How to Prevent Jeans from Fading in the Wash

Co-authored by Kamel Almani

Last Updated: April 18, 2022 References Approved

Blue and black jeans tend to fade in the washing machine. The water and soap erodes the dye and discolors them. Luckily, by washing your jeans carefully, you can prevent them from fading. Use mild detergents and do not wash your jeans often. Treat stains with household cleaners instead of throwing your jeans in the machine. Make sure to hang your jeans to dry in an area away from sunlight.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Washing Jeans Carefully

1
Turn the jeans inside out prior to washing.^{[1]
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Expert Source

Kamel Almani
Laundry & Cleaning Specialist
Expert Interview. 13 April 2021.} This should be a standard practice each time you throw a pair of jeans in with the laundry. Turning the jeans inside out will prevent detergent from wearing as harshly on the dye. Jeans washed inside out will maintain more of their color.^{[2]
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Rani Gorgis
Laundry & Cleaning Specialist
Expert Interview. 7 April 2021.}
2
Use a color-preserving detergent or vinegar. If you notice your jeans seem to fade a bit with each wash, use a color protectant detergent. You can buy this at most supermarkets or department stores. You can also opt not to use detergent at all. Vinegar can be used as replacement and may better preserve the color of your jeans.^{[4]
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Rani Gorgis
Laundry & Cleaning Specialist
Expert Interview. 7 April 2021.}
- Detergent is meant to eliminate stains but often does not differentiate between stains and dye. Vinegar, on the other hand, will make for a milder wash, cleaning your jeans without removing dye.
- Vinegar has a strong smell, however. If you have a sensitive nose, using vinegar may be a bad idea.
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3
Wash jeans with other garments. Jeans tend to fade less when washed with other dark clothing. Dark dyes can fade in the wash and swirl around with other clothes. If clothing is packed in together, less dye will fade out. Wait until you have a lot of dark clothes that need washing before washing your jeans.^{[6]
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4
Use the lowest spin cycle and temperature. Jeans require a gentle wash and low temperatures to prevent fading.^{[7]
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Expert Source

Rani Gorgis
Laundry & Cleaning Specialist
Expert Interview. 7 April 2021.} Set your washer for the slowest spin cycle possible and the lowest temperature water. If there's an option for a gentle wash or a hand wash on your washing machine, use it.
5
Wash jeans infrequently. Jeans do not actually need to be washed as regularly as other clothing items. In fact, washing jeans too often can cause them to fade prematurely.^{[8]
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Expert Source

Rani Gorgis
Laundry & Cleaning Specialist
Expert Interview. 7 April 2021.}
- You really only need to machine wash jeans once ever 4 to 6 weeks. If you notice any stains during this time frame, you can spot clean with household cleaners rather than throwing the jeans in the wash.
- If you're up to it, washing jeans by hand can be more gentle on them than machine washing.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Caring for Jeans After a Wash

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Let jeans air dry when possible. If you have somewhere to hang your jeans to dry, do so. Jeans fade less when hung up to dry.^{[10]
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Rani Gorgis
Laundry & Cleaning Specialist
Expert Interview. 7 April 2021.}
- To prevent wrinkling, hang jeans up by the belt loops.
2
Use dryers only at the lowest heat settings possible. If you need to use a dryer for any reason, such as needing the jeans dry right away, use the lowest heat setting possible. The higher the heat setting, the more likely the jeans are to fade.^{[12]
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Expert Source

Rani Gorgis
Laundry & Cleaning Specialist
Expert Interview. 7 April 2021.}
3
Keep your jeans away from direct sunlight when hanging them. Never dry jeans outside on a clothing rack. Direct sunlight can cause jeans to fade. Always dry jeans inside, away from open windows or other sources of direct sunlight.
4
Mist instead of washing on occasion. If your jeans get dirty or start to smell, do not immediately throw them back in the wash. You can mist the jeans to remove an unwanted smell instead. You should only wash jeans every 4 to 5 weeks.^{[14]
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- Take a spray bottle. Fill it up halfway with cold water and halfway with vodka.
- Mist your jeans and then place them in the freezer overnight to reduce the smell.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Washing Black Jeans

1
Set the dye before washing black jeans. When you first buy black jeans, you should set the dye once before washing them. To set the dye, fill a bath with cold water, one cup of vinegar, and one tablespoon of salt.^{[15]
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- Soak your jeans in the bath, both inside and out. This will set the dye before you wash your jeans.
2
Remove stains with household cleaners. Small stains can be spot cleaned with household cleaners. This prevents the need to wash black jeans each time they get slightly dirty.^{[16]
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- Pine sol can easily be used to remove grease. In the event of a paint stain, dab it off with Mötsenböcker’s Lift Off.
3
Use gentle settings when washing them. In the event you need to wash your jeans, use the most gentle settings on your washer possible. Use cold water and cycles like "hand wash" or "gentle wash." This will prevent the color from fading.^{[17]
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Do not dry black jeans. Never put black jeans in a dryer. Always hang them up by their belt loops to dry. Make sure to keep them out of direct sunlight.^{[18]
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Expert Q&A

Question

How do you soften stiff jeans?

Kamel Almani
Laundry & Cleaning Specialist
Kamel Almani is a Laundry and Cleaning Specialist and the Co-Owner of WashyWash, a toxin-free and eco-friendly laundry and dry clean service based in Amman, Jordan. Kamel and his staff at WashyWash use Blue Angel certified and dermatologically-tested detergents. They also combine EcoClean and digital technology to provide an eco-friendly, convenient, and quality cleaning service. Kamel holds a BA in Design from the University of Applied Science, Amman.

Kamel Almani

Laundry & Cleaning Specialist

Expert Answer

Wash it in cold water using liquid fabric softener. Dry it in a tumble dryer in the lowest settings to help soften the jeans.
Question

Can jeans be dyed when faded?

Community Answer

If you know a lot about fabric, you can try dyeing your own jeans. However, if you're not 100% sure of what you're doing, do not dye your jeans. You could end up hurting them.
Question

What can cause you dark jeans to become faded after only one wash?

Community Answer

Dark jeans have a lot of dye in them, which can fade out in a washing machine. If you're using hot water, or washing the jeans alone, this can make fading happen more quickly.

Warnings

Do not have your dark jeans dry-cleaned. The dry-cleaning process includes the use of extremely harsh chemicals that can fade your jeans as well as weaken them.

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