Care For Your (Denim/ Wool/ Cotton)
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Great post, Max.
I would just like to add one thing in regards to washing and fading. As Max said, washing can lessen the "sharpness" of the creases - especially if you wash before the creases are worn in. That is one reason why you want to postpone washing for at least a few months, if you're looking for high contrast fades. Apart from that, washing in itself fades your jeans. How much depends on the quality of the denim, but soap and water takes out color. The point is that washing fades your jeans everywhere, while wear fades your jeans more in the areas that are exposed the most, i.e. the heights of creases everywhere, ass and thighs. Tighter jeans crease more, creases are more exposed, and thus it is easier to get high contrast fades with tighter jeans.
That is, IMO, the most basic, yet somewhat overlooked, explanation of the relationship between washing and fading.
But don't wash too little either. Sweat, dirt etc. will make the denim brittle. And a good wash can bring some stiffness back to a pair of jeans that have become softer with wear.
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i often use my Iron Heart for playing table tennis, about twice a week. so hot, but it makes my thigh fading faster than other.
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that's exactly how i feel, couldn't put it better my self.
Some of the nicest jeans I've ever seen didn't have "high contrast fading".
I actually prefer the look of lived in and loved denim that isn't intentionally thrashed (not to say those aren't beautiful as well).
The Japanese denim trade was born out of their love of vintage American jeans. In the 40's 50's and 60's, I wouldn't imagine it was the thing to own multiple pairs of jeans for most (or buy several sizes too small on purpose), so they probably took better care of what they had. The aging of denim is a very esoteric and magical process that I'm sure we're all compulsivly drawn to, and I personally want to let it happen on its own, and not have expectations or manipulate the process.
I feel like if you've got a certain end look in mind for your worn denim, it takes away a bit of the freedom of just living in them…
They're gonna turn out how they're gonna turn out. -
that's exactly how i feel, couldn't put it better my self.
Some of the nicest jeans I've ever seen didn't have "high contrast fading".
I actually prefer the look of lived in and loved denim that isn't intentionally thrashed (not to say those aren't beautiful as well).
The Japanese denim trade was born out of their love of vintage American jeans. In the 40's 50's and 60's, I wouldn't imagine it was the thing to own multiple pairs of jeans for most (or buy several sizes too small on purpose), so they probably took better care of what they had. The aging of denim is a very esoteric and magical process that I'm sure we're all compulsivly drawn to, and I personally want to let it happen on its own, and not have expectations or manipulate the process.
I feel like if you've got a certain end look in mind for your worn denim, it takes away a bit of the freedom of just living in them…
They're gonna turn out how they're gonna turn out.+1
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Splattered's question over in the 634S thread reminded me of one I've been thinking about for while, so here's me sharing.
Sometimes when I use the regular, blue bottle, or single serving Doc Bronner's detergent we get from the Castle, I see residue after the cycle(no spin), that's clearly left by the eco-cleaner. It's soapy and filmy, like that scum that'll accumulate around the bathtub. Now, it goes away with another rinse, but I haven't used that kind of Doc Bronner's in a while because of it. Instead I've recently gotten and used Sal Suds, which seems to remedy the issue:
http://www.drbronner.com/DBMS/SAL.htm
What are your expeiences, if any, with Bronners? Any issues with left over residues?
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I occassionally get that on my clothes when I use the washing machine
I think part of the problem is that when you wash just one pair of jeans in a washing machine, it creates more suds than if the machine is full of clothes
Those suds tend to stick around in the machine even after the rinse cycle, then those suds get stuck on your jeans in the spin cycle
I never get that film when I do a soapy soak
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Last weekend I went out with some friends and got pretty trashed on sake bombs. Long story short I somehow got home and when I woke up the next morning I put on my jeans, and long behond I had somehow gotten puke on the right back leg of my jeans.
I used cold water with soap and cleaned if off with a tooth brush and now you can't even tell.
Think I should still wash it? haha :| it does smell different but i don't think anyone is going to smell my legs anytime soon.
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if you threw up on them just wash them dude, especially if your not sure if its your puke…......
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if you threw up on them just wash them dude, especially if your not sure if its your puke…......
yeah…...... wash it buddy
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Splattered's question over in the 634S thread reminded me of one I've been thinking about for while, so here's me sharing.
Sometimes when I use the regular, blue bottle, or single serving Doc Bronner's detergent we get from the Castle, I see residue after the cycle(no spin), that's clearly left by the eco-cleaner. It's soapy and filmy, like that scum that'll accumulate around the bathtub. Now, it goes away with another rinse, but I haven't used that kind of Doc Bronner's in a while because of it. Instead I've recently gotten and used Sal Suds, which seems to remedy the issue:
http://www.drbronner.com/DBMS/SAL.htm
What are your expeiences, if any, with Bronners? Any issues with left over residues?
The problem lies in so called eco-frienly washing mashine detergents. They do not contain phosphates, but instead zeolite.
Nowadays people use mainly 30-40°C washes. Zeolite will accumulate into the washers drum and create mudlike greyish sediment.
To clean your washer you need to run it 1-3 times with hottest cycle (empty) and add citric acid where you put washing detergent. Or use old school detergent that contains phosphate every once in a while. (whe have only one brand left here) That'll also clean your washing machine.
The zeolite stains are pain in the ass to get off light colored clothes, it'll take many washing cycles to get rid off.
end of education…edit typo
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Well, then. The last few posts have spanned the chasm between great information and Way Too Fucking Much Information. Doug and injunjack dropped the science in this thread though. I think I'm going to modify my method a little at this point and only go withs soapy soaks, which are more zen-like anyway. The calm, before the stubborn storm, if you will.
I'm gonna have a go at that citric acid thing as well. The Zeolite wikipedia article is way to heavy to read before 10AM.
??? 
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I also tend to get weird rub marks from the washing machine, so I rarely ever use one for my denim
I will, however, do a machine wash maybe 1-2x a year. I feel like the soaking doesn't get them as clean as I like, and over time, they start to feel kind of grody no matter how many times I soapy soak then. I usually do a machine wash at that time with some Woolite Dark, then soak a few times in clean, cold water to get all the soap out
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Splattered's question over in the 634S thread reminded me of one I've been thinking about for while, so here's me sharing.
Sometimes when I use the regular, blue bottle, or single serving Doc Bronner's detergent we get from the Castle, I see residue after the cycle(no spin), that's clearly left by the eco-cleaner. It's soapy and filmy, like that scum that'll accumulate around the bathtub. Now, it goes away with another rinse, but I haven't used that kind of Doc Bronner's in a while because of it. Instead I've recently gotten and used Sal Suds, which seems to remedy the issue:
http://www.drbronner.com/DBMS/SAL.htm
What are your expeiences, if any, with Bronners? Any issues with left over residues?
Add half a cup of washing soda to the wash, it makes the world of difference, no idea why but it does. My Grandma used to swear by soap flakes and washing soda and she really knew a thing or two about washing clothes!
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Thanks Simon. That actually sounds like my great aunt saying that no more than a cup of vinegar per load works wonders. Lovely to hear about the variety of washing opinions!
