How typically it’s best to wash your denims as Daily Star rows over ‘each time’ or ‘not for years’
DAILY STAR SAYS: Jeans, we all wear ’em, but the trouble with things we see every day is we start to forget they exist, meaning there’s a good chance you’re neglecting your denim something rotten!
Here at the Daily Star we’re all about the big questions – yep, that’s right, the reaalllllly big ones – which is why we got one of our writers to spend the day working out how often you should wash your denims.
The question was raised during a morning meeting at Daily Star Towers, and it was largely all anyone else talked about for the rest of the day, with one person saying they did it every day and one person alluding they would sometimes leave them unwashed for three years.
Read on for the horribly out of touch thoughts of our team, and for the definitive word from experts who actually know what they’re talking about.
How often do you wash your jeans? Let us know in the comments
Andy Gilpin,
“As I own more than one pair of jeans they are on rotation so I don’t want to put a timescale on each pair,” said Andy. “It’s more a ‘wearing scale’.
“With this in mind I’d say I wash them about 20 wears (per jeans). But, if I spill food or drink down them – which in the hustle-bustle of today’s crazy world is a distinct possibility – then of course they will be washed.
“This is usually inside out and ALWAYS with a tissue left in one of the pockets for comic effect”.
Sam Huntley, Senior Showbiz Reporter
“As a self-confessed double denim campaigner, this is a topic pretty close to my heart.
“I’d say around every three weeks if you’re looking for an arbitrary figure, but I’d also prefer to use the wear scale. Probably around 10/15 wears, but if I’m being honest with you all, it’s hard for me to be objective here.
“It all depends on what you and your trusty fabric have been through. After all, it’s about the journey, not the destination (washing machine).”
Joe Faretra, Audience Writer
“My jeans tend to only hit the wash when there are definite signs of muck.
“This can see them dodging the wash basket for up to a fortnight, possibly more if I’m being brutally honest.
“In my loose defence, I don’t spend all day and every day in them. I only tend to put them on if I’m heading out on a dog walk or something, which may just equate to a week’s worth of wear.”
Jack Wetherill, Showbiz and TV Editor
“I have two pairs of jeans that I mainly wear and I probably wash them once a month or less. I only wash them if they’re visibly dirty from mud or another stain, or if I’ve been out and have been splashed with beer or prosecco or tequila. But I don’t wear jeans every day.”
Charles Wade-Palmer, Chief reporter
“Surely everyone knows when it comes to denim: No dirt? No wash.
“Don’t go damaging the fabric just so your shins can smell nice.”
Adam Cailler, Senior News Reporter
“I wear them for three to four days max, wash once per week (in the weekend washing).
“Wearing them any longer makes you a psycho, as does washing your jeans every three years and who ever said that needs to go straight the HR. Although after three years, I assume the jeans will walk you there themselves…”
Layla Nicholson, Senior Feature Writer
“I have about 15 pairs and washing is all dependent on the circumstance
“If I’m in London, jeans get washed as soon as I get home – I’m not bringing the pollution back to the clean air of the countryside
“Other than that, I’ll wear them about three times before washing
“Unless I go on a night out… then they’ll also get the one wear treatment as I don’t want to be walking around smelling like pub”
Neil Docking, Associate Sport Editor
“I only ever wash my jeans if I get food/dirt on them or they smell because they’ve got really wet in the rain.
“Levi’s design director Paul O’Neill – one would suspect a more reliable expert on the topic than most – says he washes jeans every “30 to 50 wears”.
“As a man who rotates four or five different pairs of jeans for different occasions and only wears them when I go out – and in keeping with expert guidance – that means I wash some pairs once or twice a year, some less often than that!”
Claudia Trotman, Audience Writer
“I own around 12 pairs, I’d say, to accommodate all the styles and colours. I’d say how often I wash depends on how long and where I’ve worn them. My vague guess is every three or four washes. But I am a germaphobe, so if I get anything on them or sit down on train seats, they’re getting washed after one wear.”
Josh Whorms, Apprentice Content Creator
“Jeans have fallen off. I only own three pairs. One is a pair of skinny jeans that no longer sees the light of day. And the others are two black jeans that get worn very infrequently and probably get washed about once every three weeks.”
Ruby Naldrett, Social Media Editor
“I have around 20 pairs of jeans and strongly advocate that you need that many – there are so many different shades of blue, different leg lengths, different styles, high waisted, low waisted, raw hem, distressed, button fly or zip fly – so many options!
“I wear them on a rotation depending on how I feel and will wash each pair after they’ve been worn probably four times or so, but I am very known to drop my food down myself so this usually means they’ll end up getting washed after one wear.”
Vince Soodin, Brand Editor
“I have one pair of jeans – 501s – as I got rid of all slim fitting or skinny jeans and trousers in early 2024 as they are not appropriate for a middle aged fella and strain my back.
“I’ve owned them for 14 months and washed them once on a really gentle wash because I dropped beer on them. And I was stressed all the time they were on the spin cycle in case they shrunk.
“I think once, maybe twice a year is ok to wash your denim. And then iron with a centre crease.”
Dan Saunders, Picture Editor
“My dad has just dropped the bomb shell that he has a pair of unwashed Levi jeans that are older than me, 43 years!
“Disco Dave is a legend”.
Lloyd Coombes, Gaming Writer
“I’ve got half a dozen pairs of jeans in different colours but, as with Layla, if I’m off to London I’ll pretty much wash them instantly.
“Other than that, probably three or four wears before washing, unless I drop something on them.”
Tom McGhie, Audience Writer
“The first thing that springs to mind is a conversation I recently had with someone who claimed to work in fashion. They said instead of washing jeans they chuck them in the freezer for a few days and that seems to do the trick.
“I don’t do that, obviously, I wash mine the normal amount, about once month, or sooner if necessary…”
What do the experts say?
That’s all well and good, but what do we know about this? Given the sheer range in opinions, clearly nothing. So, we spoke to some people who actually do know, to give their expert advice on what the correct wash frequency is.
Ira Lysa, founder and designer at Ira’s Bridal Studio explained: “For both the environment and your jeans, washing every 10-15 wears is recommended, provided they are not noticeably dirty or stinky. Washing denim too much places stress on its fibers, which results in weakening and fading over time.
“The ‘freeze stained clothing’ method? Doesn’t work. It does not remove bacteria. Let them hang dry instead of washing entirely. Wash jeans in cold water with gentle detergent and inside out. Jeans should not be put in the dryer as air drying helps maintain shape and color.
“France’s actions go hand-in-hand with sustainable fashion, but it is important to note there needs to be a balance – cleanliness is important too!”
One quality assurance specialist with over 20 years experience in the fashion industry told us thigns needed to be a little more frequent: “The origin of denim is for work wear so the fabric is meant to be sturdy and hard wearing by nature. You can wear them for a long time without needing to refresh them, but the recommended wearing cycle within the industry is around three to five days – however, that does depend on a person’s hygiene.”
Shelley Rogers, who has recently published a report into fashion legislation, Broken Threads And Twisted Yarns: The Fashion Legislation Report, explained: “The truth is we massively over clean our clothes all the time, most people wear something once or twice and stick it in the wash. Stop!
“It’s a huge waste on energy and water but it’s not good for your clothes – so slow down. Jeans are denim and denim really shouldn’t be cleaned more than once every ten wears. You can spot wash denim between times too, to remove any marks or stains.
“The other rule with denim is use a cold wash cycle as a hot wash will fade your jeans much more quickly. Reserve the hot cycle for when they get super dirty or covered in mud.”
