What is the fastest way to break in a new pair of jeans?
Next time you go camping (RVs don't count you city slicker) wear them the entire time. Get dirty, hike around, jump in the water with them on if you want to.
Wash them when you get back home, then don't wash them again for three weeks. If they start to stink, air them out in the sun and throw some type of deodorant powder (Balla, Gold bond, baby, etc...) on them.
Wash them as infrequently as possible.
8 Answers
Next time you go camping (RVs don't count you city slicker) wear them the entire time. Get dirty, hike around, jump in the water with them on if you want to.
Wash them when you get back home, then don't wash them again for three weeks. If they start to stink, air them out in the sun and throw some type of deodorant powder (Balla, Gold bond, baby, etc...) on them.
Wash them as infrequently as possible.
After washing them DO NOT DRY THEM.
1. Hang them to dry(it may take a while)
2. Set your dryer on low or no heat tumble dry.
3. Find the cleanest pair or plain sneakers you have and two dryer sheets.
4. Put the jeans in with the sneakers and the dryer sheets for about half an hour.
The best way to clean and break in your new denim is very simple and often done incorrectly.
Most denim will size up at the least one half inch in the waist, if they are raw denim 1-2 inches depending on the brand. Wear them around the house with low profile shoes or even slippers to keep the back of the foot from tearing and fading, this will get the waist and thigh area comfortably 'stretched'.
Denim stays outrageously clean depending on the thickness and weight of the pants, so you do not need to wash them within the first week, unless you're a heavy smoker.
If you need to wash them put them alone in the wash or with other jeans and wash them with Woolite for Darks in cold water. This will keep them dark and crispy, don't put them in the dryer at all but hang dry them outside in the sun, when you put them on after they get crispy in the sun, they will fit like they did when you tried them on at the store, and they will have no scent or stains.
Wear them as frequently as possible, without washing. Don't be afraid to get dirty - take them camping, wear them to the beach and run into the water, anything! Jeans were originally (and still are) workwear, so treat them like it. If you're anywhere near the ocean, throw your jeans into the ocean and let them air-dry. It adds a wonderfully aged patina (and if you'd like to wear the color out, for some reason, get your jeans wet and roll about in the sand.)
Regardless of how you break them in, wash your jeans as infrequently as possible (for some purists, this means never.) Always wash in cold water (by hand, if you so desire) and only wash your pair alone or with other jeans - go light on the detergent. This will preserve the color nicely. Hang them out to air dry afterward.
buy a bottle of Downy fabric softener put jeans in bottom of bath tub cover with fabric softener make sure entire jean is covered with softener (use your hands) add about 1 inch water (cold is better) - let sit overnite - set alarm for 3AM get up flip jean over make sure completely covered by Downy & water go back to bed
next day jeans in washing mach rough/heavy duty cycle (use full tub of water nothing else in machine) no soap - now re-do cycle - this time just 2 thimbles of liquid soap (use a good brand no bleach or scent) run cycle
now remove jeans from mach IMPORTANT do they feel sticky?soapy?slimey? if yes wash again no soap
otherwise if you get caught in a very heavy rainstorm you get bubbly legs please don't ask how i know this
dry carefully the jeans will shrink if your machine is too hot - if you want a very tight to the body look and you live where there's a hot sun all day - put the jeans on wet & go lay in the sun turning often -- the jeans will shrink to your body (hint from old gf)
Wrap them around a baseball and stick it under your mattress...........
I like just wearing them for a week or so straight through. All it takes for most jeans for me