Or, at least how I did it!
I started wearing my Nudie Lean Dean Dry Japan Selvage jeans in May of 2019. One year later, May 2020, I’m putting them in the wash. I made the decision after many motorcycle rides, adventures in the woods and hours of yard work.
Here’s how they looked after 1 year of wear and before washing:
As you can see, most of wear happened at the knees and pockets. One area that will need repair is the inside of the front pocket where I keep my phone. This was something I noted in my original review as potential issue. The phone ended up pushing through the inside of the pocket.
How to Wash
First things first, empty the pockets. Then turn them inside out and fold neatly. Fill half of a container with cold water. Pre soak the jeans in the container to reduce any strange wash effects.
After a few minutes of soaking, prepare the washing machine by putting half a cup of fragrance free laundry detergent into the tray (no bleach or fabric softener!) and place the jeans inside.
Next, dial in the settings to a short, gentle cycle using cold/cold water. This is to decrease the overall movement inside the washer and reduce excessive bleeding of color. Now you’re ready, hit start!
Wait and watch carefully…
How to Dry
When the wash is done take out the jeans right away. The key is to avoid any unwanted folds in the denim that might occur if they sit in the machine. Gently stretch out the waist and inseam because they tend to shrink. Then even out any wrinkles and hang them out to dry. Do not use the dryer!
The Results
Surprisingly the denim didn’t fade as much as I thought it would. Maybe due to the light detergent, or the short cycle time. Regardless, I’m happy with the results. Now, time to get them dirty again…
Here’s how they look after 1 year and 1 wash:
Try out a pair of Nudie Jeans for yourself and let me know what you think.