How to Extend the Life of Jeans

Il jeans They're a very durable garment, always in fashion, practical and comfortable, and easy to style. Why waste them, especially considering the 3,5 billion pairs sold worldwide every year and the enormous amount of water required to produce them? To avoid wasting jeans, just follow a few simple tips to extend their life.

Index of topics

Resources for producing jeans

There are several statistics that calculate the environmental impact of jeans, namely the water used in their production and the resulting carbon dioxide emissions. According to the United Nations Environment Programme, a pair of denim pants requires 3.781 liters of water, while emitting 33,4 kilograms of carbon dioxide during their average life cycle—the equivalent of a 111-kilometer car trip or watching 246 hours of television. These numbers alone should encourage us to try to extend the life of our jeans.

The washing

Avoid that by hand: means using too much water. It's better, also for the final result, to machine wash them at a water temperature of around 30 degrees. As for washing frequency, remember that denim is a very resistant fabric, even to any type of stain. You can wear a pair of jeans up to ten times before putting them in the washing machine. Another waste is dry cleaning jeans: they're not suitable for this method.

After washing

Once thoroughly washed, turn your jeans inside out. This protects the outer fabric when you're not wearing them and prevents it from bleaching easily and wearing out more quickly. This will also help the denim stretch more.

Never bleach

Even if some stains are very resistant, absolutely avoid using the bleachYou risk damaging the fabric fibers, and it's better to leave a few small, non-inconvenient stains than to lose the trousers.

Timely minor repairs

If your jeans have a small hole or slight damage, have it repaired quickly. This prevents the condition from worsening and becoming irreversible.

Jeans don't iron

Machine-washed jeans don't need ironing. After removing them slightly damp, hang them outside to dry, and then hang them directly on a hanger: they'll quickly regain their natural shape. Even between uses, you can air them out to freshen them up. Always hang them by the waistband, which also helps prevent creases from forming during drying. If, once dry, the jeans have unsightly creases, you can quickly give them a quick ironing. iron warm, not boiling.

Why does it shrink?

Jeans don't shrink through wear, as with other natural fabrics, but rather due to the very nature of denim. Body heat and the natural fibers themselves cause denim to act like elastic, stretching and contracting when the pants cool. However, prolonged use and the temporary shrinkage mechanism shouldn't lead you to replace your jeans, considering them obsolete. On the contrary. Once shrunk, jeans tend to mold to the wearer's body, which also makes them more elegant.

How to enlarge it

If you really don't feel comfortable with the jeans you're wearing, and you consider them too tight, instead of replacing them, you can follow this method to slightly loosen them:

Spray hot water to lightly moisten the areas to be stretched. Do not soak the trousers.

Stretch gently Stretch the fabric by hand, pulling it in all directions. Focusing especially on the area of the jeans that feels tightest.

Use salt water: It is more effective than the sweet one for slightly widening the jeans.

Let the jeans air dry, once you have stretched them.

For a more gentle stretch, Use wooden hangers to hang your jeans in the closet.

How to extend the life of jeans