Washing jeans: how often should this be done so as not to ruin them?

Who doesn't have denim clothes in their closet? From jeans to jackets, most of us have denims on our closet shelves. Denims are tough, versatile and seem to last (almost) forever!

Our denim jeans tend to get washed at the same frequency as our other clothes. But, can this chore be delayed? Well, let's find out how often you should wash your jeans.

How often should you wash your jeans?

photogenia/Freepik

There is no clear, concise answer to this question: it really depends on how often you wear your jeans, and how dirty they get during use.

Did you know, however, that there are some who say jeans should never be washed? Others, however, state jeans should be washed after "every two or three times they are worn". But is there a middle ground? Definitely! So let's see what needs to be considered:

• Jeans that get dirty whilst doing "heavy" work, or from coming into contact with a lot of dirt, will need to be washed as soon as you take them off. 
• If you wear jeans rarely, and for "light" use, you can air them out (unless there is sweat, blood or other difficult-to-remove stains on them) and then put them away again without washing. 
• In general, you can do a topical cleaning between one wash and another: clean away any stains with a little cold water and a drop of detergent; brush off any dust or dry dirt, then air out.

Why is it not advisable to wash jeans too often?

photogenia/Freepik

Without getting into the ecological benefits, the first problem that arises when you wash jeans too often is fading: little by little the blue dye (or whatever the color of your denim is) gets washed away, eventually making your jeans look "anemic".

Secondly, the stress of washing jeans in the washing machine (and the tumble dryer) causes any fabric to wear out prematurely. This can lead to your jeans losing their shape and becoming "baggy" on you. Frequent washing will also cause fraying and worn spots developing in/on the denim.

In short, treat your denim jeans well and they will last longer and stay in pristine condition!