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The correct way to clean your jeans without washing them

<p>It’s a situation we’re all familiar with. You buy a new pair of jeans that fit like a dream and hug you in all the right places … until you decide to throw it in the wash.</p> <p>In comes the disappointment as your trusty denim just doesn’t feel the same way anymore. But there’s a simple solution to this complicated situation – just don’t wash your jeans.</p> <p>It may seem like a crazy concept, but Levi’s CEO and President Chip Bergh says to never throw your jeans in the wash, and when the king of denim gives an order, you follow it.</p> <p>Speaking to <span><a href="https://edition.cnn.com/"><em>CNN</em></a></span>, Bergh said, “If you talk to real denim aficionados, they will all agree you should never put your jeans in the wash.</p> <p>“I spot clean my jeans when they need to be washed. Worst care, I hand wash my jeans. And I do it myself. I mean I love my jeans, and I take good care of them.”</p> <p>John Reid, managing director at clothing retailer Garment Quarter agrees with Bergh, saying his theory makes sense.</p> <p>“Washing your denim jeans can alter the make-up of the material itself, and in fact, your favourite pair of jeans don’t need to be washed as frequently as you may think,” he tells <span><a href="https://au.lifestyle.yahoo.com/never-wash-jeans-000344119.html"><em>Yahoo UK</em></a></span><em>.</em></p> <p>“The sheer amount of water that they are exposed to in a washing machine can be the culprit for affecting the look and colour of the denim by fading over time.”</p> <p>So, when it comes to jeans, how do you clean them? Here are some nifty ways to keep your jeans looking as good as new.</p> <p><strong>1. Spot clean them</strong></p> <p>If you happen to squirt tomato sauce or chocolate on your light wash jeans, Reid says spot cleaning is the best way to remove unwanted stains.</p> <p>“Keep your designer jeans in top condition by ‘spot cleaning’ any stains by using a toothbrush and a mixture of water with a gentle detergent. Doing this will not only reduce the risk of fading the dye, but you’ll also be helping the environment by reducing your water usage.”</p> <p><strong>2. Freeze them</strong></p> <p>Your freezer isn’t only for leftovers – it’s also to keep your jeans looking new while making sure they’re hygienic.</p> <p>“Fold the jeans and place inside an airtight freezer bag before putting them in the freezer overnight and any bacteria will be killed by the cold temperatures,” Reid advises.</p> <p><strong>3. Hand wash them</strong></p> <p>Sometimes, there really is no other option but to use good ol’ water to clean your jeans thoroughly. When that’s the case, Bergh said to use your hands and a bit of cold water to get them looking fresh.</p> <p>“Or hop in the shower with them on and soak them down and rinse them off – I do that too,” he said.</p> <p>Do you have any nifty hacks when it comes to washing your jeans? Let us know in the comments below.</p>

Beauty & Style

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Why we still can’t get enough of denim

<p style="text-align: left;"><em><strong><img width="129" height="110" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7264819/julie-g-aka-barbara-bindland_129x110.jpg" alt="Julie G Aka Barbara Bindland (13)" style="float: left;"/>Barbara Binland is the pen name of a senior, Julie Grenness, in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. She is a poet, writer, and part-time English and Maths tutor, with over 40 years of experience. Her many books are available on Amazon and Kindle.</strong></em></p> <p>Over sixty, and wearing denim. We still look good in jeans. Or we think we do. In 2017, denim jeans are part of practically everyone’s apparel. For the over-60s, the denim jeans we still wear reflect a part of our lives. Jeans are like a statement of more than fashion.</p> <p>Originally, denim jeans in the USA represented cowboys, and the Wild West. Then came Marlon Brando in The Wild One, in his jeans. In the swinging sixties, the American college students, and teens around the globe, started wearing blue jeans as a symbol of solidarity with youth, with anti-discrimination, and with anti-drafting for the troops battling in Vietnam. Women could wear jeans to embrace equality. Our singers in bands used to wear denim jeans. Their music was all our own.</p> <p>We all still love our jeans. Denim fits us, wears well, and each pair of jeans fades in its own unique way. Some of us have adopted fleecy tracksuits along the way, for total comfort. But for street wear, denim jeans are an evergreen popular choice.</p> <p>So what has survived the swinging sixties? Our youth has gone, our music consists of aging pop stars, such as Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, the Silent Spring is even more silent, and Vietnam is only a story to the modern children. Revolutionary free love has disappeared in a cloud of AIDS and STD’s. The millennial generations regard us as genial Neanderthal doshbags.</p> <p>But the denim still survives. Trends may come, and fads may go, but the denim is as popular as ever. We are now the aging baby boomers, over-60 relics of the swinging sixties, when we were growing up into a new world.</p> <p>We still look good in our jeans, or think we do. Was it really all about the denim?</p> <p><em>*Image is a stock photo and not of Barbara Binland.</em></p>

Beauty & Style