When you get your new pair of jeans, it is important to give them the best care so they can last long and always keep you comfortable.
You can wash your new jeans in either hot, warm, or cold water, but you should also know that using hot, warm, or cold water all have their “consequences” attached to it. Your new jeans will definitely shrink when you wash them in hot water.
Washing your jeans in cold water may make the dye on your jeans run. Warm water seems to be the best as it helps to keep the color in the jeans and keep it from shrinking.
What happens to Jeans in hot water?
Most jeans are made of 100% cotton or cotton blend. Research has shown that cotton does shrink when you wash in hot water, this is due to the high heat it produces and its effect on the jeans.
Jeans shrink when they are exposed to heat. They shrink even more when you dry them in the hot sun after washing them in hot water.
In fact, a hot cloth dryer will cause a high amount of shrinkage. Hot water will also make the jeans start fading or fade quickly.
The combination of a heavy churning and hot water will make the fibers of your jeans contract.
Just in case you have some jeans you would like to shrink, using hot water on them is the best way to shrink them and make them smaller.
More shrinkage of your jeans will occur when you put your jeans in a hot dryer after washing in hot water.
Using hot water to wash your jeans is only best when you want to size down. After washing with hot water, the dryer will complete the work as the heat from the dryer will help shrink them properly.
This is not so good for new pair of jeans except if you want to shrink them. Also, note that hot water is sometimes good for white jeans.
What happens to Jeans in warm water?
People usually wash with cold water whenever they want to carry out a gentle wash but that is not the case with washing your jeans.
Warm water is best for washing jeans as it keeps the jeans from shrinking and also keeps the color intact.
Using warm water to wash your jeans allows you to have a good cleaning and washing of the jeans without your jeans fading, shrinking, and wrinkling so much.
It is best you wash your jeans with warm water and allow them to air dry. warm water is a mix of cold and hot, this means that your jeans will not shrink due to too much heat and the dye would not run due to cold water.
Research has shown that the thermal energy produced by warm water, alongside the chemical and mechanical energy helps you get rid of dirt and stains quickly.
What happens to Jeans in cold water?
Washing your jeans in cold water can prevent the dye on the jeans from bleeding, it reduces the risk of color running and fading.
Did you know that cold water can help dark jeans retain their color? If you don’t want to lose the color of your jeans then you should stick with washing them with cold water whenever you want to wash them.
If your jeans aren’t labeled as pre-shrunk or faded then it’s a “raw denim”. In this case, you would need to use cold water to wash your jeans to prevent shrinking. `
Cold water is the best for light-colored jeans especially when the jeans can easily fade.
When you presoak your jeans in cold water before washing, it makes washing a bit easy as the stains can be easily removed and it may not require so much energy.
Though cold water doesn’t always remove deep-set stains from your jeans it helps in retaining the color.
The low temperature of the cold water will protect the dye and as well prevent shrinkage.
When it comes to removing stains, some stains like blood should only be washed out using cold water.
Most detergent manufacturers now produce detergents that work really well in cold water, so with this, you can wash without your jeans fading.
Do Jeans shrink every time you wash them?
It is normal for jeans to shrink under certain conditions, it can either be how it is made or what it is made of. Jeans do shrink a little after you wash them but will stretch put as you wear them, except if you buy pre-shrunk jeans.
It can shrink up as much as 10% after washing for the first time but subsequently, it shrinks about 3 to 4%. Jeans shrink after every wash especially if you use a washing machine or a dryer.
Jeans are made from cotton, which is prone to shrinking in the wash. This happens as a result of the heat from the water which may cause the fiber to first expand, then later becomes comes smaller when the water is drained and the fibers contrast.
Have you ever noticed that your jeans become tighter around the waist when you put them on after washing, what happens at that time is the relaxation shrinkage?
This is because tension is reintroduced which stretches the waistband. This means that the higher temperature you use in washing your jeans, that is the more your jeans will likely shrink.
Your jeans will definitely shrink when you wash them above 60 degrees, this is why it is not advised to use hot water in washing your jeans.
What ways can you shrink Jeans that have been washed?
When your jeans have stretched out and lost their shape, the best thing to do is to shrink them.
You can actually shrink your jeans even if they’ve been washed before, they are different ways you can shrink your jeans that have already been washed.
You can turn up the heat of your washer and dryer
Your jeans start to shrink when you set your dryer and washer to the highest heat setting. This will help shrink the cotton in your jeans and provide the result that you expect.
Boiling your jeans is a good way to shrink them after they’ve been washed
All you need to do is get a pot of water and heat it up until it starts boiling. After this, submerge the jeans into the boiling water and leave it there for about 20 to 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, drain it and let it dry on high heat.
You can also take a bath in your jeans, a hot bath to be precise
Put on your jeans in the hottest bath which your body can take. Stay in the tub till the hot water turns cool. Wear the jeans till it is dry, it would probably be uncomfortable but this would give you the best fit.
These tips will help you shrink your jeans even though they’ve been washed before.
Will a 90-degree wash shrink Jeans?
90 degrees is one of the hottest temperatures which can definitely shrink your jeans. The best temperature for washing jeans is 40 degrees or even less.
When you wash your jeans at a 90-degree temperature, there is every possibility of your jeans shrinking and even fading.
To prevent the color of your jeans from fading or your jeans size from becoming smaller in size, do not wash your jeans at more than 40 degrees.
For other types of clothes, a 90-degree wash would help to remove stains pretty well but for jeans, it is not good for the denim as it would not only reduce the quality but make the jeans fade quickly.
Should you wash your Jeans in hot water?
You should never wash your new jeans in hot water. Washing your new jeans in hot water increases the chance of the dye of the fabric seeping out.
The best way to wash your new pair of jeans is to wash your jeans alone and wash them with your hands.
You should wash them separately because some of the dye may bleed out and stain other clothes.
Using hot water to wash your new jeans could also shrink your jeans and make them smaller than they are already.
Your new jeans should be washed inside out using cold water and not hot water as cold water is more gentle on the fabric.
Conclusion
This article talked about the best type of water to use in washing your jeans. It was concluded that warm water is best for your jeans as hot water may cause fading or shrinking.
We also talked about how to shrink already washed jeans and to what extent will a 90 degrees temperature will shrink your jeans.
We explained in the article that 90 degrees is a very high temperature to wash jeans and there’s a high chance of your jeans shrinking.
It is best to wash your jeans at 40 degrees temperature or less and always wash your jeans with cold or warm water except if you want to make your jeans smaller in size by shrinking them, then you can wash them in hot water.
The more temperature you use in washing your jeans, the higher chances of it fading.
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