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    Iron Heart Fall/Winter 2025 Collection Preview - Now Live

    Soaking and Stretching Denim

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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.

        last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
        • 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

          last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
          • 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

            last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
            • 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

              last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
              • 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…

                last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                • 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

                    last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                    • 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.

                      last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                      • 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!

                        last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                        • STANS
                          STAN
                          Joined:

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

                          EVERYDAY DENIM

                          last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                          • 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…

                            last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                            • BeatleB
                              Beatle
                              Joined:

                              scorched patch

                              We can do anything

                              http://bybeatle.com

                              last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                              • 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

                                last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                • 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

                                  last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                  • BeatleB
                                    Beatle
                                    Joined:

                                    it doesn't shrink a lot.

                                    And it only stretches 2 inches if it has to - in other words - if your jeans are not super tight to begin with, they will only stretch the average amount. Judging by thigh measurements I would say go for the 31.

                                    We can do anything

                                    http://bybeatle.com

                                    last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                    • SimonS
                                      Simon
                                      Joined:

                                      My 634S 34 tagged have stretched out from their original 870mm to 910mm. They are just perfect now  😃 . The sizing chat is accurate but in most cases I think they will stretch out a little, if your a true 32 then the 31's should end up perfect.

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

                                      last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                      • SeulS
                                        Seul
                                        Joined:

                                        True 32 - been wearing my size 31 634s'es… Stretching out SLOWLY...

                                        DON'T go with a size 30 - trust me...

                                        last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                        • maltessM
                                          maltess
                                          Joined:

                                          @Beatle:

                                          it doesn't shrink a lot.

                                          And it only stretches 2 inches if it has to - in other words - if your jeans are not super tight to begin with, they will only stretch the average amount. Judging by thigh measurements I would say go for the 31.

                                          Thanks a lot, do you mean is going to stretch more than two inches?

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

                                            No, what Beatle means is that under normal conditions, you will get one inch of stretch.  If you start off with them super tight, you can actually force them to stretch two inches of stretch.

                                            Go with a 31.

                                            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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