A crucial component of every wardrobe is finding the perfect pair of jeans, but finding them is only half the fight. New (or new to you) denim frequently seems stiff and uncomfortable if it hasn’t had time to adjust to your dimensions. Similarly, if your body has changed or you haven’t worn an old pair of jeans in a while, you may discover that they no longer feel the same. Fortunately, it’s possible to soften and break in both new and old denim, and you won’t even need to use chemicals to get a more comfortable fit.
Read also: How To Stop Your Cloth From Wrinkling While Traveling
Easy Ways To Soften Stiff Jeans
Take off the clothing tags
First things first: Using sharp, pointy scissors, cut out any manufacturer’s tags from the inside of your pants. To prevent piercing the cloth, take care to cut near the threads rather than right on top of them. Place the tags in the drawer of your pants (or snap a decent picture) in case you need to consult the specific washing directions or sizing details later.
Turn your jeans inside out
Turn your jeans inside out before washing them, as you should whenever you’re doing laundry, especially if you intend to intentionally agitate the fabric to maintain the style. This is crucial if you don’t want the distressed look or to prevent fading on a pair of dark-wash jeans. Of course, you can completely omit this step if you prefer your denim to look more distressed.
Use a Vinegar Soak to Soften
Denim may be softened naturally and sustainably with white vinegar. Eight cups of hot tap water and one cup of regular white household vinegar combined in a clean bucket or plastic tub will make a softening solution for your jeans.
Make sure the fabric is completely submerged in the solution when you place your jeans in it, and let them soak for a few hours or overnight. In addition to softening denim, a vinegar soak helps stop dye leakage and maintain colour, particularly in newly purchased jeans.
Dry clean jeans in the dryer
Before moving on to the following stage of the softening procedure, your jeans must be completely dry. (Don’t worry, the vinegar will come out when you wash them again.) Make sure your jeans dry completely by placing them in the dryer with the insides still inner out. Use the lowest heat setting if you are worried about shrinkage.
Roll Jeans Into a Ball
Roll your jeans into a tight ball once they are completely dry and still warm from the dryer. Like with a sleeping bag, begin at the hems and roll each one into the tiniest, tightest ball you can, all the way up to the waistline.
After that, knot the rolled-up denim with a bathrobe belt or a long piece of cloth to keep it compact, and let it cool for half an hour to an hour. When your jeans are still hot from the dryer, roll them in this manner to stretch the material and release the tightly knit fibres, softening the pants.
Sand Your Jeans
Sand your jeans to give them a worn-in appearance without putting in hours of usage. First, unroll them, then, while they’re still inside out, lightly scrape the inside surface of the denim with a small square of fine-grit sandpaper. To scrape the fabric, start at the top of the jeans and move the sandpaper square in horizontal strokes. Scrape slowly along the fabric, brushing away any loose fibres that come off the jeans as you go, and then proceed to the hems.
Use warm water to wash your jeans
Next, load the jeans into the washing machine with the insides still facing out. need the warm or medium water setting on your washer to wash your denim on its own, without the need for detergent. If your washer has a low-water mode, use it for just the one pair of jeans you’re washing to save water for smaller loads. For best results, wash the jeans by themselves or just with other pairs of jeans.
Dry Jeans with Tennis Balls
Place your just-laundered jeans in the laundry drier; four new ones from Amazon will work just fine. Your jeans will receive a vigorous “massage” from the tennis balls throughout the drying cycle, which will help to soften the denim and give it a worn-in feel.
To avoid shrinkage, especially if your jeans have a lot of stretch, turn the dryer down to low heat. Alternatively, you can choose the warmest setting, which will further soften the jeans, if you don’t mind (or perhaps want) a little shrinkage.
Wear and Repeat as Needed
To make the material supple and help your jeans fit you better, wear them frequently. Additionally, washing them frequently will aid in the fabric’s ongoing breakdown.
Read also: How To Stop Your Cloth From Wrinkling While Wearing It
