Washing Denim

Updated on September 18, 2014
M.W. asks from Flushing, NY
30 answers

I was just wondering what people's opinions are about washing denim. I recently bought my almost 5 year old daughter a denim skirt and I am afraid of washing it. I don't want it to get ruined or shrink. My husband is of the opinion that you never wash denim. My daughter has worn this skirt about a handful of times and I am scared to wash it. She hasn't gotten it dirty. Can I really get away with not washing the skirt (unless it gets horribly dirty)?

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Featured Answers

S.T.

answers from Washington DC on

i call BS.
there's a variety of opinion on how often to wash denim and what methods to use. but not on whether or not to wash it.
unless one is really swiney.
khairete
S.

6 moms found this helpful

J.S.

answers from St. Louis on

Gross gross gross! If a garment has washing instructions it is meant to be washed. The hem may roll but you can iron that.

5 moms found this helpful

M.D.

answers from Washington DC on

Ew. That's gross.

Denim needs washed. Even high end designer stuff.

We will go two wears with jeans (shorts, skirts, anything denim) before washing, but then they go in the hamper with the clothes for the next load.

Cold water wash and whatever setting my husband set the dryer to. I just push the start button.

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T.F.

answers from Dallas on

Really? I wear a lot of denim jeans (not cheapees) and I wash them in cold water and dry on medium.

They don't "look" dirty but I think it is a gross not to wash them occasionally to get all of my body lotions, oils, and dead skin out of them. EWWW

Do you not wear anything denim and do you not wash it... for hubby as well? Gross think about all the sweat and dirt from your own body.

7 moms found this helpful

C.C.

answers from San Francisco on

Whaaaaa...?! Of course you wash denim. If it's a dark wash, turn the item inside out, wash it on cold, and put it in the dryer on delicates (low heat). I understand not wanting things to shrink (believe me, I'm 6' tall and I have a horrible time getting jeans that are long enough), but I think it's worse to smell bad than to have to stretch out your denim again. :-P

6 moms found this helpful

T.S.

answers from San Francisco on

Um, so your husband has never washed his jeans? And neither have you?
Really?!?!
Denim is a sturdy fabric made from cotton. Just google it for care and other info. EVERYONE washes it. Washing it makes it softer and more comfortable and gives it that lovely worn in, aged look that we all admire.
Have you not been in America very long? The American cowboy in his well washed and worn denim jeans is pretty iconic...

5 moms found this helpful
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M.K.

answers from Columbus on

Wait, what? First of all, does your husband even wear jeans/denim? And if so, are you saying he never washes them? Or does he take them to the dry cleaners? I have a friend that did that - I thought he was insane wasting money on dry cleaning his jeans.

I wash my (and my kids) jeans all the time in the washer using cold water and dry them in the dryer with no problems. I can't imagine not washing them!! That's just gross!!

If you're afraid the color will fade or the skirt will shrink, use cold water and then just put it in the dryer a few minutes on low to get its shape back and then just hang it up to dry the rest of the way.

Good luck!!

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M.C.

answers from Louisville on

What does the tag say? Do that.

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M.B.

answers from Austin on

Wow... I'd hate to be around a person that thought you shouldn't wash denim!

What do you do with your jeans? Don't you wash your jeans?

I wash my jeans all the time..... most of the time, I don't use the dryer, but occasionally I do. (I hang all my clothes out on a clothes line under the porch.)

Also, I always use cold water for all my laundry needs... we don't have a hot water line leading to our washing machine anymore. Things come out just fine in cold water.

4 moms found this helpful

J.P.

answers from Lakeland on

Eeww, I just had a little throw up in my throat thinking of never washed jeans.

I wash our jeans after one wear. Not just because we live in Florida (where the average temp is 75) and have 5 acres of ranch property where we work on the land ourselves and get sweaty and dirty. I think its just gross to never wash something and to keep wearing it.

Wash in cold water with like colors. If you are worried about it shrinking then hang it to dry but be sure to add fabric softener to the rinse.

3 moms found this helpful
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S.S.

answers from Chicago on

Jeans are denim, how do you clean them? If something is cotton then it could shrink. Sometimes jeans are prewashed so no big worries. Is it real denim or lookslike denim? I have washed denim for hmmm well lets say at least forty something years. If you are worried about shrinkage you can hang it to dry but then it is scratchy. eeuu. so dryer sheets really soften it. Does your husband wear jeans>? If you don't wash them ugh, they really need a bath.

3 moms found this helpful
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G.B.

answers from Oklahoma City on

Seriously? What, he wears a pair of jeans one time then tosses them?

That's the silliest thing I've ever heard of. Most denim is already pre-shrunk to begin with then if it does shrink in the dryer it stretches back out while being worn.

I wash jeans in warm water and dry them on high. I want them dry when I take them out of the dryer so they don't sour or mildew.

If her skirt is skin tight then it might shrink up too small. If it fits her exactly fine then wash it on warm then dry it on delicate or low. For a long long time so it' dry in the seams.

my sister has an etsy shop and sells a lot of denim stuff with bling, ribbons, brads, decor, and she tells them to turn it inside out and it's preferable for it to be put in a laundry bag for delicate items and hang it to dry.

BUT be aware, if you hang denim to dry it's likely it will stand up on it's own. You'll have to iron it to soften the material again.

