How to Keep Black Jeans from Fading

If you like the look of new black jeans, you'll be disappointed after running them through a normal wash a few times. The color fades quickly, and you're left with dingy jeans. Here's how to prevent this sartorial heartache.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

1. Prevent the black dye from bleeding. If you wash black jeans in hot water, you'll cause the black dye to bleed off the jeans. Use cold water instead.
2. Use a dark fabric wash. You can find detergent made specifically to protect the colors found on dark clothing. Woolite's Dark Laundry detergent is one such product.
3. Wash the black jeans with other dark clothing. If the dark colors of the other clothes bleed onto the jeans, they will appear darker and less faded.
4. Soak your jeans in black dye. If you notice the color of your jeans fading slightly, you can reverse the effect by soaking the jeans in a mixture of cold water and black dye for 15 minutes.
5. Allow the black jeans to air-dry. High-heat drying can contribute to fading. Dry your jeans on low heat, or hang them on a clothesline. If you do place the jeans on a line outside, keep them out of direct sunlight.

Tips & Warnings

• Turning black jeans inside out before putting them in the wash can help prevent them from fading quickly.
• Don't use bleach when washing black jeans. You'll damage the fabric and cause the color to fade.