How to Wash Jeans Properly: Cold, Inside Out, Air-Dried

To wash jeans properly, turn them inside out, close the zipper and buttons, and run them in cold water on a gentle cycle with a small amount of mild detergent. Skip fabric softener, then air-dry them or finish them on low heat. Wash them less often than the rest of your wardrobe. The steps below cover each of those points, plus hand washing, ripped jeans, stains and the first wash of a new pair.

TL;DR

• Wash jeans inside out, fastened, in cold water on a Delicate or Gentle cycle, ideally alone or with similar colors.
• Use a mild detergent in a modest amount and skip fabric softener, which can leave residue on denim.
• Air-dry whenever you can. If you use a dryer, choose low or no heat and pull the jeans out slightly damp.
• Wash only when the jeans are visibly dirty or smell. Spot-clean in between.
• Ripped jeans do best washed by hand in a sink or tub, or in a laundry bag if you use the machine.

Table of Contents

• How often to wash jeans
• Wash jeans in cold water
• Machine washing, step by step
• Should you use fabric softener on jeans?
• Washing new jeans for the first time
• How to wash jeans without a washing machine
• Drying jeans: air-dry first, dryer second
• Washing ripped and distressed jeans
• Removing stains from jeans
• Our perspective: less detergent, less fuss
• Toss & Go sheets for your denim routine
• FAQ
• Sources

How often to wash jeans

The most useful habit is washing them less. Denim is a heavy, dyed cotton fabric, and every wash cycle fades it a little and works the fibers. A major denim maker suggests washing about every 10 wears, unless the jeans are visibly dirty or smell. A product reviewer who tests denim care says jeans generally need washing only when they are visibly dirty or smelly, and that the writer personally washes a pair about every two months.

There is no single right number. A pair you wear to an office desk can go longer than a pair you wear to garden or cook in. Use your eyes and nose as the guide.

Freshening jeans between washes

For a small mark, spot-clean instead of running a full load. The same denim maker recommends mild soap and a damp cloth or an old toothbrush on the spot. Blot, do not scrub hard, then let the area air-dry.

Hang jeans somewhere with airflow after wearing them, not folded in a heap on a chair. That alone helps with the stale smell that sends many people to the washer too soon.

Wash jeans in cold water

Cold is the answer to the question of cold or warm. One denim maker says hot water raises the chances of shrinkage and color loss. A dermatologist quoted by a major hospital system says cold water helps preserve fabric and reduce color leaching.

Stretch jeans need the extra care. Denim experts quoted by a New York magazine guide note that heat can damage the elastic fibers in stretch jeans, while rigid cotton denim keeps its broken-in fit best when washed cold too. So cold is the setting for dark, light, stretch and rigid denim alike. The one exception some care guides allow is warm water for a heavily soiled pair of white jeans, and your care label has the final word.

Machine washing, step by step

1. Check the care label. It tells you what the maker tested, including whether bleach is allowed.
2. Empty the pockets and close everything. Zip the fly and fasten buttons and snaps so hardware does not snag the drum or other clothes.
3. Turn the jeans inside out. A laundry editor explains that this helps preserve color, reduce abrasion and snags, and lessen dye transfer.
4. Sort by color. Wash dark jeans with other darks, or alone. New dark denim can release dye.
5. Do not crowd the drum. An overloaded machine rubs fabric harder and rinses less well.
6. Pick cold water and a Delicate or Gentle cycle. A short cycle is enough for jeans that are not heavily soiled.
7. Add mild detergent, then skip the softener. See below.
8. Remove them promptly when the cycle ends so they do not sit damp and wrinkled.

The denim maker’s own guide covers the same checklist: inside out, fasten hardware, separate similar colors, avoid overloading and use mild detergent.

Using Toss & Go sheets for a jeans load

If you use our sheets, the routine is simple. Toss & Go sheets are pre-measured, so one sheet is a full dose for a regular load. Put it in the drum on top of the clothes, never in the dispenser drawer. Our sheets are designed to dissolve in cold water, which is the temperature you want for jeans anyway, and they are for HE and standard machines, front-load and top-load.

A load of jeans is heavy even when it is small. Use one sheet for a regular load. For a large or heavily soiled load, use two sheets. For just one pair and a few light items, half a sheet is enough. Our guide to front-load washer detergent explains how to dose in those machines.

To skip the scent entirely, Fragrance Free has no added fragrance or dyes. Fresh Meadow is lightly scented, and its fragrance includes Linalool. Every intentionally added ingredient is listed on our ingredients page.

Should you use fabric softener on jeans?

No. The denim maker’s guide says softener can leave residue that affects denim texture and appearance, and it mentions white vinegar as an alternative rinse. If your jeans feel stiff after air-drying, a splash of white vinegar in the rinse is the simple fix to try. Reading up on skipping fabric softener for other garments shows the same logic: residue builds up on fabric, and a softer feel is not worth it.

The jeans will also soften with wear. A little stiffness out of the dryer is normal, and moving around in them loosens them up.

Washing new jeans for the first time

New dark denim often carries extra dye. There are two reasonable approaches.

The soak. A jeans retailer recommends, before the first wash, soaking jeans inside out in cold water with one cup of white vinegar and one tablespoon of salt. Rinse and hang them to dry.

The short machine cycle. An appliance maker’s care guide suggests turning first-wash jeans inside out, zipping them, and washing them alone in cold water on a short Delicate cycle. Alone is the key: it keeps any loose dye away from your towels and tees.

Whichever you pick, do it once, then go back to washing only when needed.

How to wash jeans without a washing machine

Hand washing is gentler on denim and works in a dorm, an RV or a hotel. A reviewer who tests denim care says hand-washing jeans inside out in a bathtub of cold water best preserves a dark, like-new look, then you hang them to dry right-side out.

