Soak again?

[DGP]

The other day I soaked a new pair of dry jeans. I submerged them for about ten minutes or so mostly to be done with any shrinkage that would result from cold water alone and to remove excess dye. However, when they dried, they were stiffer than when they were raw. I'm wondering if I didn't get rid of as much starch as I would have liked, and whether soaking them again for a half hr. or so would be better. I don't like them super stiff because I don't want any fading, and I also feel that the more stiff jeans are, the more they are given to getting holes (the sam reason the more ridgid glass is, the more likely it is to shatter). Thoughts?

 

[chronoaug]

They'll loosen up after a few wears. Most all clothes are a bit stiff after a hang dry. If you want them to be soft, you should've tumble dried on low.

 

[ken]

Cold water will realign the fibers of any garment and cause it to become "stiffer", which can even strengthen some fabric (i.e. cotton, I think). Regular cold soaks can help prevent holes.

This result is totally negated if cotton is machine washed or tumble dried.