TL;DR Wash jeans when they are visibly dirty or start to smell. Frequency can vary from after a few wears to several months, depending on personal preference and lifestyle.
Washing Frequency
The frequency of washing jeans varies widely among individuals, with some opting to wash them every two wears [1:1], while others go weeks or even months without washing
[1:7]
[4:8]. Generally, the consensus is to wash jeans when they are visibly dirty or have an odor
[2:8]
[3:1]
[5:10].
Impact on Fabric
Many users express concern about overwashing jeans due to potential damage to the fabric, such as shrinking or fading [1]. Washing jeans less frequently is believed to preserve their quality and longevity
[5:2]. Techniques like washing inside out on cold and hanging to dry are recommended to minimize wear
[5:3].
Personal Hygiene and Preferences
Personal hygiene plays a significant role in determining how often jeans should be washed. Some people prefer washing jeans more frequently for psychological reasons or because they feel fresher [1:4]
[2:11]. Others adhere to the idea that jeans were designed to require minimal washing and only clean them when necessary
[2:1]
[4:2].
Cultural Practices
There are cultural practices around denim that suggest not washing jeans for extended periods to achieve a certain aesthetic, such as raw denim enthusiasts who avoid washing to maintain the fabric's rigidity and unique fade patterns [2:7]
[5:6]. However, this approach may not suit everyone, especially those concerned with cleanliness
[5:5].
Practical Considerations
Ultimately, practical considerations such as lifestyle, activities, and environmental factors influence washing frequency. For example, jeans worn during physical activities or in dirty environments may require more frequent washing [1:10]
[3:5]. Conversely, jeans worn casually indoors might last longer between washes
[5:2].
I honestly don't wash my jeans that often unless they start to smell or get a big stain. I've gone weeks without tossing them in the wash and they still feel fine. One time I washed a new pair after just two wears and they shrunk weird and lost that perfect fit, so now I'm super hesitant.
For me it depends on the denim. If it has spandex it tends to stretch out so I will was to reset the fabric. Super thick cotton rich jeans will be washed when dirty or smelly.
Every two wears. I've had the same pair of jeans for over ten years without issue. I should note, I always redye my jeans when they fade (once every year). I never really had an issue with fitting
Same. Every two wears. As with all my pants. And I always wash new clothes before wearing.
Cold/delicate wash and delicate dry and then hang the damp jeans until dry.
My jeans last years so not sure why washing is a concern. The idea that jeans are somehow magically special and never or rarely need washing is weird and gross.
Oh yeah, I hang some of my jeans to air dry, too! I forgot to mention that. I hang my corduroy ones tho.
And yes, I was always shocked when people rarely/never washed their jeans. Denim is supposed to be far more durable than most typical clothes
Wow, I have washed my jeans most of my life. I do not like not having them clean. I knew people who didn't, and yeah, I get that it can destroy the fabric, but I have never had any issues.
Likewise. Every 2 wears. 3 tops if I’m on vacation, not sweating in them, and need to conserve bag space.
The science/sentiment around barely washing denim, I’m sure, is probably correct and I just don’t have nice enough denim to know or care. But, man, psychologically I don’t want to wear pants past that, and they absolutely do start to smell less fresh.
I don’t buy bad denim, mind you - I have some lovely vintage pairs of Levi’s and LL Bean I’ve had for many years. (And often owned for years by others before me!) But they’re getting washed after 2 or 3 wears, I don’t care what denim experts tell me about letting them stank up for a decade or something.
I have several vintage Levi's i can't get into after having my children. Yes, I have them, but I refuse to let them go
As infrequently as possible. I like the dry/hard denim aesthetic and I get sad when they really need that first wash.
If you use a dryer, you could try hanging your jeans to dry. It’s not the same as unwashed denim, but less soft.
Yeah i used to do this to until i realised its disgusting. Your ass is sweating all day in those jeans, just wash them. I now wash them every week in summer and about twice a month in wintertime.
Yeah haha so, I wear like very plain coloured jeans: pure black, pure brown, pure whatever, etc. I have these gorgeous Michael Kors slim fit jeans that I haven't been able to quite find another pair that compliments my body as well as they have. So I just keep redyeing it black, once every year. I'm pretty sure I've had these pants for twelve years, too haha
I launder my trousers and shorts after I’ve done something that gets them dirty, including
If I wore them once, inside my home, for a few hours, I might wear them a second time.
