Care For Your (Denim/ Wool/ Cotton)
-
IHF,
After 2 years of beating on my SRs, Its time for a wash. These were my first pair of raw/Jap denim and I want them to stay as dark as possible. That being said I have read completely contradicting comments on SuFu. I have read numerous people say wash in Cold to save as much indigo as possible and people say wash in super hot to keep as much indigo as possible. well wish one is it? I would say super as since hot tends to "set" stains and such but I dont know much about the laundry I got married at 22 for a reason!
Got to wash these today so they can go to Jamaica with me tomorrow. Thanks in adcance IHF!
P.S., These will be getting washed in Dr Bronner's with gentle cycle.
Edit, I did read the general washing guide. I just wanted to see your thoughts on the temps for keeping dark colors.
-
imo a wash isn´t a factor to make a jeans look darker or lighter…indigo fades with wear, so wear is what decides if you gonna end up with a darker or a lighter pair of denim...a wash just washes out the indigo which is faded or "lost" anyways...
i always give my jeans a cold wash with a bit of detergent, no spin first and after that another wash (30-40°C, no detergent and 500-900 spin)...the first wash takes care of all the dirt in the denim and washes that out and the 2nd wash is there to pronounce the fades and everything!so no matter how you gonna end up washing these...the biggest factor to decide if these gonna end up lighter or darker is the wear that you´ve put into them pre wash!
-
Awesome, thanks guys. Going to pick up some Bronners now. Guess I will just try a short, no spin cold wash, inside out with the Bronners first and see how they come out.
Thanks again!
-
imo a wash isn´t a factor to make a jeans look darker or lighter…indigo fades with wear, so wear is what decides if you gonna end up with a darker or a lighter pair of denim...a wash just washes out the indigo which is faded or "lost" anyways...
Rafa speaketh the truth.
On a rope dyed yarn, the indigo is oxidised onto the yarn. Abrasion rubs the oxidisation off and reveals the white inner core. The indigo does not penetrate the core of the yarn in rope dying as the yarn goes through the indigo baths under tension….
-
Thanks for the interesting insight into rope dyed yarn. I guess that explains the beautiful patina on a pair of well worn jeans. All surface action so it makes sense. Are there any processes where indigo is dyed deep into the core of the yarn?
Personally, when setting forth for the first time with grown up jeans
i got a bit obsessive about the not washing them thing as i believed it to be fundamental to the whole experience. Now that i've got a few pairs under me belt - awful pun not intended - i just give them 3 months or so and when they start to stink they go in the washing machine and this works just great for me. -
Muchos gracias
-
guys who wash in the machine, do you find that the spin cycle adds a crease parallel to the selvedge that is a bit tricky to get out? I did this once, and that crease is still there. Unfortunately, the machines in my apartment complex dont have a no-spin cycle option…
-
I washed my Busters at the weekend and the jeans went through a spin by accident (I'm still getting to grips with the machine in my new flat). It didn't have any adverse effect and the jeans dried a lot quicker than when I've pulled them out before a spin. I think it's usually the combo of heat and spinning that puts hard creases in. I used a wool wash option, which is kinder on garments, and also threw in my IHSH-16 and 55.
-
hmph…I just toss them into the machine...usually normal 40°C cycle, sometimes might do even 60°C. Spin at highest
No special laundry detergent, (Bonners ain't available here I think) also there is or isn't softener or whatever that is called...
No creases...They are just jeans
-
I've washed my 21oz Samurai and my 18oz Busters monthly, and in the machine with VERY different results. Denim is an organic fabric, so trying to predict what effect a wash will have on it is like trying to predict how the tide effects the coastline…it varies.
-
trying to predict what effect a wash will have on it is like trying to predict how the tide effects the coastline…it varies.
Holy shit man, that's pretty deep and poetic.
-
I wish I could say I had been drinking :o
so far since January 1 2012.
