DENIM MYTHS DEBUNKED

Ever heard of putting your jeans in the freezer instead of washing them? Or, wearing them in the bath to get the perfect shape? There are lots of denim care myths out there, and to help untangle them we caught up with our resident denim care specialist, Cerese. Find out more…

A common denim care rumour we hear is that freezing your jeans (as in, literally tucking them between the frozen peas and ice cream), keeps them just as clean as a wash in the machine. The logic behind this frosty method is that bacteria can’t survive a night in sub-zero temperatures “which is true to some extent” says Cerese, our denim care specialist. “Freezing your jeans will kill the bacteria almost entirely, and therefore, get rid of any odours, but it won’t clean them thoroughly like a proper wash cycle.”

Instead, Cerese suggests using this as a backup method when you don’t have time to wash and line-dry your favourite denim, “although it won’t remove marks, if you just need a quick refresh, folding your jeans inside a freezer bag overnight will spruce them up for the next day.”

If your freezer is as full of snags and froyo as ours, try our 100% natural Denim Refresh spray – just a few spritzes does the work of a night in the Arctic.

When chatting through the theory that wearing jeans in the bath, then leaving them on until they’re fully dry will create the perfect shape, Cerese noted “I haven’t tried it myself and I imagine you’d be very uncomfortable for a very long time!”

This left-field idea is based on the assumption that your jeans aren’t pre-shrunk, “whereas all of our Jeanswest jeans are” says Cerese. “We pre-shrink all of our denim so that it’s already the perfect shape when you buy it.” No need to soak your skinnies, after all!

A tricky one we often get asked about is whether you can tumble dry denim, to which Cerese says “Please don’t! The heat weakens the denim and will shorten the life of your jeans.”

This is especially true for the power stretch denim you’ll find in Freeform 360 and Feather Touch jeans, “stretchy denim won’t fare well in the dryer and really should dry on the clothesline in the shade.” Although this may seem a tad time consuming “you really only need to wash your jeans every 2-3 wears, or whatever you feel comfortable with” explains Cerese.

Is there an exception to the rule? “Well, you may notice some pairs, like boyfriend jeans for example, will feel looser at the end of the day compared to when you put them on in the morning. This is because they are made of 99% cotton and 1% elastane” explains Cerese.

To temporarily shrink cotton-rich denim by about half a size, you can put it in the dryer. “I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it, but if you want that tight, high-rise ‘80s look it will work on our 99% cotton comfort stretch jeans.”

On the best tried and tested way to care for your denim, Cerese has some pretty simple advice, “Wash your jeans inside out on a cold cycle, then line-dry inside out, unless you want them to fade.” Keeping them inside out will help minimise fading, while the cold machine wash protects the denim’s heat-sensitive fibres. “Oh, and one more thing! Don’t overdo the detergent and lose the fabric softener altogether – it contains enzymes which weaken denim, so it’s best to avoid it.”

For those devoted to their denim, try swapping out your regular detergent for our biodegradable Denim Wash – it’s like taking your jeans for a joyride.