I’ve heard so many different answers to this that I’m genuinely confused. Some people say you should wash them after every wear, others say once every few weeks, and then there are people who swear you should basically never wash jeans at all—just freeze them or spot clean.
I don’t want to be gross, but I also don’t want to ruin my jeans by overwashing. What’s the real standard here? Is there even one?
When they’re obviously dirty or smell bad. No need to wash them every time you wear them or anything
People are weird about jeans. My peers said "You can wear the same jeans every day it's fine" but when my jeans were written on and it was obvious I was wearing the same jeans as the day before suddenly I was dirty.
I never wash my jeans
You should definitely wash them before they're noticeably smelly. It's unhealthy to wear dirty clothes. It's actually really bad for your skin and you can get acne and other problems.
In cooler months yes you can get away with wearing them 2 or three times, especially if you hang them in between. But you should wash them after that whether or not they seem dirty. And obviously if you've sweated, then wash right away.
I would treat them like any other piece of clothing. When you think they are dirty then wash them.
Like any other piece of clothing? The only things I ever wear more than once are pajamas and hoodies/coats. Am I like, way over washing my clothes? I thought we washed our clothes after a full day in them?
If you’re washing your jeans after every wear, you’re washing them WAY too much.
I wash them when they start to look dirty. That can anywhere from one wearing to twenty wearings.
When you do this you make your jeans more dirty tho
A local retailer in OKC used to do this thing with their raw denim jeans where participants would buy a pair and not wash them for six months I believe? At the end of the six months, you’d turn your jeans in, the store would wash them, and they’d have an “art show” of sorts with the washed jeans so folks could see how they wore out over the six months. I participated one year. Anyway, they always told participants if they start to smell, throw them in the freezer.
My grandfather used to work on the railroad. My grandmother said his jeans would stand up in the corner by themselves.
I guess at a certain point they really cant get any dirtier.
Jeans were designed to not need washing. They will stink and get dirty though, so should do so when you feel it's needed. Hygiene is subjective.
Jeans? As soon as they are stained, or have a faint smell. Could be a day, could be a week
You wash your jeans?
If they’re denim, not at all unless they’ve been stained. If they’re made of any other material you can wash them whenever you want
If I’m outside in bad weather or dirty, they get washed right after. Otherwise, once a week after around 3-4 uses.
I only wash jeans when they are visibly dirty.
I used to know a guy who was way up there in wrangler (don't know what position but he was a millionaire) and he said their jeans are only need to be washed when visibly soiled... so thats what I do
I feel like I once read that Levi Strauss said something similar - or that they weren't intended to be washed at all.
I heard this a few years ago too from a different sources. But what happens when they smell? The story I heard was to put them in the freezer, but I’ve tried that and it doesn’t work! Agree with visibly soiled, but how do you get rid of odor?
As many as I can, but generally 5-7. It helps me save time, energy, and water. If they smell, I wash them. If there is a stain, I try to spot clean.
Until they smell or get dirty
This. It's that simple. Do they stink? Are they visibly dirty?
If the answer to either of these is yes, they get washed.
On that note, darker colored jeans last longer, as it takes them longer than light colored jeans to become visibly dirty.
A few months. Generally until they get something on them.
a few months
Yikes.
Lol, days? Let’s start measuring in months first.
The advice is always never wash unless you have to. Levi’s website even says minimum 10 wears before you wash.
I just can’t picture this and never have been able to (I’m in my 40s). Like I’m female. Our bodies do things that leave odors in our clothes. And I have dogs so I get dog hair on my clothes— even sticks to my jeans.
So I get that not washing is best for the fabric.. But don’t get to mechanics of how to wear them 10+ times without a wash? Like once I get. But what am I supposed to do, like just have jeans draped over everything at all times? How long should I hang them up before I can put them away? I have very limited closet space so I can’t just have only closet storage. I also have a small house - 4 people (2 are teenagers) in 1100 square feet. My denim can’t just be everywhere.
Thoughts or advice?
If your jeans smell and are dirty just wash them. Wash inside out on cold and then hang dry.
I was more questioning the logistics behind the “standard of care” because this is a new thing. My whole life, you wear pants, you wash them before wearing again— unless you only wore them an hour or two or something.
