Conventional wisdom may lead you to believe that the only way to clean a pair of denim jeans is to place them in the washing machine. While this is always an option, there are other ways to clean your jeans. If you’re worried about the washing machine damaging or fading your jeans, consider the following alternative ways to clean them.
Why Washing Machines Are Overrated
Before we begin, you might be wondering what’s wrong with cleaning your jeans in the washing machine. For decades, people have cleaned garments, including jeans, in the washing machine. Even today, it remains the most common and popular method for cleaning garments. There are a few problems with machine machines, one of which is the fact that they stress fabrics. Each time you wash your jeans, it will degrade the fabric just a little more. Eventually, your jeans may no longer look, feel or fit like they used to.
Placing your jeans in the washing machine also increases the risk of fading. Maybe your jeans are currently a dark, deep indigo color. If you wash them enough times, however, they may turn to a lighter faded blue color. Finally, cleaning your jeans in the washing machine can be expensive. You must pay for water, electricity, laundry detergent and any other products that you use. Over time, these expenses can quickly add up. The good news is that there are other ways to clean your jeans besides washing them.
Hang Them Outside
Nothing deodorizes garments better than the combination of sunlight and fresh air. If your jeans aren’t visibly stained, try hanging them outside on a line for at least a half-hour. The sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays will dry and deodorize the denim fabric while the fresh air also wicks away bad odors. Just remember to check the weather beforehand. If there’s rain in the forecast, you shouldn’t leave your jeans hanging outside. Exposure to rain will saturate your jeans with water, allowing dirt and stains to set. Only hang your jeans outside if it’s clear and sunny.
Spot Clean With Detergent
Another idea is to spot clean your jeans using detergent. To do this, place your jeans on a flat surface, such as a table or ironing board, and wipe them down with a washcloth soaked in water and liquid laundry detergent. If you see any stains or dirt, scrub the affected area extra hard to clean it. With a little elbow grease, you should be able to remove most if not all stains from your jeans. After your jeans are nice and clean, go back over them with a washcloth soaked only in water to remove any lingering detergent, which could otherwise stain the denim fabric.
Soak in the Tub
You can clean denim jeans by soaking them in your bathtub. Start by filling your bathtub with lukewarm water. Next, pour a small amount of liquid laundry detergent into the tub and then submerge your jeans inside the soapy solution. After allowing your jeans to soak for 30 minutes, drain the tub and rinse your jeans with clean water. Assuming you followed these steps correctly, your jeans will come out looking and smelling like new. This method requires a little more work than the aforementioned cleaning methods, but it’s one of the most effective all-around ways to clean garments. Best of all, it only requires access to a bathtub and some liquid laundry detergent.
Don’t Get Them Dirty
While easier said than done, you won’t have to clean your denim jeans if you never get them dirty. If you’re cautious while wearing your jeans and avoid spilling drinks and condiments on them, you can probably wear them for up to a week without cleaning them. Some denim experts have even said that they rarely wash their jeans. Denim is a durable, strong fabric that’s naturally resistant to dirt and debris. As long as you’re careful while wearing jeans, you shouldn’t need to clean or wash them frequently.
Spray With Vinegar
Vinegar has hundreds of practical uses, including cleaning fabrics. Although its smell is somewhat unfavorable, it actually neutralizes and eliminates bad odors. You can take advantage of its powerful deodorizing properties by filling a spray bottle with vinegar and applying a light mister over your jeans. Granted, it will smell like vinegar at first (obviously). Once it dries, though, the vinegar will odor will go away, freshening your jeans so that they no longer smell. Just remember to use 100% distilled white vinegar and not vinegar with “the mother.” The latter type contains sediment that can make your jeans dirty, thereby countering your efforts to clean and deodorize your jeans.
Steam Them
You can steam denim jeans to clean them without a washing machine. Steaming involves exposing your jeans to hot water and, subsequently, steam. There are special garment steaming devices available that work wonders for this purpose. You run the steaming device over the surface of your jeans, at which point it will smooth out wrinkles and clean the denim fabric. And if you don’t have access to a steamer, you can always hang your jeans on the shower rod while leaving the hot water running and the bathroom door closed. The hot water from the shower or tub will produce steam that automatically cleans and presses your jeans.
Place Them in the Freezer
No, that’s not a typo. In recent years, more and more people have begun cleaning their jeans by placing them in the freezer. The general idea is that freezing jeans prevents bacteria and other germs from growing. When you are finished wearing your jeans, toss them in the freezer until you are ready to wear them again. You can place them inside a sealed plastic bag first so that they aren’t touching your frozen foods.
These are just a few ways to clean your jeans without washing them. Regardless of which method you choose, check the care label on your jeans first for the manufacturer’s recommendations.
