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    Iron Heart Fall/Winter 2025 Collection Preview - Now Live

    Soaking and Stretching Denim

    The Resource Centre
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    • BeatleB
      Beatle
      Joined:

      nope..jeans actually shrink their whole life / but they also stretch..

      fibers get thinner with wear - and every time you wash them they shrink in order to fill the "gaps"…weird to explain

      We can do anything

      http://bybeatle.com

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      • hecticH
        hectic
        Joined:

        ok, ta, Beats, cool wash still then i think.

        last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
        • S
          stever
          Joined:

          oh best believe i ain't giving up that easy.
          worn them every day so far; normally take them on a hourish walk around the neighbourhood in the evening. walked to and from work a couple of times instead of cycling to get some more wear. had to leave the top button undone on the 2nd day because my hips were a bit shredded.
          going for another walk now…

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          • BeatleB
            Beatle
            Joined:

            the 21oz selvage denim is so comfty - even when worn tight. I am currently doing a stretching experiment on a certain sample jeans - so that we'll be able to give you exact size advice on a new fit. My impression - you will be able to get away with a really really tight fit to begin with…

            We can do anything

            http://bybeatle.com

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            • S
              stever
              Joined:

              hi all,
              i was wondering if anyone has advice or instructions with regard to soaking. i've never soaked my jeans before, and i'm not too sure if i need to (or even what it does)… i just normally buy them and wear them and leave it at that. does it help with the aging or the durability or help them break in?
              thanks guys

              stever

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              • BeatleB
                Beatle
                Joined:

                Simple

                If jeans are raw you need to soak in order to shrink and get rid of some of the starch.

                If jeans are sanforized, no need to soak.

                Fill tub with warm water(hot if you need to shrink a lot, cold if you're afraid they may end up being too tight).
                Insert jeans - leave in the water for at least 1 hour - but anything up to 5 or 6 hours is fine.

                Take out, hang dry and wear.

                We can do anything

                http://bybeatle.com

                last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                • D
                  DrPat
                  Iron Heart Deity
                  Joined:

                  @Beatle:

                  Simple

                  If jeans are raw you need to soak in order to shrink and get rid of some of the starch.

                  If jeans are sanforized, no need to soak.

                  Fill tub with warm water(hot if you need to shrink a lot, cold if you're afraid they may end up being too tight).
                  Insert jeans - leave in the water for at least 1 hour - but anything up to 5 or 6 hours is fine.

                  Take out, hang dry and wear.

                  Although sanforization does include the use of water or steam, it seems that what you refer to as sanforized is popularly referred to as raw+sanforized and what you refer to as raw is referred to as raw+unsanforized.

                  I believe the only IH jeans that need a soak are the 634SR and SEXIH07.  Both are unsanforized.  Somewhere on this forum there is a discussion about threads bursting when you don't soften up the 634SR with a soak.

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                  • SimonS
                    Simon
                    Joined:

                    Personally I pre soak everything before wearing the first time. It may not be necessary but at least removes most of the starch and other chemicals used in production.

                    I had a nasty experience with some LVC's a few years back when at the start of the raw denim learning curve. Put a year in to them before washing, you can guess the rest; great fades but no chance of ever fitting me again!

                    Give me the luxuries of life and I will willingly do without the necessities - Frank Lloyd Wright

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                    • deadendproD
                      deadendpro
                      啓蒙家
                      Joined:

                      The kiya way works best for me:

                      Anything more than 45 mins won't do anything to the denim.

                      Soak hot or cold, either way the shrinkage will occur (though it will happen a lot faster with warmer water)

                      Air dry or dry in the sun.

                      –---------------------------

                      Maybe it is just me but I find soaking to be the most difficult thing in regards to denim. Not that I don't know how to do it, but because the only thing left to do is wash or wear. Soaking is the only even remotely "complicated" process. Still totally fuckin easy, but it can be intimidating to those who haven't done it very much if at all before.

