What Not to Do: Wash Your Jeans?

January 26, 2011

This morning on CBS’s The Early Show there was a segment from Susan Koeppen, about ways to save money by prolonging the use of things you buy.

The tips made sense: don’t put fruits & veggies together in the fridge due to gasses released by fruits, keep eggs in their carton in the coldest part of the fridge (not the door), keeping your tires inflated to save on wear & tear and storing markers with tips down so the ink doesn’t dry out.

All of these hints are great for the frugal (or cheapskate) consumer. There is nothing more annoying to me than throwing out produce that I have spent my money on. Marquis Mark is really close to the end of his tires’ life. So I’m going to be sure to keep them inflated correctly to prolong them as long as I can.

But the biggest surprise to me came from Levis.

Levis — the company that’s been making jeans for more than 150 years –says don’t wash your new jeans for at least six months. After that, the company suggests consumers wash them every two weeks.

Koeppen reported Levis also recommends never drying your jeans in the dryer. Instead, the company suggests hanging them up, upside down to preserve their length, shape and color.

Levis recommends spot cleaning your jeans if you have to and using an odor-eliminating spray — something like Febreze — if you are worried that they may be a little stinky. 

I’m sorry…WHAT?

Levis wants me to not wash my jeans for SIX MONTHS?

I want to save money, A LOT OF MONEY. I want to be green. I want to be frugally minded. However, I DO NOT want to walk around in jeans that have not been washed for six months. Do not even get me started on the funk that will be emanating from jeans (not just mine, all of yours too!). What about how the stretch out after a use or two? by six months they’ll be held up with two belts and you’ll be sporting the droopiest butt anyone has ever seen.

I wonder how much this adds to the life of my jeans? I wash them after every two wears. My jeans still last well over a year. Does this mean I can pass down my Levis to my children to wear when they are older? Maybe even to their own children?

Are Levis the family heirloom I’ve been searching for?

I think I’ll keep doing what I do. Maybe I’ll add 50cents to my clothing budget each week to make up for the life I’m sucking out of my jeans.

What do you think? Are you going to reduce the number of times you wash your jeans?

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12 Responses to What Not to Do: Wash Your Jeans?

  1. Melly on January 26, 2011 at 4:58 pm

    As it is, I wash my jeans after every 2-3 wears as long as there’s no visible dirt or smell. I’ve got jeans I’ve owned for several years.

    Six months? For real?

    Dear Levis,
    GROSS!
    Love,
    Me
    Melly recently posted..Its time!

      (Quote)

    • DebtPrincess on January 28, 2011 at 10:58 am

      I’m like you 2-3 wears TOPS. Since I’m a klutz and a spaz, it’s usually only 1 time b/c something has gotten onto them.

        (Quote)

  2. Pam on January 26, 2011 at 5:34 pm

    I’ve been trying to talk my husband into wearing his pants for at least 2 times before washing them. Which he has resisted for quite some time. There is no way he’d go for 6 months. Ick!

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    • DebtPrincess on January 28, 2011 at 10:57 am

      Honestly, when I was married. I had to force my husband out of his jeans. He worked on an assembly line and the smells from there just never left his body. His jeans were always funky in my mind. And they drooped in his butt. lol Then needed to be washed to return to their org. shape.

        (Quote)

  3. Travis @DebtChronicles on January 26, 2011 at 10:02 pm

    As sort of a quirky personality trait, I start to wear shorts the first day it hits 50 degrees in the spring (I live in MN), and continue to wear shorts until the first snowfall. My jeans usually last two full jeans wearing “seasons.” I call them at their end of life when I bust a good sized hole somewhere. I’m not sure I’d really expect them to last longer than that.

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    • DebtPrincess on January 28, 2011 at 10:56 am

      Travis, I remember a guy in college doing the same thing. Sometimes even in the snow. And he always wore roller blads around campus. I never could understand that. I’m a track pant & t-shirt kinda girl. My jeans seem to fall apart at the belt loops because they’ve started to sag and I hike them up with the loops. Or wear & tear from wearing them too tight. :/ I hate jeans.

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  4. Sandy @The Mommys Place
    Twitter:
    on January 29, 2011 at 10:44 pm

    Oh my I was watching this episode while I was at the laboratory for some blood work done. It sorta of got my little brain going and I actually sat there typing notes into my phone. I am so glad you posted on it because I didn’t take note of what television channel it was on and wanted to see it again.

    I am so glad you stopped by and visited my blog, I love love comments like yours gives me motivation to keep going with my little blog. So much I want to say to you but this comment would be gigantic so I will stop typing now.
    Sandy @The Mommys Place recently posted..Saturday Stumbles

      (Quote)

    • DebtPrincess on January 30, 2011 at 1:11 am

      Sandy,

      The jeans thing just grosses me out. I wore my jeans the past two days and I know they need washed. yuck.

      Feel free to email me any time if you have more to say. debtprincessATgmailDOTcom
      Thanks for stopping by my little blog and for following

        (Quote)

  5. Sandy @The Mommys Place
    Twitter:
    on January 29, 2011 at 10:45 pm

    Oh Adding you to my reader so I can read your posts regularly.
    Sandy @The Mommys Place recently posted..Saturday Stumbles

      (Quote)

  6. Mal on October 19, 2011 at 1:51 pm

    Yeah…no.

    I will take having fresh, clean smelling clothes ANY day over being that frugal. Saving money is great, but personal hygiene is even better!

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    Reply
    • Jessica The DebtPrincess on October 19, 2011 at 9:46 pm

      I know, right? I just got mud on my jeans today, I’m supposed to spot clean them? Whatever, they went in to the wash.

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      Reply

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