Experts help us settle a common household debate.
The question of how often you should wash your jeans can be surprisingly controversial. The general consensus can range anywhere from three to 10 wears, and if you talk to serious blue jean wearers, they’ll tell you to never wash them.
Self-proclaimed “jean head” Paul Dillinger, who is Levi’s VP of Design Innovation, counts himself in the latter category but acknowledged that this question is a matter of personal taste. “Everyone loves their jeans, but everyone also probably will have a different answer to the question of how often should you wash them,” he said. “It really depends on the kind of jeans and what you’re looking for from your jeans.”
After all, there are some serious pluses and minus when it comes to washing your jeans. While more frequent washing might help keep smell and stains at bay, going longer between washes can help keep your jeans looking newer for longer and it cuts down on the amount of laundry, which is also more eco-friendly. Read on to get expert advice from Dillinger, stylist Kattya Torres, Cornell University professor Fran Kozen, and Madewell denim design chief Mary Pierson.
How long can you go without washing your jeans?
This completely depends on your lifestyle and day-to-day activities, according to Pierson, who is the senior vice president of Denim Design at Madewell. “If you’re wearing your jeans every day while running errands, I would recommend washing them after 3-4 wearings,” she says. Torres, owner of NYC-based jean repair shop Denim Therapy, on the other hand, believes that you can probably go as long as a month without throwing your jeans in the wash.
But all of the experts agree that the less you wash your jeans, the better. If there isn’t any visible dirt, they recommend considering washing after around 10 wears. Kozen, who specializes in fiber and apparel design, explains that frequent washing and drying can lead to more wear and tear. “When you launder jeans, there’s a little bit of abrasion that occurs in the laundry and the drying cycle,” she says. “And so you’re wearing them out a little bit more every time you launder them.”
Does not washing your jeans pose any health risks?
Microbiologists have tested this out and haven’t found this to be the case. In fact, a study done by the University of Alberta tested out this theory by having a college student wear the same jeans for over a year, and after 15 months straight without washing, the bacteria count was found to be surprisingly low. In fact, most of the bacteria that were found on the jeans weren’t found to be harmful because the bacteria that end up on our jeans mostly come from our own bodies.
Still, there have been a number of techniques — or wives’ tales — developed over the years to kill bacteria and smell. The most well-known one is perhaps freezing your jeans but our experts say this is a complete myth. Though this method is a great way to cool off during the heat of summer, the freezer doesn’t get cold enough to kill the bacteria, and if anything, this preserves it. If you want to keep your jeans fresh between washes, Dillinger instead recommends spritzing your jeans with a 50-50 water and Isopropyl alcohol solution. Alternatively, he says you can even use a little vodka soda, a trick he learned as a student while he worked at his college’s costume shop.
Is there such a thing as washing your jeans too much?
This is definitely a possibility, says Pierson. From purely an aesthetic standpoint, she says washing your jeans too often “can fade the color down faster and even makes the color flatter.”
You also might want to factor in concerns about sustainability: doing laundry can take up loads of energy, and an average washing machine typically needs 350 to 500 watts of electricity per use. This can really add up — a family of four may need to wash five or more loads of laundry a week, resulting in annual washer energy usage of up to 130,000 watts or more. It also makes sense from a budget standpoint not to wash your jeans as often as the combined cost of doing laundry can add up to more than $115 a year for the electricity alone even with some of the more energy-efficient models.
Denim also happens to be one of the least eco-friendly industries, but brands like Levi’s are taking steps to improve with more sustainable production methods. “All these differences depend on your objective, but there’s one objective we can all agree on: that environmental stewardship is probably the way to go,” Dillinger says.
How should you wash your jeans?
This depends on the style and color. Some types of denim actually do need to be washed more regularly to maintain their shape. Unlike raw, unwashed jeans that need to be broken in, Kozen cautions that a lot of jeans these days are made with more stretchy materials like spandex that make them more comfortable, but also more likely to lose their shape and bag out after a few wears. In this case, washing can help maintain their shape.
For darker jean styles, Torres says it’s best to opt for a delicate or gentle cycle and use cold water to avoid shrinking or fading. But this isn’t necessarily the case for jeans that are worn, bleached, or ripped: Pierson says you can throw them into the regular wash and dry them at your regular temperature.
Can jeans go in the dryer?
The key to maintaining your jeans is avoiding the dryer, though it may not be for the reason you think. Kozen tells us that the process of drying them is actually more damaging than the heat itself. “If you don’t put your jeans in the dryer, you reduce wear on them a little bit,” she says. “But the heat from the dryer isn’t going to bother them,” she says. “In fact, that’s what probably helps them move back to their original shape a little more.”
Where to store jeans
Finally, it really does matter how you store them: Pierson says that the best way to store your jeans is either folded in a drawer or hung up in your closet. She also recommends keeping them away from any area where they may be exposed as the indigo dye used on most denim could fade in the sun or certain lights.