The actual washing instructions are not confusing.
In recent years I’ve been seeing “don’t wash your denim unless you have to, at least 10 wears unless they’re dirty”
I was more questioning how exactly someone manages to go months to the point where this is standard practice.
Washing your jeans after every wear is the opposite though. I don’t know anyone who does this and it’s quite a waste of energy/water if you ask me. Shortens the lifespan of your clothes significantly as well. If you just wear your jeans around the house and maybe a few time to your office job, how dirty do they really get? Wearing it 5-10 times without it getting dirty or starting to smell should be not be too hard.
I’m a woman and almost never wash my jeans (if they’re decent quality jeans). I just take them off and fold them or hang them up.
I wore a pair of jeans 30 times before washing them once, I lived with 3 highly critical people and no one said a thing to me about smell.
So on a small scale i do this for work. I have 3 pairs of identical jeans and i wash them every 3 days and work 6 days. They last alot longer since they are only being washed 2 times a week. Its alot more expensive but yeah. If you had 5 -7 pairs you could just wash them once per week and they would last alot longer. Also cold water and inside out. I dry on low heat, some people say to hang dry. Aint NO way im wearing a pair of jeans multiple times without washing. 10 times?! Ha get out of here with that crap levis
You’re washing your jeans twice a week?
I think you may be in the wrong sub.
Edit: just realized this isn’t r/rawdenim, but my point still stands. I wear jeans hundreds of times without washing them, and have no issues.
Damn. I mean, i work in mine and they are certainly not wearable another day without washing them. Also they are 20 dollar jeans and i just replace them every 6 months as needed. But these black ones have lasted twice that. Weird. Maybe because they arent quite as baggy as what i have worn for the last 10 years. Hundreds? Im speechless to that
Change over to chinos. You cannot handle jeans
Reddit just started recommending this community to me so I can’t tell if this is serious or not, but “you cannot handle jeans” is cracking me up! 💀
It’s a joke. Do whatever you want with your own clothes. People take some of this stuff too seriously
If they are dirty, wash them. If they smell, wash them.
I read somewhere that jeans should be washed rarely as it looses its texture and look. What is your take on this?
The recommendation to never wash a jeans or wash them after x years maybe advice suitable for cold western countries.
In India, it would be pragmatic to wash them after every 5 or 6 wears.
i wash after 3-4 wears and i dont go to crowded places or take public transport drive my own vehicles and have deskjob
3-4 times and then cold wash them inside out. Dry in the shade.
What is cold wash inside out..and what is the benefit of these process..kindly explain🙏
Washing machines have hot water option, don't use it for jeans .
washing inside out for less fading over time.
Had read somewhere to wash it after 10 wears
How do you define "wears"? Going out for an hour cannot be same as wearing to office for 9 hours
Going against the trend here but I wash them after each wear which usually is 10-12 hours mostly involving sitting in office chair or car or going for short field trips. With all the sweating and dirt, although not visibly dirty, I can often feel the difference if I wear a worn jeans the next day. In college days I used to wear the same pair for days at end but have now modified my behaviour. All this talk of no wash for jeans may apply for countries where there is far less dirt and pollution and not as hot as ours. I do wash my jeans inside out but that is the only special care that my jeans enjoy.
Exactly, maximum maybe you can wear it twice or thrice if you haven't worn it for a full day in humid weather.
1 month 😂😂
How many wears roughly?
Roughly 20 days of wearing it for 10 hours each
Until they can stand up on their own and start walking out the door. If they’re not crusty or judging me, they’re still good lol
Kidding aside... Easily 4–5 days, sometimes more. Washing too often just kills the fit and color anyway.
I usually follow the rule my ex used, you run 2 pairs at the same time so you can pretend they're getting washed (and just to give some variety and air out time), then you go for about a week of wear, depending on how often you wear them.
When I wasn't going out every day, I'd have them alternating with the sweats, and sometimes only do them every other week. Covid was great.
If I'm going on holiday, I'll usually take an extra pair, wear one, and have a pair of sweats, then thats me no matter how long it'll be. If I need to that gives me plenty to do a laundry run if I need to, or easily enough to cover for any spills.
I don't, I wear them until they're visually dirty, and then I spot clean them, unless it's really bad
2-3 days, but it's super rare that they aren't getting dirty after the first day.
