As an avid wearer of all black for every season, it's a complete necessity to know how to wash black jeans. I mean I'm all for faded dark denim if it's intentional, but let's be real, no one likes buying a new pair of black jeans just to see that color fade away because of improper washing techniques. Yes, I take washing my black jeans seriously, and yes I may being a little over-the-top. But hey, it's all for the love of fashion.
I probably go through about three high-waisted black jeans each season because well, I'm obsessed, and secondly black jeans just tend to fade eventually. Keeping that color locked in can be quite hard and sometimes it's just easy to throw your black jeans in a laundry load of random colors. This is a big no-no. Believe me, I learned the hard way. I remember buying a pair of $200 black jeans just to watch the color wash away. It was definitely a lesson learned.
My point is, yes, making sure your black jeans don't easily fade away can be accomplished with a few tips and tricks. So if you constantly wear black jeans but struggle with keeping the color locked in, don't worry, keeping their wear life to a longer period of time is totally possible.
Here are some ways to keep your black jeans on point.
1. Wash In Cold Water
This is extremely important. Never put your black jeans, or any dark clothes for that matter, in a laundry load of hot or warm water. According to About.com, the color will only fade quicker if you let your jeans soak up the heat in high temperature.
2. Only Wash Your Jeans With Other Dark Colors
I know it takes longer to do your laundry when you have to sort them out by color, but it's seriously worth it. When you mix your clothes together the colors fade each other out, according to Good Housekeeping, especially if you're mixing light colors in there.
3. Wash Your Jeans Inside Out
You know that little tag on your jeans that say "wash inside out?" Well, you should definitely listen to it, and make sure to wash your jeans inside out, according to ELLE. This will help your jeans keep the color in and lessen the fabric to soap contact.
4. Wash In A Gentle Cycle Or Hand Wash
You want to be as gentle as you can with your black jeans. The more rough the cycle is, the more fade will happen when your jeans spin in the wash. Philly Mag highly recommends washing in the most gentle cycle. I tend to hand wash mine, and it definitely helps!
5. Use Detergent Specifically Made For Dark Colors
I also highly suggest buying a detergent specifically for your dark clothes. Since these formulas are specifically made to keep your clothes staying dark, it's definitely worth a try. I mean, if you're already separating your clothes, why not buy the detergent to match?
Woolite Darks High Efficiency Liquid Laundry Detergent, $11, Amazon
6. Try Washing With A Cup Of Vinegar
I know, sounds a bit weird, but many people have had a good experience washing their black jeans with vinegar. About.com explains, "The vinegar will help seal the dye within the fabric so that they won’t continue to bleed." Make sure to definitely use cold water though if you do try to experiment with the kitchen staple.
Try: Distilled White Vinegar, $4, Amazon
7. Add A Teaspoon Of Salt
And if you're really open to trying something new, try adding a teaspoon of salt to your black jeans load, per The Concourse's suggestion. This can help set your dye in to prevent your jeans from bleeding too much. (Morton Iodized Salt, Kmart.com, $1)
Pretty simple, amiritie? And just in case you really don't want to wash your jeans, I always find it easy to mist instead of wash. Or just minimize the amount of times you wear them. Easy, peasy!
Images: Courtesy of Brands; Courtesy of Author; Kaboompics, Suppenkasper/Pixabay
