Blue and black jeans tend to lose color in the washing machine. Water and soap erode the tint and lighten them. Using them they will lighten anyway, but washing them regularly speeds up the process. Here's how to prevent this from happening!
Steps
Step 1. Choose when to wash your jeans
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Wash your jeans after wearing them 4 or 5 times. By reducing the frequency of washes, the color will stay darker instead of fading. Avoid wearing your jeans if you are doing manual work or any other activity that might make them dirty. Freezing them could be a way to avoid washing and extend the life of the fibers, but thawing them can become a disaster.
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There is no need to wash the jeans every time they are worn. After all, the material is thick and sweat mostly affects the upper part of our body.
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Step 2. Fill a basin with about 4 liters of cold water and 2 tablespoons of salt
Step 3. Soak the jeans in the salt and water mixture for about 1 hour
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Before washing, the mixture helps to preserve the color by preventing any discoloration.
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Step 4. Turn the jeans inside out
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Place the jeans inside out to avoid direct contact between the fabric and the soap and water mixture.
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Step 5. Put other jeans or dark clothes in the washing machine along with the dark jeans
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You could also wash the dark jeans only, but putting multiple pairs of jeans together will allow the various colors to mix just enough to retain the dark color.
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Step 6. Use a specific detergent for jeans or a color saver
Step 7. Use vinegar just like any detergent
But wash only with vinegar. Once dry, the smell won't be that strong.
Specific detergents may be more expensive, as their chemicals are less abrasive than traditional ones
Step 8. Add a fabric softener to the wash
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Fabric softener may not be necessary to prevent color fading, but it can extend the life of your jeans by making them soft rather than stiff.
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Step 9. Select the coldest and most delicate wash
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Cold water is less abrasive on jeans dye than higher temperatures. It is less effective for cleaning them, but with warm or hot water they will certainly fade, even if they are turned inside out.
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Step 10. Select the gentle wash for a few minutes if you struggle to squeeze them by hand and spin them to drain away excess water
Step 11. Lay them out of the sun
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Direct sunlight fades colors as if not worse than usual washing.
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Step 12. Leave the jeans hanging out to dry
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If it's particularly hot in the open air, don't leave them hanging out for too long. Hang them for 1 to 2 hours during the cooler hours of the day to get rid of excess water, and then move them inside to finish drying.
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Advice
- Soaking your jeans in vinegar instead of wetting them with salt and water helps prevent discoloration. Due to the smell however, this method is not used often!
- Washing jeans by hand in the bathtub is an effective way to prevent color fading, but it definitely wastes time! Fill half the bathtub with cold water, then pour in a few tablespoons of detergent and let the jeans soak for about half an hour, lathering them a little. Don't scrub them, just move them a little bit in the cold water. After rinsing and wringing them, lay them out to dry.
- You can also decide to never wash your jeans, but after 3 or 4 months it could create a bad smell, depending on the use! In any case, should you decide not to do it, let them get some air!
