I LOVED these jeans. They were a perfect fit from H&M, which my lovely mother bought for me on a trip to the Big Apple. I think I had them for a good two years before they developed what I (at the time) deemed a rip that was too difficult to repair. Since the death of those jeans, I have hunted a pair that fit as well and have struggled MASSIVELY. To help you avoid a similar fate, I wanted to inform you about the best way to look after your denim and make sure that it lasts as long as possible; saving you both money and heartbreak.
Long-term care
- The guys over at Denim Geek advise rinsing your denim before it's first wear as it softens the creases, in turn reducing the chance of the fabric breaking. Washing before your first wear also reduces the chances of colour transferring from your denim onto something else.
- Use an odour eater such as Febreeze, or an anti-bacterial spray such as The Laundress Fabric Fresh Spray on your denim if you are going to be wearing it for a long time without washing it
- Jeans are incredibly delicate, so if a tear or hole appears, deal with it immediately, patching from the inside.
- To maintain the colour in your denim, dry it flat, as resting it unevenly can cause the dye to change formation and ruin the colour consistency.
- Iron on a medium heat, otherwise, steam.
To wash or not to wash?
Apparently, if at all possible, denim should not be washed. This is because washing makes the denim thinner each time. Now, personally, I struggle with this because I wash EVERYTHING. Twice. If you, like me, are quite concerned about the issue of bacteria, here are a few solutions:
- Find a Denim Laundry
- Hand-wash in water with neutral or non-bio washing powder
- After a significant amount of time, such as six months (!) wash (alone, so colour doesn't run) inside out at 40 degrees without any washing solution first time round, and then at 30 every three months
- Wear them, jump in a lukewarm bath with them still on and use a scrubbing brush
- Brush down your denim roughly, fold it carefully, place it tightly into a plastic bag, put said bag into the freezer (I know!), leave in there for a couple of hours to kill bacteria, remove and wear (but remember it'll be pretty cold!)
- Bathe it outside (I'm talking a lake/creek/river (unpolluted) without washing solution), using a rough, natural object to rub gently away at areas of dirt
DO NOT TUMBLE DRY
Do not tumble dry. Ever. Not even if you need them tomorrow. Not even if you need them to shrink. NEVER.
Well, if you MUST: On the lowest heat setting, and remove whilst still slightly damp. Otherwise; hang them, feet first if they are jeans (to reduce shrinking) in an aerated space, out of direct sunlight.
* ehow
*** Denim Geek
***** Eat Sleep Denim
****** Imogene and Willie
******* The Laundress
******** MIH Jeans
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