• Hi, I am the owner and main administrator of Styleforum. If you find the forum useful and fun, please help support it by buying through the posted links on the forum. Our main, very popular sales thread, where the latest and best sales are listed, are posted HERE

    Purchases made through some of our links earns a commission for the forum and allows us to do the work of maintaining and improving it. Finally, thanks for being a part of this community. We realize that there are many choices today on the internet, and we have all of you to thank for making Styleforum the foremost destination for discussions of menswear.
  • This site contains affiliate links for which Styleforum may be compensated.
  • We would like to welcome House of Huntington as an official Affiliate Vendor. Shop past season Drake's, Nigel Cabourn, Private White V.C. and other menswear luxury brands at exceptional prices below retail. Please visit the Houise of Huntington thread and welcome them to the forum.

  • STYLE. COMMUNITY. GREAT CLOTHING.

    Bored of counting likes on social networks? At Styleforum, you’ll find rousing discussions that go beyond strings of emojis.

    Click Here to join Styleforum's thousands of style enthusiasts today!

    Styleforum is supported in part by commission earning affiliate links sitewide. Please support us by using them. You may learn more here.

To those who rarely / never wash denim

modual

Senior Member
Joined
Jun 1, 2006
Messages
705
Reaction score
13
When you get your jeans do you guys soak them first in order to get any shrinkage out of the way ? I have a couple of new pairs of raw which are sanforized but i know they'll shrink a little in length especially, so i intend to soak them and then never wash them unless i have to. Also if i just warm soak them will they still retain starch and therefore the raw denim "shine" and stiffness ?
 

Tarmac

Distinguished Member
Joined
Mar 19, 2006
Messages
7,134
Reaction score
39
In general, they won't retain the shine and stiffness. It depends on the model though. What do you have?

Seems like most people these days soak first. I still dont though.
 

wEstSidE

Distinguished Member
Joined
May 21, 2006
Messages
1,691
Reaction score
36
I agree, there's no point in soaking sanforized denim. It will not really shrink much unless it's been stretched out already. If you want to remove some of the sizing and a negligible amount of indigo, go ahead.
 

lowrey

Senior Member
Joined
Jun 22, 2006
Messages
265
Reaction score
0
I soak all my jeans, out of habit and mainly to get the shrinkage out of the way, sanforized ones can shrink a little bit too as far as I know. and also to make them a little stiffer to start with.
 

calatrava

Active Member
Joined
Oct 10, 2006
Messages
43
Reaction score
0
basically when you soak it you mainly remove the sizing, that is the starch that makes the denim stiff and shiny.
for sanforized jeans, i wouldnt really want to soak them as i prefer the stiffness that makes it easier to get creases etc
for the leg shrinkage, well i have heard of methods used on nudie jeans which involve washing it and then stretching the legs with weights to get an inch or so back, but since i have never tried it myself, i couldnt really say ...
 

modual

Senior Member
Joined
Jun 1, 2006
Messages
705
Reaction score
13
So if i dont want to wash my jeans ever, then a good way of shrinking them back to the original size after stretching would be just to soak them for an hour or so every so often. This i take it would bring minimal indigo loss
 

lowrey

Senior Member
Joined
Jun 22, 2006
Messages
265
Reaction score
0
soaking will shrink them back, yes, but it can also remove any creases that have formed on the jeans. so for example if you have clear fades in the back of the knees or hems, they migh start to form at a different spot.

personally, I'm not that hardcore about not washing jeans, I washed my diors after 3 months of wear because they started to smell. I dont think it hurt them at all, and I used mild detergant and just a little bit of it to avoid losing too much color.
 

ang_kangkong

Senior Member
Joined
Jul 21, 2006
Messages
292
Reaction score
0
Originally Posted by modual
So if i dont want to wash my jeans ever, then a good way of shrinking them back to the original size after stretching would be just to soak them for an hour or so every so often. This i take it would bring minimal indigo loss

Originally Posted by lowrey
soaking will shrink them back, yes, but it can also remove any creases that have formed on the jeans. so for example if you have clear fades in the back of the knees or hems, they migh start to form at a different spot.

I'd suggest soaking and then doing the mike lowrey drying method to avoid shifting (I cross posted here once upon a time). I suspect wringing out the excess water might be why the denim doesn't "remember" where the creases are.
 

cheapmutha

Distinguished Member
Joined
Mar 29, 2006
Messages
1,875
Reaction score
70
found a good way to get exces water out is to lay down a towell, lay the jeans on it, and then roll. roll it tight and push down as youre doing it and the excess water comes out without having to wring them.
 

drizzt3117

Stylish Dinosaur
Joined
Aug 26, 2004
Messages
13,040
Reaction score
14
I have had good luck with no soaking and no washing heh
 

whodini

Conan OOOOOOO"BRIEN!
Joined
Jul 16, 2006
Messages
17,950
Reaction score
190
Originally Posted by cheapmutha
found a good way to get exces water out is to lay down a towell, lay the jeans on it, and then roll. roll it tight and push down as youre doing it and the excess water comes out without having to wring them.
I remember you mentioning this before and I'm going to try it next time. I'll just remember not to use one of my cousin's white monogramed wedding towel for it.
 

cheapmutha

Distinguished Member
Joined
Mar 29, 2006
Messages
1,875
Reaction score
70
Originally Posted by whodini
I remember you mentioning this before and I'm going to try it next time. I'll just remember not to use one of my cousin's white monogramed wedding towel for it.
no... the newer and the whiter the better.
devil.gif
 

whodini

Conan OOOOOOO"BRIEN!
Joined
Jul 16, 2006
Messages
17,950
Reaction score
190
Originally Posted by cheapmutha
no... the newer and the whiter the better.
devil.gif

I actually wonder how that'd turn out. If it's anything like in my imagination, I'd probably attach it to the flagpole outside my house and salute it every morning. Didn't someone here a while ago wash their white shirt with their dry jeans?
 

Featured Sponsor

How important is full vs half canvas to you for heavier sport jackets?

  • Definitely full canvas only

    Votes: 55 36.2%
  • Half canvas is fine

    Votes: 59 38.8%
  • Really don't care

    Votes: 17 11.2%
  • Depends on fabric

    Votes: 26 17.1%
  • Depends on price

    Votes: 26 17.1%

Staff online

Forum statistics

Threads
505,154
Messages
10,578,819
Members
223,882
Latest member
RoberParme
Top