How often do you wash your jeans? Every 2-4 wears? Once a month? Twice a year? Never?
Okay, so hopefully not never, because that would be pretty yucky. But it's a real question, isn't it? How often should you wash your jeans? In my quest to keep my jeans new-looking without getting too slack on my cleaning practices, I decided to find out.
As I'm sure you know, washing your jeans wears them out, and that sucks—especially after you've spent your hard-earned dollars on them. Obviously, when your jeans (and all clothes, for that matter) are dirty, you should wash them. But in between the "real" washes, take a leaf out of the books of Tommy Hilfiger (who reportedly never washes his jeans) and everyone's favourite silver fox, Anderson Cooper (who claims to wear the same jeans every. single. day), and throw your skinnies in the freezer.
Yup, I said it. THE FREEZER.
If you didn't think I was crazy before, you might now, but I hope you'll stay with me here for a few more minutes.
Unless you have an infant spitting up on you or are otherwise getting your jeans filthy somehow, you probably rarely have "dirty" jeans to deal with. But, after a few wears, your jeans take on something of a funky odor. That's caused by germs and bacteria from your skin. Gross, right? Throwing them in the freezer will not only kill the germs and remove the scent, but it'll save your jeans and your electric/water bills, since it's one less load in the washing machine
—your freezer is keeping things cold anyway. Even Levi's
says it's okay, and they know jeans.
To "freeze-clean" your jeans, pop 'em in a Ziplock or other plastic bag, but leave it open so the fabric can breathe. Place your jeans in the freezer, grab some ice-cream while you're in there, and leave for a few nights (or until you open your freezer again and remember you stuck them in there—whichever comes first).
Whenever possible, you should simply spot clean your jeans rather than subjecting them to the wash-cycle, and in cases where nothing but a machine-wash will do, skip the soap and just use cold water. Then, air them to dry.
I started freezing my jeans about six months ago, and they've stayed new looking ever since. They do, however, meet the washing machine every 3-4 months, when they get a cold wash and I hang them to dry. My jeans never, ever, ever see the dryer. Never.
Now, go pour yourself a glass of wine and check out these "
old faithful" jeans with the time you might have otherwise spent washing the ones you have!
Gap Jeans: The Perfect Jean For Every Fit
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