These days, most people wash their clothes while putting minimal thought into how they’re washing them.
Beyond maybe separating the light-colored clothes and the dark-colored clothes, many simply toss the things they’ve worn into the washing machine without a care in the world.
However, some people are quick to point out that special exceptions should be made for denim jeans, with experts saying that they need to be washed completely differently from your t-shirts, dresses, or gym shorts.
One person to voice this sentiment is none other than Chip Bergh, former President and CEO of clothing company Levi Strauss, who says that you should rarely, if ever, throw your denim jeans in a washing machine.
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“You can spot clean it, you can air dry it, and it's fine,” Bergh said in an interview with Fortune about his trusty pair of blue jeans.
“If you talk to real denim aficionados, they’ll tell you, ‘don’t wash your blue jeans.’”
Bergh also explained that not only is spot cleaning better for the denim itself, but the practice is also better for the environment as a whole, with sustainability being something that Levi Strauss has been highly focused on for several years.
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With that being said, Levi Strauss is not the only company that believes in keeping denim jeans away from the washing machine to save water and be more environmentally conscious.
Clothing company Huit Denim Co. says: “We have a silent shareholder called Planet Earth."
“For jeans, the biggest impact comes from us all washing them. The enemy is indeed the washing machine.
“We encourage people to try and go as long as they can without washing their jeans. Not everyone agrees with that, but for us, it makes sense for lots of reasons.”
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Hiut Denim also explains that, beyond the environmental reasons to keep your jeans out of the washing machine, the material also just looks better when you are conscious of how to wash them.
“Raw denim is best given a good six months before washing. The longer you can leave it, the better your jeans will look,” Hiut Denim suggests (via Independent).
They continued: “The reason for this is that the indigo will have worn off in places where you make natural creases… the indigo will fade where you made those little creases to reveal the contrasts that give it the well-worn look.
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"Like anything in life, there are no short cuts.”
So, while it might sound counter-intuitive at first, be conscious next time you wash your clothes of whether or not to include your beloved pair of blue jeans.
Topics: Fashion, Business, Environment
Dylan Murray