DENIM: KEEPING YOUR DARK JEANS DARK

I'm not saying I'm a denim expert, but I worked in retail for YEARS, and part of my job was to know denim. I've learned a few tricks along the way of course  ;)

KEEPING YOUR DENIM DARK

People looove dark denim. You can dress them up or dress them down easily. But the downside to owning them is when they lose their dark colour. That's part of the reason why I always decided against purchasing dark denim, because I thought, "What's the point? They're going to be a light blue in a few months anyway!" Now.. you're really not supposed to wash your jeans that often to preserve their colour in the first place. But this will slow down the process of losing its colour: soak your jeans in salt water! I don't know what it is, but when you soak your jeans in salt, it locks in the dye a little longer. I haven't scientifically assessed this, but it works for me!



What you'll need:
About 1/4-1/2 cup of salt (I just eyeball this, you really don't need to be precise)
Hot water to dissolve the salt
Cold water
Bucket or a large container you can put your jeans in
Your jeans (zipped and buttoned up, and turned inside out)

- Take the salt and dissolve it using the hot water.
- Add the salt water to a bucket or whatever you're using.
- You can either add your jeans now or add some cold water first and then add your jeans to the bucket.
- Fill the bucket with enough water to cover your jeans
- And now you have to wait! You can wait a day or two, but I typically let it sit in there for at LEAST two days, depending on how dark the jeans are.
- Once you're done soaking, it's time to wash your jeans!
- With the jeans still inside out, wash them in cold water in the delicate cycle. I also use detergent for dark clothing. It's up to you whether or not you want to dry them in the dryer. Jeans will last longer and stay darker if they're not put in the dryer, but I'm impatient so I just throw em in there (I mean, after waiting for days, who wouldn't be impatient?!)


* You can also add vinegar with the salt. I don't know how this actually affects the process, but I don't add it to the water that often anyway.
* I've seen other places where people soak their jeans for an hour prior to washing, and I haven't tested this out or anything, as I'm completely fine waiting for my jeans for days.
* The water may turn blue while soaking, but DON'T PANIC! Just let the jeans soak in the water for another day and the water will turn yellow and the blue will be gone.
* You really should limit the rubbing of your jeans while washing too.. like wash maybe 3-4 pairs at a time, and don't dry them.


Dark denim takes a bit more work and effort into caring for them, but it's worth it if you want them to keep their colour. I've had compliments on jeans I've owned for years because people think they're brand new!