My new job allows me to wear jeans, because we spend a lot of time on construction sites, but they don't like them to be faded. I've always just thrown mine in the wash and not cared about that. What is the best way to keep jeans looking new - keeping in mind that they do get somewhat dirty from trench inspectons and things like that?
Keeping blue jeans blue
- Thread starter dalangdon
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Jeans
Hi Dan
No more than 3 pairs in the wash, hot water,bleach free detergent, normal agitation / cycle and half a cup of salt for colour fastness...
Cheers, Mike
Hi Dan
No more than 3 pairs in the wash, hot water,bleach free detergent, normal agitation / cycle and half a cup of salt for colour fastness...
Cheers, Mike
JerseyMike
Well-known member
- Joined
- Sep 7, 2004
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I use cold water and I never put them in the dryer.
Since I live in an apartment, I usually dry them on a folding rack. Every once in a while, I walk my wet laundry over to my parents and it on their line. I make sure that jeans and other dark items are hung in the shade.
Mike
Since I live in an apartment, I usually dry them on a folding rack. Every once in a while, I walk my wet laundry over to my parents and it on their line. I make sure that jeans and other dark items are hung in the shade.
Mike
thor
Well-known member
Blue blue jeans!
Here's my mother's recipe for forever blue blue jeans (she raised 6 kids!):
Buy new jeans, remove tags and wet them in a bucket full of water mixed with a cup or two of white vinegar. Let soak for a couple of minutes and then drip excess water, no wringing, fold them and put them inside a plastic bag. Put the bag in the freezer for up to two days. After two days in the freezer take them out, let then thaw LOL! spin in the washer. Dry inside out in a dryer or in the dark if line dry.
For regular washes, turn inside out, close zipper, use lukewarm water with just a hint of detergent (try out in succesive washes the least amount of detergent that will do the trick). Dry them inside out also (dryer or line).
Jeans will be clean and stay dark blue forever, no cat wiskers!
I hope it works for you too!
Emilio
Here's my mother's recipe for forever blue blue jeans (she raised 6 kids!):
Buy new jeans, remove tags and wet them in a bucket full of water mixed with a cup or two of white vinegar. Let soak for a couple of minutes and then drip excess water, no wringing, fold them and put them inside a plastic bag. Put the bag in the freezer for up to two days. After two days in the freezer take them out, let then thaw LOL! spin in the washer. Dry inside out in a dryer or in the dark if line dry.
For regular washes, turn inside out, close zipper, use lukewarm water with just a hint of detergent (try out in succesive washes the least amount of detergent that will do the trick). Dry them inside out also (dryer or line).
Jeans will be clean and stay dark blue forever, no cat wiskers!
I hope it works for you too!
Emilio
I wear black jeans most of the time and I never dry them in the dryer. They stay black longer. I would imagine the same is true for blue jeans.
And I concur with the "wash jeans in cool/cold water" camp, as well.
And I concur with the "wash jeans in cool/cold water" camp, as well.
angus
Well-known member
The key is washing and drying inside out. Amazing how much that helps save the color.
I've heard, although not tried, rinsing jeans in a heavy dose of Mrs. Smiths Blueing to refresh the blue color.
brettsomers
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- Dec 30, 2005
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- 1,993
you may want to wash the jeans with very dark colored items as well. all above advice is excellent, but in addition, pretreat any stains so as to keep agitation times short. you may also consider the Cheer brand detergent made esp for dark colors. its very blue.
Jeans.
While my system is not perfect, it is pretty good. Wash in cold/cold, inside out. Use Cheer regular powdered detergent. Use some color-safe bleach like Biz if necessary (only if necessary). If you dry them in a dryer, use a lower heat setting and take them out when they are almost dry and finish drying by hanging.
Not perfect but better than Tide,
Dave
While my system is not perfect, it is pretty good. Wash in cold/cold, inside out. Use Cheer regular powdered detergent. Use some color-safe bleach like Biz if necessary (only if necessary). If you dry them in a dryer, use a lower heat setting and take them out when they are almost dry and finish drying by hanging.
Not perfect but better than Tide,
Dave
Speaking of blue jeans. Didja ever notice with Levi's that once you went from a 32 to a 34 waist size you got that awful saggy bit of extra material in the butt section LOL
Oh it was a sad sad day when I could no longer wear a 32 waist.
Oh it was a sad sad day when I could no longer wear a 32 waist.
Blue or Black , Deep Red or The Green Jeans..
When new wash in cold water with 1/2 cup of table salt this sets the color in and they will not fade out nearly as bad . Always wash inside out if you do not have a S /S tub in your machine or if your dryer is not s/s air dry.. The S/S tubs are smooth enough they will not harm them. Any other tubs will.
When new wash in cold water with 1/2 cup of table salt this sets the color in and they will not fade out nearly as bad . Always wash inside out if you do not have a S /S tub in your machine or if your dryer is not s/s air dry.. The S/S tubs are smooth enough they will not harm them. Any other tubs will.
washerboy
Well-known member
yes..inside out
My aunt taught me the "wash inside out" trick...she said the jeans fad back on themselves. Yeah..I know werid but it seems to help. I also get to wear jeans to work....I try to take care of them as good jeans such are getting to be so expensive.
My aunt taught me the "wash inside out" trick...she said the jeans fad back on themselves. Yeah..I know werid but it seems to help. I also get to wear jeans to work....I try to take care of them as good jeans such are getting to be so expensive.
Inside out, use a dark fabric detergent like Cheer for Darks or Woolite for Darks, warm wash with a warm rinse. The denim stays more pliable in the warm water, less susceptible to agitator wear.
irishwashguy
Well-known member
Inside out, before I wear them for the first time, I would say wash them in a vinigar mixture, wash and dry in that, I have found that if you have a SS in the washer and dryer, it treats the jeans better. i also spin my jeans no higher than 800, any higher,that tens to wear them a little faster, not to mention the wrinkles. Don't wash them in Tide that will fade them for sure. I wash them in 105 F, although, we would always wash them at 70 F or lower.
Apparently, there is no real solution to this fading of indigo dyed fabric. This website suggests that salt and acids (vinegar) have nothing to do with the chemical properties of indigo dyes and do nothing to set it permanently. The indigo color comes from oxidation of the chemicals in the dye and changes from "white" to blue when exposed to the air in the process of making the fabric. Because the idigo dyes color only the outside surface of the fibers, there will always be a wearing away of the color with time and fiber-loss. You could always use the ancient method of soaking them in urine for an extended time, but that might prove unsavory unless you have a bucket with a lid ;-)
To me high temps remove color.
Cool or cold water washes and rinses, medium heat (or less) in dryer.
I take the opposite approach. Once faded, they get washed in with the whites to even-out the (lack of) color and to function as bluing for the whites.
Last I looked faded was very *IN* and the kidies are buying new jeans that looks old. FEH!
Cool or cold water washes and rinses, medium heat (or less) in dryer.
I take the opposite approach. Once faded, they get washed in with the whites to even-out the (lack of) color and to function as bluing for the whites.
Last I looked faded was very *IN* and the kidies are buying new jeans that looks old. FEH!