Wash them?
They have been anointed with sacred oils and unguents. Reverent Priests could not bestow a greater blessing upon my jeans.
You work to get them just so… it is a time honoured process.
There will be no washing
I'm surprised, because I wash them after each use.
Seems like a good way to get rid of the color and turn them baggy.
Yea they do, never knew you don't wash denim ��
When they are visibly dirty or have a noticeable odor. Usually Once a year.
About every month or so. I should probably wash them more but I never bother to.
After they stink
Work jeans, once a week. Home jeans, when I can't remember when I last washed them.
If I wore them all day every day it would be for me about 4/5 days max then in the washing machine.
If it’s just a few hours 2/3 at a time they would go back in the wardrobe hung up and worn maybe 7/8 times.
One wear, one wash, except for my perpetually unwashed yardwork jeans.
I'm a smoker who has no desire to smell like cigarette smoke at work.
Every 2nd wear usually.
Depends how often I wear them, but generally whenever they start to smell and/or I have nothing else to wear and need them ASAP
About ever two weeks
After I've worn them for 4 or 5 days. I don't wear jeans very often.
Im asking because i am in disbelief at a post over on r/askUK. The OP said they wear them for MONTHS without washing them. Then a boat load of others chimed in claiming weeks and months as acceptable time frames.
I got downvoted for saying 2 or 3 light wears max before washing them.
Im interested to see what all you guys think is an acceptable length of time to wear jeans before waahing them?
Its worth going over and having a look at the post. The comments have truly stunned me.
Edit 2: i think there are two different arguments here. Washing jeans once a month is fine if you wear them twice a month. OP on the other thread said he wearth them EVERY DAY and washed them every 4/5 months!
Edit: link to post https://www.reddit.com/r/AskUK/comments/v6r7go/how_long_do_you_wear_your_jeans_before_washing/?utm_medium=android_app&utm_source=share
I wash my jeans as infrequently as possible, as washing them can mess with the colour and deteriorate them. So yeah, if I can get away with it I won’t wash my jeans at all until there are visible issues.
I wear jeans every day. I'm just one of those jeans people.
Wash them every 4-5 days.
Yeah I tend to go 4-5 days too. I don't care about the colour loss, I like the gradual increase in the faded-ness over time from the dark blue jeans that I started out with
I cannot imagine myself wearing the same unwashed jeans for months. They go everywhere: they seat on the subway/bus/train, on a bench at the park etc... They are exposed to sweat, air pollution when walking in the city centre, and sometimes spare cash in the pockets. Nope. Wash them after a few light wears.
But then again, 30% of Brits wash their bed sheets once a year. 🤢
I choose to simply not believe this
Every few months.
Levi's recommend every 10 wears at most. https://www.levi.com/US/en_US/blog/article/the-definitive-guide-to-denim
>Or go even longer and wear them until they smell a little funky
I'll go with that
Even when they smell funky they don’t advise washing them. Hardcore Levi’s followers put them in the freezer when they stink to kill the funk causing bacteria.
Have you seen the recommended way to break in some jeans? Sit in a bathtub with them, then let them dry whilst wearing them.
When ever they smell or get visibly dirty. It’s recommended by the manufacturers to not wash often. They really don’t need jt.
How often should you wash jeans
Key Considerations for Washing Jeans:
Frequency: Generally, you should wash jeans every 4 to 6 wears. This helps maintain the fabric's integrity and color.
Type of Use: If you wear your jeans for activities that cause them to get dirty or sweaty, consider washing them sooner. For casual wear, you can extend the time between washes.
Fabric Type: Different denim fabrics may require different care. Raw denim, for example, should be washed less frequently to preserve its color and fit.
Washing Method: When you do wash your jeans, turn them inside out to protect the color and use cold water to minimize fading. Avoid using a dryer; air drying is preferable to maintain shape and prevent shrinkage.
Spot Cleaning: For minor stains or odors, spot cleaning can be a good alternative to full washes, extending the time between washes.
Recommendation: To keep your jeans looking their best, consider investing in a good quality denim that can withstand less frequent washing. Also, try to air them out between wears to reduce odors and maintain freshness.
Get more comprehensive results summarized by our most cutting edge AI model. Plus deep Youtube search.