We’ve all been guilty of tossing clothes in a drawer or clothes without taking the time to fold them first. While seemingly harmless, though, this can affect the appearance and overall performance of your denim jeans. If you don’t fold your jeans, wrinkles will likely form in the creases where the fabric is folded. You can always smooth out wrinkles by ironing your jeans, but it’s best to avoid this headache by folding your jeans.
With that said, there’s a right way and a wrong way to fold denim jeans. Using the wrong technique offers little or no protection from wrinkles. So, what’s the right way to fold your denim jeans?
Wash and Fully Dry Before Folding
Before attempting to fold your denim jeans, run them through the washing machine and dryer. Folding dirty jeans is never a good idea. Even if they aren’t visibly dirty, your jeans may contain small amounts of dirt, dust and debris that, when folded, become embedded into the denim fabric. To prevent this from happening, you need to wash and fully dry your jeans before folding them.
For more information on how to wash and dry your jeans, check the care label. Typically found inside the waistband — or inside the bottom of a pant leg in some jeans — the care label contains instructions created by the manufacturer on how to wash and care for the jeans. You’ll probably find that most jeans support machine-washing and machine-drying. But there are some jeans, such as stretch jeans, that may require air-drying online. Always follow the instructions listed on the care label when washing and drying your jeans to protect them from damage and premature aging.
Place on a Flat Surface
When you’re ready to fold your jeans, lay them on a flat, even surface. You can use an ironing board — assuming it’s large enough — or a dining table, coffee table or any other flat and even surface. You shouldn’t, however, use the floor. Placing your jeans on the floor will expose them to dirt. And if you just washed your jeans, this will negate all your hard work. To prepare your jeans for folding, place them on a flat and even surface that’s off the floor.
Fold Legs Over Each Other
After laying your jeans on a flat and even surface, take one leg and fold it over the opposite leg. You can fold either the left or right leg. The most important thing is that you fold one leg cleanly and evenly over the opposite leg. After folding one of the legs, use your hands to smooth out any creases. Assuming you did this correctly, your jeans should now look like a single pant leg.
Fold The Legs Twice
Once you’ve folded one leg over the opposite leg, you can proceed to fold your jeans vertically. Basically, this involves folding the legs twice. Start by folding the legs in half, and then fold them once more in half. You should now have a small, neatly folded pair of jeans. Of course, there are countless other ways to fold your jeans, but using this method is arguably the easiest. It only requires a few simple steps, allowing you to quickly and easily fold your jeans for storage.
Other Tips on How to Fold Your Jeans
- Stick your hands inside the pockets before folding to smooth out the denim fabric in this area.
- Check and remove any contents from the pockets of your jeans before folding them.
- Button or zip up your jeans before folding them.
- Ensue the right leg is properly aligned with the left leg when folding your jeans.
- When folding your jeans to place inside a suitcase or luggage, consider using the rolling method. This involves rolling your jeans into a cylindrical shape rather than actually folding the legs.
- Rub a dryer sheet across the surface of your denim jeans before folding them to discharge any static electricity.
- After folding your jeans, press down on the top of the denim to smooth out any small creases.
Storing Your Jeans After Folding Them
One of the benefits of folding your jeans is that you can store them in small spaces, such as a dresser, chest of drawer or even a plastic container. When storing your newly folded jeans, though, you should consider the surrounding humidity level. If you store your jeans in a humid space like your home’s attic or basement, they may develop mildew. You can prevent this from happening by storing them in a climate-controlled area, such as your bedroom or a guest bedroom.
You can still store your jeans in the basement, attic or other areas of your home, but you need to control the humidity here. There are devices known as dehumidifiers that can help you perform this task. Dehumidifiers pull moisture from the air, thereby lowering the relative humidity level of the surrounding space.
What About Hanging?
If folding your jeans sounds too difficult, you might be wondering if it hanging them is an option. The good news is that you can safely store your jeans on a clothes hanger. It’s an easier and quicker solution than trying to fold them. However, you should use heavy-duty clothes hangers on which to store your jeans rather than cheap clothes hangers made of thin plastic. Heavy-duty clothes hangers are usually made of wood, so they can withstand the weight of a denim jeans without stressing, deforming or breaking.
To hang your jeans on a clothes hanger, start by folding one pant leg over the opposite leg — just like the first step of folding them for storage. Next, simply place them through the middle of the clothes hanger so that your jeans hang off at the middle.
It takes time and energy to fold your jeans, but doing so will protect them from wrinkles while allowing you to get more use out of them in the process. And using the steps outlined here, you can easily fold your jeans.
