A few years ago, a statement by the CEO of Levi’s recommending customers not to wash their jeans caused quite a stir. As a matter of fact, denim freaks, who collect and meticulously preserve every smallest detail of their best pieces, was their jeans very seldom if ever. But if you’re into one single pair and wear it very often, then this is not an option: the bacteria that transfer onto the fabric with skin cells may cause bad smells. So here’s what you can do: reverse them and hand-wash them sparingly in cold water with a very little dose of mild detergent. There is no need to rub and scrub, just leave them to soak for an hour and then rinse them.

Hanging your jeans outdoors or indoors is great not only to air-dry them but also to refresh them from time to time. The open air will always grace them with that lovely smell of freshly washed clothes, but of course you should always remember not to hang them under direct sunlight, otherwise they might fade. For the same reason, using the dryer is not the best idea; if you really must, ten opt for the shortest and most delicate drying program.

Do you happen to know someone who has the habit of putting their jeans in the freezer? According to a rather widespread belief, killing the bacteria that cause bad smells with cold temperatures could be the definitive solution to the jeans washing problem. Only thing is, the cold does not kill all bacteria, but only some of them. The others just temporarily freeze and stop multiplying: so while your freshly ‘defrosted’ jeans might feel good on the skin (as long as you let it warm up a bit), as soon as you remove them from the freezer the surviving bacteria will start proliferating again.
A more effective way to deal with bad smells is resorting to specific antibacterial and anti-odor products that can be sprayed on the fabric, or simply refreshing your jeans by hanging them in the air.