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L.M.

answers from New York on

I've never heard of anyone not washing or dry cleaning their clothes. Yuck !!! Denim is an extremely durable fabric. Myself as well as most people I know, throw in the washer on normal cycle (cold or warm water) and throw in the dryer. Yes, if you put it in the dryer for a long period of time or on a higher heat setting it will shrink slightly, but usually stretches out after wearing a few hours. You can avoid this by washing in cold or warm water and hanging the skirt to dry. You can also have the garment dry cleaned. Your best bet, follow the manufactures instructions.

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E.T.

answers from Rochester on

Wash in cold with like colors. It can bleed. Dry on a low temp. It will rarely shrink. It can fee tighter when it comes out if the dryer, but it does stretch right back. Hard to believe you have never washed denim before.

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M.P.

answers from Portland on

I've been washing denim on cold setting and drying on low with no shrinkage for years. Denim did shrink in my youth, 30 or so years ago. I did dry clean a special pair that had a denim jacket back then but no more.

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R.B.

answers from Dallas on

I'm so confused does your husband dry clean denim ? What is his solution.

Heat potentially shrinks so if you are concerned wash on cold and hang dry. Clothes are preshrunk these days and any shrinkage is minimal. I wash denim all the time.

2 moms found this helpful

T.W.

answers from Lawton on

Of coarse you need to wash it. The thought of never washing jean type cloths is just nasty! Wash it in cold water. Hang dry it. Stops it from fading and shrinking as much. If you do not want things to shrink and not fit. Buy a size bigger then your child wears.

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M.P.

answers from Raleigh on

You should wash denim after every 5 wears. Turn the skirt inside out when washing to avoid fading. Also, if you are worried about shrinking, then let it air dry.

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M.S.

answers from Washington DC on

Denim just keeps getting better and softer the more you wash it. I have never had a problem. It may feel a little snug the first wear out of the dryer, but it always stretches out.

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J.K.

answers from Wausau on

Do none of you wear jeans? Of course you wash denim.

To prevent denim from shrinking, wash it in cold and hang to dry. I wash mine in warm and put it in the dryer. If the skirt is highly dyed, it might bleed so wash it separately or with like colors. Those color-catcher sheets for the wash usually work well too.

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D.N.

answers from Chicago on

I wash our jeans before wearing and I turn them inside out. I also wash inside out for the first few washes. For my husband's jeans, I hang them to dry the first 2 times, then they go in the dryer. For mine and the kids, they ALWAYS get hung. Of course, I hang a lot of our clothes to dry. I also wash everything in cold and use a low heat to dry. I have never had a problem with clothes standing up when hanging. Sure jeans are a bit stiffer but soften up as you wear them.

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A.M.

answers from Dallas on

If it has fringe, metal decor, etc, wash in cold on a slow setting and hang to dry. If it is just denim, go ahead and wash in warm and dry in dryer. Denim is one of the sturdiest fabrics and can be washed no problem.

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F.B.

answers from New York on

I've heard of your husband's school of thought. There are those who get truly high end designer denim, and wouldn't dare put them through the wash. I think the solution was putting the jeans in the freezer believe it or not.

I throw mine through the wash. (correction hubby does). Just how he does them, only he knows, and frankly I don't care.

Best,
F. B.

1 mom found this helpful

K.A.

answers from San Diego on

I've always just washed anything denim in cold water and low dry. I've never had a problem with anything I have washed.
I wash things after one wash for the most part. Jackets I don't wash each wearing though.
Even if there isn't visable dirt, just the act of wearing it gets it dirty. Sweat, daily shedding skin, all the things on surfaces you sit on, kneel on, come in contact. It always icks me out that people don't wash jeans more often.

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K.D.

answers from Jacksonville on

I don't wash denim every time I wear it, but I do wash it. If you're concerned about shrinking, hang it to dry. I don't know how else it could get ruined, unless it was just poorly made.

P.S. The CEO of Levi's says not to wash jeans after every wear, or even every other wear.

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S.S.

answers from Los Angeles on

I wash our denim (and everything else) after one wear. No problems.

1 mom found this helpful

D.B.

answers from Boston on

People have been wearing denim for something like 150 years since Levi Strauss made the first dungarees! I'm almost positive they have been washing it! All those farmers and mechanics most likely got dirt and grease on things! And while your daughter may not be rolling in the mud, she's definitely wiping her hands on her nose and touching food with her hands, and wiping those on her skirt. So it absolutely needs to get washed every 4-5 times she wears it.

Cold water, regular detergent without chemicals and fragrances (like Arm & Hammer or All - anything "Free"), and low dryer heat will preserve that denim until long after she has outgrown that skirt! If you desperately are afraid to dry it, then air dry and get out your iron when the skirt is still damp (or spray it with water to iron).

Most denim has some "give" to it - I know my jeans (which have been washed and dried at least 50 times) are just a little snug when I put them on, and then they loosen up in about 5 minutes. So go ahead and wash!

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C.S.

answers from Las Vegas on

I wash denim in cold then toss them in the dryer. If they don't dry all the way, I hang them to finish drying. They come out soft because they have already dried beyond the stiff point.

S.G.

answers from Grand Forks on

I wash denim after 3-5 wears or when it is visibly dirty or smells. Of course, if it is not dirty then don't wash it. I wash on cold, and dry part way on low then hang to dry. I buy most of my jeans used, so I wash them before I even wear them.

R.X.

answers from Houston on

Serious Mama Duck? That sounds nasty...

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