smell. Not "smell like denim." Smell like you.
• They're visibly dirty or stained. A stain left alone for weeks is harder to remove than one dealt with that day.
• They've lost their shape. Baggy knees and a waistband that's grown an inch are signs the fibers have stretched out. Washing and drying helps cotton pull back.
• You've been sweating in them. Sweat and body oils break down fibers over time and attract more dirt.

For most people wearing everyday jeans to an office or around town, that works out to roughly every five to ten wears. If you work outdoors, do physical labor, or sit on public transit in summer, it'll be sooner. That's fine. Jeans were invented as workwear and have survived a great deal worse than a washing machine.

Why the "never wash your jeans" advice exists

Every wash removes a little dye and a little fiber. Indigo, the dye in most blue denim, sits mostly on the surface of the cotton rather than soaking through it, which is why jeans fade where they rub. Washing less often means slower, more even fading, and a pair that lasts longer overall.

That's a real reason. It's also a reason about appearance and lifespan, not cleanliness. Washing less is a trade-off, not a rule.

Stretch denim is different

Most jeans sold now contain some elastane (Spandex, Lycra). Stretch denim relaxes as you wear it, and it recovers its shape through washing and drying. Wear stretch jeans too long between washes and they bag out at the knees and seat. Wash them more often than rigid denim, in cold water, and keep them out of high heat, which damages elastane permanently.

Raw denim is also different

Raw (unwashed) denim hasn't been pre-washed at the factory. People who buy it usually want high-contrast fades that match how they move, so they wear it for months before the first wash. If that's you, you already know this and have opinions. When you do wash raw denim, soak it inside out in cold water with a little mild detergent, don't agitate it, and hang it to dry. Expect some shrinkage if it isn't pre-shrunk (sanforized). The tag will usually tell you.

About freezing your jeans

Putting jeans in the freezer is popular advice for "cleaning" them without washing. Freezing doesn't kill most of the bacteria responsible for odor. It slows them down, and they recover as the jeans warm up. What freezing does do is make your jeans cold. If they smell, wash them.

Between washes

• Air them out. Hang jeans somewhere with airflow overnight instead of leaving them folded in a heap.
• Spot clean. Small marks can often be dealt with using cold water and a drop of mild detergent on a cloth. Dab. Don't scrub.
• Rotate. Two pairs worn alternately last longer than one pair worn every day.

How to wash them when you do

1. Empty the pockets. All of them. Including the tiny one.
2. Button the button and zip the zipper, so the zipper teeth don't chew other things in the load.
3. Turn them inside out. This protects the outside color from friction.
4. Use cold water and a mild detergent, preferably one designed for darks if they're dark.
5. Wash with similar colors. New dark denim can bleed for the first few washes.
6. Use a gentle or normal cycle, not heavy duty.
7. Hang to dry, or tumble on low and take them out while slightly damp. There's more on this in how to dry jeans without shrinking them.

Or put them in a box and send them to me. I read the label, I follow it, and I don't have opinions about your fades unless you ask.