How to Keep Blue Jeans From Fading in the Laundry

Blue jeans fade with every wash, without regard to whether or not faded jeans are in style. You can't stop the fading process entirely, but you can do a few things to stunt its progress. If you want your darkest, bluest blue jeans to stay as vibrant as possible for as long as possible, follow these steps every time you wash them.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Turn all of your jeans inside out before washing them. Washing them this way reduces friction on the outside of the jeans, where the color matters.

2. Pile all of the dirty jeans into the washing machine. Set the water temperature dial to the coldest water possible, and add the smallest amount of detergent that will get the load reasonably clean. If possible, use a liquid detergent specially formulated for dark fabrics.

3. Pour one cup of salt into the load of laundry and start the wash cycle. The salt helps set the color and slows fading.

4. Allow jeans to hang dry rather than put them in the dryer. Dry them inside-out over a clothesline or shower curtain rod.

5. Turn dry jeans right side out and hang properly. If you must iron them, turn them inside out again first. Ironing fades fabrics very quickly, but if you iron from the inside, you minimize the damage.

Tips & Warnings

• Laundry detergents formulated specifically for dark fabrics aren't available everywhere. Use the links in the Resources below to buy specialized detergents online, or call your local grocery and drug stores to ask about the availability of these same brands.
• Adding salt to your laundry may contribute to a filmy residue in your washing machine after several cycles.

Resources

• Buy Cheer Dark Formula
• Buy Woolite For All Darks
• Buy FEWA Black Magic