Today we would like to share some tips on how to prolong the life of your favorite pair of jeans and will explain how to take care of them properly and what can substitute for the laundry; we will also share some useful jeans life hacking ideas for all occasions.
Washing
Some people know this fact, and for others it will be a revelation that jeans are not necessarily washed after every wear. As you know, denim is very strong and hardwearing, and these qualities make it popular around the world. They allow you to wash jeans only after the fourth or fifth time you put them on. In fact, jeans can be washed even less often, but you should use other cleaning methods, such as freezing, which we will talk about separately.
If you are an outspoken opponent of washing jeans, you will not like that they lose their shape and fade after washing and that the tissue becomes stiffer. We offer you an alternative strategy of jeans care.
Minor stains on the jeans can be removed with a damp kitchen sponge. Every day when you go to shower, hang your jeans nearby so that they could absorb some water vapor. Then you can wash jeans every six months. Jeans should be washed in a bathtub rather than in a washing machine. We are confident that this advice may shock a good part of the readers, but many true connoisseurs of jeans use this tip, varying the maximum time of wearing.
While washing jeans in a bathtub, use room temperature water and a mild detergent. If the jeans are dark, you can add a little white vinegar, which will protect them from fading.
General tips for washing jeans:
- Before washing, read the label carefully.
- Be sure to turn the jeans inside out before washing.
- Use a mild detergent.
- Wash them in cold water or even at room temperature in a soft mode, if you are using a washing machine. Jeans are washed manually in a bathtub as described above.
- In some cases, dry cleaning is recommended (for example, if the jeans are dark).
- Remember that jeans cannot be soaked. They should be washed at a temperature not higher than 30-40°C.
- After washing, do not wring jeans out.
- Do not wash jeans immediately after wearing them for a day. Jeans can be washed after the fourth-fifth time of wearing or even less often.
Drying
Dry them preferably in a horizontal position. You can also dry your jeans, hanging them upside down.
If you have to dry your jeans in a dryer, use the lowest temperature. However, it is not recommended to dry the jeans there.
Ironing
After drying, you can iron the jeans inside out.
Iron the jeans when they are a little wet and start ironing at low temperature. You can use the steaming mode at a low temperature. Some irons have a special mode for ironing jeans.
1. Freezing
There are many life hacking ideas for denim, and some of which may shock you, but they work! For example, everyone knows that the less you wash jeans, the better they look, but very few people know that washing can be replaced by putting a pair of jeans in the freezer.
2. Stretching
Jeans are usually worn for several years, and the weight category of their owner may change. The problem of the size mismatch is solved by stretching jeans. To do this, you should wet the waist zone and fill the space with various objects, gradually adding more and more new ones.
3. Size reduction
If you have the opposite problem and the jeans must be reduced, it can be done in two ways: using a washing machine and a dryer or using a hot bathtub.
Put your jeans into the washing machine, setting it for a small number of turns; the water should be cold. Do not use any laundry detergent. Then let the machine spin and dry your jeans. If you have a dryer, it is best to do it there.
Fill the bathtub with hot water. Put on the jeans and get into the bathtub. Stay there until the water cools down. Attention! Do it carefully and choose the proper water temperature!
4. Search for the desired model if it has been withdrawn from production
If you are conservative and buy the same model from year to year, but it has suddenly gone out of production, do not worry: you can buy it again. Look at the inner label information. If it is readable, you will find the information about your model of jeans. Next, google it on the Internet and buy the jeans again.
And here are some life hacking tips, helping to solve all sorts of problems with zippers.
5. Stuck zippers
If you zipper is stuck, you can use a graphite pencil to save the jeans: just rub it along the zipper teeth. If the pencil does not help, use greasing materials: a drop of oil, a lip balm, or soap.
6. A zipper is not fastened to the end and is not fixed on top
This is a common problem that sometimes leads to embarrassing situations. If you are not going to completely replace the zipper, a key ring may become your temporary solution. The ring is attached to the zipper, and the top button. Voila, the zipper will not get unfastened unexpectedly in various situations.
7. Zipper damage
If the zipper is not fastened because of the missing teeth, it needs to be replaced (if a tooth is missing in the upper third of the zipper). On the other hand, you may not replace it if a tooth is missing in the lower third of the zipper. Fasten the slider above the damaged place. Next, thread the needle and make a few stitches just above the damaged tooth.
Another option is to sew buttons after carefully removing the damaged zipper.
8. Broken zipper tab
A zipper tab can get broken at the most inappropriate moment, and it is not so easy to fasten the zipper without a tab. There is a temporary solution: you can use a paper clip or a key ring instead of the tab.
We hope that these tips will help prolong the life of your favorite pair of jeans.
Share in the comments the methods that work best for you and tell us about your own ways of prolonging the life of your favorite clothes.
