It seems as if in today’s environmental climate, everyone is trying to find new ways to be sustainable. Whether it be taking shorter showers, turning off the lights, or even turning off the sink when we brush our teeth, there are so many small steps we can take to become a more sustainable society. Here I have for you even one more small step you can take if you are not too grossed out to do so. I am proposing to you to never wash your jeans. Yup, you really don’t need to. Admittedly, I don’t think I am capable of NEVER washing my jeans, but I do try to get four to five wears out of a pair before I decide its time to throw them in the wash, and many experts recommend even more wears than that.
Not only does quality denim never have to be washed, or never should be because it will fade them and make them fit differently, but it is a lot more sustainable not to. Denim can be spot treated if stained, and this is a lot more efficient then throwing them in the laundry over one little stain. Not washing denim actually isn’t super gross either because bacteria do not tend to grow on the fabric of the denim. Obviously, it depends on what kind of work you did in your jeans to decide whether or not to wash them, but for myself, and I’m sure many other college students, I do not find myself in many situations where my jeans just have to be washed. Just by washing your denim every ten times, rather than every two, it reduces the water intake up to 80 percent. Not only can you benefit the climate by not washing jeans, but if you do wash them, and need to dry them, hang drying your jeans can reduce the impact on the environment by 67 percent. And all of this not washing and hang drying means a lot less laundry. I will admit, I have seen a difference, as I am a jean kind of girl, and have noticed my laundry loads being significantly lighter. Not only does this help to make a more sustainable environment, but you can save yourself some work too!
