We take them seriously—we have Wirecutter guides dedicated to the best women’s and men’s jeans. And we’re willing to do what it takes to help them live long, happy denim lives.
But the truth is, jeans don’t require a ton of maintenance. In fact, if you want to keep them in tip-top condition, you should actually wash them as infrequently as possible.
How often do I need to wash my jeans?
It sounds wrong to admit you’re not washing your clothes regularly. But when it comes to jeans, I do so only every two months, unless they’ve gotten unexpectedly dirty or smelly.
Hazel Morley, VP of design at menswear provider Bonobos, said she washes her jeans as little as possible to ensure they last a long time. Until your jeans are visibly in need—or smell in need—of a washing, hold off on cleaning them.
How to wash regular jeans
To maintain the fabric’s like-new darkness, hand-wash your jeans inside out in a bathtub full of cold water, Morley said. Then hang them to dry right-side out.
For the average person who isn’t obsessed with keeping their jeans in perfect condition, machine-washing works too. Washing your jeans inside out helps maintain their color by protecting the outside fibers, regardless of whether you wash them by hand or in the machine.
As for what will actually clean your jeans, skip the specialty denim detergents, and instead opt for something mild, like Tide Free & Gentle, a pick in our guide to the best laundry detergents.
“I’ll never suggest drying your jeans in a dryer, which can be really hard on clothes,” Morley said. For air-drying jeans, we recommend a sturdy, accordion-style rack, like the Amazon Basics Foldable Laundry Rack. This rack holds plenty of wet, heavy garments without wobbling, and it folds smoothly for storage. If your jeans are super-stiff after you hang-dry them, Morley said you can toss them in a cool dryer for 10 minutes to soften them.
What about cleaning raw denim?
Raw jeans are made from unwashed and untreated denim material; they break in over time, developing a faded color and fit that will be unique to each wearer.
The advice on how to care for raw denim varies. Some experts argue that you should strive to never wash it, which may or may not be practical, depending on your lifestyle.
When it comes to raw denim jeans, laundering them (or not) will have a major aesthetic impact. “The more you wear your jeans without washing them, the more fading and lines will become apparent,” explained Steve Cruz, store manager at Naked & Famous Denim.
Christian McCann, founder of Left Field NYC, recommends wearing your raw jeans at least 30 times before hand-washing them, inside out, with a mild detergent and then hanging them to dry. (It takes 30 wears for your jeans to stretch properly and set the creases for maximum fade contrast.)
“Never use a washing machine or a dryer,” McCann warned. “[Machines] twist the jeans in irregular ways and marble the jeans like a stone wash, mess up creases that are already set, and make the jeans too soft and harder to keep creases.”
Of course, you’re free to follow the beat of your own drummer. If you’d prefer your jeans to fade to a more even-looking finish, then Cruz recommends putting them in the washer and dryer to achieve the desired effect.