Here is the method:

1. Fill a tub, large basin or sink with cold water.
2. Turn the jeans inside out and submerge them.
3. Add detergent. With our sheets, dissolve half a sheet in the sink or basin. Swish the water until the sheet has broken down before the jeans go in.
4. Soak about 30 minutes. For raw denim, the denim maker suggests a small amount of mild detergent, a 30-minute soak and thorough cold-water rinsing.
5. Rinse in clean cold water until the suds are gone.
6. Do not wring. Press out water, or roll the jeans up from the hem to squeeze it out.
7. Hang to dry out of direct sun.

For more on the technique, see our full guide to hand washing clothes without a machine. If you wash on the road, the Travel 3-Pack is three envelopes of 5 sheets and covers up to 30 loads.

Drying jeans: air-dry first, dryer second

Can you tumble dry jeans? You can, but heat is the hardest part of the process on denim. A retailer’s care guide says air-drying is preferable to the dryer because it reduces fiber breakdown and helps preserve color.

How to air-dry:

• Hang jeans by the waistband or lay them flat on a rack.
• Smooth the seams and pockets with your hands.
• Keep them out of strong sun, which fades dark denim. The denim maker recommends line-drying in shade.

If you must use the dryer:

• Turn the jeans inside out.
• Choose low or no heat.
• Pull them out while still slightly damp. A clothing retailer advises removing them before they are fully dry to reduce shrinkage and damage.
• Smooth and stretch the seams, then hang them to finish.

Washing ripped and distressed jeans

Rips can open up further in the machine as fabric tumbles and twists. One denim brand recommends hand-washing and air-drying distressed denim for that reason.

If you prefer the machine, a clothing retailer’s instructions say to put damaged jeans in a laundry bag, take them out promptly after the spin, reshape them and hang them to dry in the shade. Also trim long loose threads before washing so they do not catch and unravel.

Removing stains from jeans

Treat a stain before the whole pair goes in the wash.

• Fresh stain: rinse the back of the fabric with cold water right away. Hot water can set many stains.
• Greasy or food stains: work a drop of liquid detergent or dish soap into the spot, wait a few minutes, then rinse in cold water.
• General discoloration or heavier soil: soak the jeans in cold water with oxygen bleach, following the product directions, and test a hidden area first on dark denim.
• Odor: a white vinegar rinse can help.
• White denim: chlorine bleach is an option only where the care label allows it. Never use it on colored denim.

Check the spot before you dry. Heat sets a stain you missed.

Our perspective: less detergent, less fuss

Most jeans damage comes from three things: heat, too much washing and leftover product in the fabric. That last one is where we come in. We make Toss & Go sheets because a pre-measured dose takes the guessing out of laundry. You do not pour from a jug, so there is no overdoing it by eye and no sticky cap.

For jeans, the habits matter more than the detergent: cold water, inside out, short cycle, air-dry. A sheet fits that routine because it is designed to dissolve in cold water, and it goes in the drum on top of the clothes. For hand washing, half a sheet in a sink does the job, which is useful when the laundry room is a shared one down the hall or there is no washer at all.

We also think you should know what is in your detergent, so we list every intentionally added ingredient online. If a pair of jeans or a box does not work for you, our Keep It or Toss It Guarantee runs 30 days: a refund or a replacement, with nothing to send back.

— Purecise

Toss & Go sheets for your denim routine

If you want a simple, measured dose for a cold jeans wash, the Box of 50 is $19.95 and covers up to 100 loads, in plastic-free cardboard packaging. The Travel 3-Pack is $15.95 for three envelopes of 5 sheets, up to 30 loads, which suits a dorm, a trip or a van. You can also subscribe and save 15%. Browse both on our shop page.

If you share a laundry room, our guide to detergent formats for communal laundry covers what to carry down the hall.

FAQ

Is it better to wash jeans inside out?

Yes. Turning jeans inside out helps preserve color, reduces abrasion and snags, and lessens dye transfer to other clothes. Close the zipper, buttons and snaps first so hardware does not catch the drum or other items.

Should you wash jeans in cold or warm water?

Cold. Hot water raises the chance of shrinkage and color loss, and heat can damage the elastic fibers in stretch jeans. Warm water is occasionally suggested for very dirty white denim, so check your care label.

Can you wash jeans with other clothes?

Yes, if the other items are similar colors and weight, and the washer is not overloaded. Wash new dark jeans alone the first time. Avoid pairing jeans with delicate items that zippers and rivets could snag.

How do you wash jeans without a washing machine?

Fill a tub or sink with cold water, turn the jeans inside out and soak them about 30 minutes with mild detergent. If you use our sheets, dissolve half a sheet in the water first. Rinse in cold water until the suds are gone, press out the water without wringing, and hang to dry.

How do you wash ripped jeans without ripping them more?

Hand-wash them in cold water and air-dry. If you use a machine, put the jeans in a laundry bag, run a gentle cycle and take them out right after the spin. Trim loose threads beforehand so they do not pull.

Sources

• Denim cleaning guide, Levi’s US
• Denim care, Madewell
• Should you wash jeans inside out? The Spruce
• How often should you wash jeans? Cleveland Clinic
• How to wash jeans, The Strategist
• How to wash your jeans, Wirecutter
• How to wash and dry your jeans, Primark US
• Looking after your jeans, UNIQLO US
• Skip fabric softener for underwear, Contour

Recommended

• How to Hand Wash Clothes: Step by Step, No Machine Needed
• Fabric Care for First-Time Laundry Doers: A Beginner’s Guide
• How to Prevent Fabric Pilling in the Wash and Beyond
• How to Wash Clothes Without a Washing Machine (And the One Supply Most