Most people toss their dirty jeans in the washing machine without thinking twice. Heck, even I’m guilty of doing this. But this may not be the best solution, as noted by the Robert Schaeffer, the owner of a premium denim manufacturing company, shop and repair service based in Los Angeles, California.
Schaeffer isn’t a newcomer to the denim trade. He’s been importing denim from Japan since 2009, selling his indigo-dyed jeans for a hefty sum of $265 per pair. He may not be quite as known in the trade as someone like Levi Strauss, but he’s still a notable name who’s often associated with high-end denim.
According to Schaeffer, you should always wash your blue jeans inside out using the lightest cycle possible. Depending on the washing machine, this may be a setting called “gentle,” “delicate,” or even “handwash.” He adds that blue jeans should be washed with a particular type of soap, recommending a product called Dr. Bronners. “We suggest using a soap called Dr. Bronner’s. It’s a castile hemp soap that you can use on your hair, your face, and your clothes. It goes in your machine and it doesn’t create suds.” said Schaeffer.
Another tip Schaeffer offers is to stand by your washing machine when you initially turn it on. Why is this important? According to Schaeffer, removing the jeans after just a couple of minutes in the spin cycle preserves their appearance and structural integrity while still washing away the dirt and debris. After your jeans have knocked around in the washing machine for 3-5 minutes, go ahead and remove them to prevent any damage from occurring.
Before you go transporting your jeans from the washing machine to the dryer, however, you should know that Schaeffer recommends line-drying as opposed to machine drying. Even if you don’t have a clothes line from which to hang your jeans, you can always use the shower curtain rod instead. It works just as well, assuming no one intends to take a shower within the next few hours.
A somewhat unconventional tip provided by Shcaeffer is to wear your jeans when there still slightly damp. “Put them on when they’re 90 percent dry. That will allow them to stretch back out since jeans get a little tighter when you wash them,” he said.