                      Currently Wearing:
                      SExSx3s 27-01
                      15.4oz 3sixteen Type 3
                      25oz Samurai Type 1

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                      • GilesG
                        Giles
                        IHUK Crew
                        Joined:

                        My method.  Measure.  Chuck in sink of hot water.  Leave in there until I remember that they're there.  Dry (for max shrinkage in the hottest place I can find, for min shrinkage coolest place I can find). Re-measure…G

                        "OK face up to it - you're useless but generally pretty honest and straightforward . . . it's a rare combination of qualities that I have come to admire in you" - Geo 2011

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                        • L
                          LandoCal126 0
                          Banned
                          Joined:

                          Just soaked my new TW HR01 the G way in the Denim Dungeon Shrink Sink. Just like G said, I left them in the sink until I remembered and then they hung outside. Measured before and after. The less you worry, the better they will turn out…

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                          • T
                            that_was_easy
                            Joined:

                            Sometimes I hate having an off-white tub.  Makes the water brownish instead of that lovely pale blue.

                            last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                            • GilesG
                              Giles
                              IHUK Crew
                              Joined:

                              Possibly, but you get a load of starch out on the first soak, that certainly contributes to the browniness of the water….

                              "OK face up to it - you're useless but generally pretty honest and straightforward . . . it's a rare combination of qualities that I have come to admire in you" - Geo 2011

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                              • T
                                that_was_easy
                                Joined:

                                Most definitely the brown is startch and when I've soaked other pairs w/ month's of wear, there's only a faint hint of green amidst dirty brown.  The water itself is probably similar in color to Lando's flick, but with the yellowish tub, shit just looks filthy. shrugs  Maybe I'm the filthy one.  😃

                                My KMW 1980HD released crazy starch into the fifth warm soak before wearing, but I used the (white)laundry sink for those, where I do most initial soaks because starch is more noticable.  I'm partial to more colorfast denim, but starting to think about maybe picking something up that'll bleed a ton w/ or w/o abuse.  Samurai or Skull, probably, like I need another pair.  ::) 😃

                                That's about the extent of my (underdeveloped??)process though.  Temperature of the water and choice of sinks/tubs and that's about it.  No initial soak for the S-B though.

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                                • J Cosmo AspJ
                                  J Cosmo Asp
                                  Joined:

                                  I just let them soak in a rain shower, hung over a patio chair–sometimes for a day of two if it's really rainy.  I leave them indigo-side out and then dry on a wooden rack.  With all of mine made with a 42" inseam, I never worry about measuring after I start--anything from 40-42 inches makes me happy and don't require rolling up out of the way. Never had the luxury of 42s until the Original Spin 501s were available starting in the late 90s, so I'm neutral about the habit rolling them up to see the selvedge--it's just not a part of my experience.

                                  Ni!

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                                  • STANS
                                    STAN
                                    Joined:

                                    Don't soak with too hot water overnight, mine end up like this.

                                    EVERYDAY DENIM

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                                    • T
                                      that_was_easy
                                      Joined:

                                      That patch has warped like crazy!  I guess I to will admit to soaking my 9634Z until the patch became deformed, but no where near that!  Who knows, maybe Giles uses extra patches to even out legs of the coffee table…

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                                      • BeatleB
                                        Beatle
                                        Joined:

                                        scorched patch

                                        We can do anything

                                        http://bybeatle.com

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                                        • S
                                          stever
                                          Joined:

                                          thanks for all the replues everyone! next time i invest in some denim i might give it a quick soak…. i just didn;t know if i was missing out on something major!

                                          cheers

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                                          • maltessM
                                            maltess
                                            Joined:

                                            Hello to everyone

                                            Does the IH634s actually shirnks a little? do you guys think is going to stretch almost 2 inhes like some menbers said?

                                            I am fine with a 32 waist, 10.5 rise and 11.5 tight, all that after the stretching , so I guess my size is 31, but if the stretching is going to be 2 inches in the waist, maybe I should get a 30.

                                            Thanks a lot and best regards

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