Highsnobiety

There are a lot of misconceptions about how to wash denim, the biggest probably being that there is a "right" way to do it. Our friends over at Dutil Denim provided some insight into the process of washing your denim at home and the most important takeaway was that there are a plethora of options and only a few major no-nos.

The first myth Dutil’s Madison Bentley dispelled was that machine washing your denim is bad. Bentley says the only thing you really shouldn’t do is put your denim in the dryer. Instead, you should always air dry it. Overall, figuring out how best to wash your denim is easier than you think, with the most important thing being your choice of detergent.

Our studio doesn't have a washing machine, and with using one being much less aesthetically pleasing, we've put together a short guide on how to handwash your denim at home, with two slightly different techniques to consider.

What you need to handwash your denim:

Your Highsnobiety privacy settings have blocked this JW Player video.

A tub or container Water Detergent or soap White vinegar Dirty denim

Method 1: Detergent

Step 1

Your Highsnobiety privacy settings have blocked this JW Player video.

Fill a large tub with cold water.

Step 2

Your Highsnobiety privacy settings have blocked this JW Player video.

Add the detergent or soap.

Step 3

Your Highsnobiety privacy settings have blocked this JW Player video.

Submerge your jeans and allow them to soak for 15 to 30 minutes.

Step 4

Your Highsnobiety privacy settings have blocked this JW Player video.

Rinse the jeans well, preferably under a tap, until you are sure the detergent has been washed out.

Step 5

Your Highsnobiety privacy settings have blocked this JW Player video.

Once the jeans are rinsed, roll them with a towel and press firmly to release water. It's important that you don’t wring the jeans, as that will twist and break the denim fibers, leading to less structured denim that will more easily rip or tear.

Step 6

Your Highsnobiety privacy settings have blocked this JW Player video.

Lay your jeans flat to dry.

Method 2: White Vinegar & Detergent

Step 1

Your Highsnobiety privacy settings have blocked this JW Player video.

Fill a large tub with cold water.

Step 2

Your Highsnobiety privacy settings have blocked this JW Player video.

Add white vinegar. White vinegar sets the dye and prevents fading, but it doesn't clean as well as commercial detergents, which is why this is best for the first clean only.

Step 3

Your Highsnobiety privacy settings have blocked this JW Player video.

Submerge your jeans and allow them to soak for 15 to 30 minutes.

Step 4

Your Highsnobiety privacy settings have blocked this JW Player video.

Rinse the jeans well, preferably under a tap, to get out the vinegar. This might take a while but it's necessary to stop your jeans smelling like vinegar while you wear them.

Step 5

This is optional, but you can also rinse gently with detergent to help remove the vinegar scent.

Step 6

Your Highsnobiety privacy settings have blocked this JW Player video.

Roll your jeans in a towel to get excess water out.

Step 7

Your Highsnobiety privacy settings have blocked this JW Player video.

Lay your jeans flat to dry.

_

For an in-depth guide, watch the full video below:

Your Highsnobiety privacy settings have blocked this YouTube video.
We Recommend
  • Find Your Courage with Coach: imma and Wu Jinyan join forces for Level 2
    • Style
    • sponsored
  • Enter The Denim Planet of HUGO BLUE
    • Style
    • sponsored
  • Burna Boy Drips In Double Denim With G-Star
    • Style
    • sponsored
  • Notes on the Future of Denim, Courtesy of GUESS JEANS
    • Style
  • Oh, Happy Denim Days: Telfar’s Dropping Denim Bags...with Zippers!
    • Style
What To Read Next
  • The Trader Joes Tote Bag Is No Stanley Cup
    • Style
  • Ghettotech, Bootytech, Sextech, meet the Detroit trio HiTech
    • Culture
  • Kendall Jenner in Business Bottega Is Best-Dressed Material
    • Style
  • A Love Letter to Ferrari's IYKYK Super Car
    • Culture
  • Forget Rap Beef — Who Wears the Style Crown, Drake or Kendrick Lamar?
    • Style
  • Moshpit and Crowdsurf in Style: A Festival Fit's Essentials
    • Style
    • sponsored
*If you submitted your e-mail address and placed an order, we may use your e-mail address to inform you regularly about similar products without prior explicit consent. You can object to the use of your e-mail address for this purpose at any time without incurring any costs other than the transmission costs according to the basic tariffs. Each newsletter contains an unsubscribe link. Alternatively, you can object to receiving the newsletter at any time by sending an e-mail to info@highsnobiety.com

Web Accessibility Statement

Titel Media GmbH (Highsnobiety), is committed to facilitating and improving the accessibility and usability of its Website, www.highsnobiety.com. Titel Media GmbH strives to ensure that its Website services and content are accessible to persons with disabilities including users of screen reader technology. To accomplish this, Titel Media GmbH tests, remediates and maintains the Website in-line with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), which also bring the Website into conformance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.

Disclaimer

Please be aware that our efforts to maintain accessibility and usability are ongoing. While we strive to make the Website as accessible as possible some issues can be encountered by different assistive technology as the range of assistive technology is wide and varied.

Contact Us

If, at any time, you have specific questions or concerns about the accessibility of any particular webpage on this Website, please contact us at accessibility@highsnobiety.com, +49 (0)30 235 908 500. If you do encounter an accessibility issue, please be sure to specify the web page and nature of the issue in your email and/or phone call, and we will make all reasonable efforts to make that page or the information contained therein accessible for you.