How to Wash Designer Denim Jeans

As a tall woman, my life changed when I bought my first pair of designer jeans. I remember trying on a pair of Joe's Jeans in Anthropologie and marveling that they were long enough! It was my first time trying on a pair of 35" inseam jeans. My mom was with me and said how good they looked on me, especially from the backside. That was so nice to hear! The denim was super soft and I loved those jeans so much. Before I left the store that day, I grilled the salesperson on the proper way to care for my new investment. Since then, I've bought dozens of pairs of tall designer jeans and have cared for them all the same way, with great success. While you can pay to take your designer jeans to the dry cleaner, you can also wash them at home and save a lot of time and money. 

Washing your new designer jeans at home in the washing machine is totally fine if you follow a few important steps:

1. Only wash your jeans when they are dirty. The less you wash them, the longer they will last.
2. Turn the pants inside out to protect the pocket details and the color of the denim.
3. Set the washer to fill with cold water and wash on the delicate cycle with gentle detergent. 
4. After the wash cycle is complete, gently remove the jeans from the washing machine, and turn them right side out.
5. Fold them once so that the legs are facing each other, and the pockets are on the outside.
6. Hang them upside down on a pants hanger – the hanger clasped around the bottom leg openings.
7. Dry the pants in indirect sunlight, and use the lowest heat setting possible if you need to iron them afterward.

This method has saved me a bundle in dry cleaning bills (enabling me to spend more on purchasing new jeans from Search By Inseam!) and my designer denim is still well cared for.