Washing jeans: what temperature?

The right jeans washing temperature is 30°C maximum, inside out, on a short cycle with a gentle spin. This is the advice in our denim care guide and product pages. Above that, cotton shrinks, indigo dye bleeds and elastane fibres are damaged. The rest comes down to one rule: wash jeans as rarely as possible. Here is how to care for your favourite pair without damaging them, by machine or hand, and dry them without shrinking.

Washing jeans at a glance

Temperature: 30°C maximum, or cold.
Frequency: every 5 to 10 wears, not after each wear.
Machine washing: inside out, short cycle, gentle spin (800 rpm).
Drying: never tumble-dry; air-dry flat or hung from the hems.
First wash of raw denim: half a glass of white vinegar to set the colour.
Ironing: 150°C maximum, inside out.

What temperature should you wash jeans at?

30°C, no more: jeans should be washed at low temperature. Detergent cleans while the fabric keeps its colour and size. Cold water also works for a simple refresh or very dark jeans. The overview below shows what happens as the temperature rises.

Cold (20°C or below): gentle washing, little colour loss. For raw or dark denim, or a refresh.
30°C: good cleaning, fabric protected. The reference temperature.
40°C: faster fading, risk of shrinking. Avoid unless the care label says otherwise.
60°C: cotton shrinks, elastane is damaged. No.
90°C: damaged fabric, distorted fit. Never.

Always check the care label: it takes precedence for each pair.

Do you need to wash jeans often?

No, and it is the most common question. Washing damages jeans more than wearing them. Our care guide recommends washing every 5 to 10 wears, only when needed. Between washes, air them outdoors or hang them in the bathroom during a hot shower: steam refreshes the fabric.

An often-cited experiment by a student at Canada's University of Alberta, reported by public broadcaster CBC, found that jeans worn for 15 months without washing carried not many more bacteria than jeans worn for a few days. No need to go that far, but the idea is right: spacing out washes preserves the fabric.

Before washing new jeans for the first time

Wear them first. New jeans, especially pure cotton, need around ten wears to mould to your figure before the first wash.
Wash alone or with similar colours. Indigo may bleed the first few times.
Set raw denim's colour. Our care guide recommends half a glass of white vinegar in the fabric-softener compartment for the first wash.

How do you machine-wash jeans?

Turn jeans inside out to protect the colour, fasten button and zip, and empty pockets.
Keep the load small. An overfull drum prevents movement; folds rub and leave permanent white marks.
Choose a delicate or short cycle at 30°C maximum.
Use colour or dark-clothes detergent, without chlorine bleach.
Set the spin to 800 rpm: higher speeds mark the fabric.
Remove jeans as soon as the cycle ends and shake them out to reduce creasing.

Washing jeans by hand

This is the gentlest technique, keeping fabric in good condition longest. Fill a basin or bath with lukewarm water, add a dose of dark-clothes detergent, immerse jeans inside out and soak for 45 minutes. Rinse thoroughly in clean water, then press without wringing.

How should you dry jeans?

Never tumble-dry. Our care guide is clear: tumble dryers cook elastane fibres and shrink cotton. Air-dry jeans, away from radiators, flat or hung from the hems, out of direct sunlight that may fade them.

If your jeans have already shrunk, all is not lost: our article on loosening tight jeans explains how to relax them with lukewarm water.

Ironing and storage

Jeans need no ironing after drying flat. If you do iron, do so inside out at 150°C maximum, as indicated on our product pages. Store folded in half on a shelf or hung by the waistband, rather than folded over a hanger bar that creases the knees.

How do you prevent colour bleeding or shrinking?

To prevent bleeding: wash at 30°C or cold, inside out, with similar colours. White vinegar helps set indigo in raw denim.
To prevent shrinking: no hot water, no tumble dryer. Heat is what shrinks cotton.
To prevent white marks: small load, jeans inside out, gentle spin.

Our tips for long-lasting jeans

Treat stains immediately, locally with a little water and soap, rather than washing the whole pair.
Alternate two pairs: each rests and airs between wears.
Keep the care label legible: it gives each style's maximum temperature.
Look after details: fasten the button before washing so it does not rub against the fabric.

The case of stretch jeans

Stretch jeans contain elastane, a fibre that does not tolerate heat well. Water that is too hot or tumble-drying makes it lose elasticity: jeans loosen and no longer spring back. The same rules apply, even more strictly. Our stretch styles are in the women's stretch jeans collection, and the denim care guide covers all these instructions. For how to identify rigid or stretch denim and what it changes about a cut, see our jeans cut guide.

Jeans washing FAQ

Can you wash jeans at 40 degrees?

If the care label allows it, yes, but it is not recommended. At 40°C, colour fades faster and cotton may shrink. 30°C is enough for everyday jeans.

Can you wash jeans at 60 degrees?

No. At 60°C, cotton shrinks and stretch jeans' elastane is damaged. Treat stubborn stains locally before a 30°C wash.

Can you wash jeans at 90 degrees?

Never. The fabric distorts and loses much of its colour.

Which machine programme should you use?

A delicate or short cycle at 30°C, spin limited to 800 rpm. The standard cotton cycle is longer and hotter, wearing the fabric more.

What temperature is a cold wash?

Between 15 and 20°C, depending on the machine. Enough to refresh lightly soiled jeans or preserve raw denim's colour.

In practice: 30°C, inside out, gentle spin, air-dry, and wash every 5 to 10 wears. Cared for this way, jeans keep their colour, size and cut for years. For other fabrics in your wardrobe, our care guide explains the right techniques.

How to wash jeans: the right temperature and tips to make them last

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