Our Fit

Don't Fade Away Keeping the Look of FDJ Jeans in the Wash

Preparation

Always turn the jean inside out before washing.

This protects the outside surface from rubbing against other garments. It will prevent fading and

keep the jeans looking new.

Keep the fly zipped and the waist button closed.

This will clean the top of the jeans better and keep them flatter.

Fold the Jeans.

Once the jeans are inside out, fold the jeans side seam to side seam and place them neatly in the

washing machine to prevent the color from cracking . It s the cracking that results in faded lines

in the legs.

Do not overload.

Place too many items in the washer and you also risk cracking the jeans. Jeanswear should

move freely about the machine.

Warm wash, cold rinse.

This is the colored fabric cycle. Fill the machine with water before adding detergent.

The detergent.

Never use detergent containing bleach. Don t even trust color-safe bleach. Why torment your

fabrics? Fabric softeners too can be bad news as you risk splotching if it stays on the jeans for

too long. Pre-soaks tend to break down natural fibers and should only be used sparingly.

While the above steps may be enough, you can take extra precautions to preserve the colors

longer, especially black. Once the water fills the drum, add one or two thimblefuls of plain white

vinegar and one to two teaspoons of salt (this helps set the dye stuffs) and run the cycle. Do not

go overboard on the amounts

you don t want to smell like a French fry!

Let the wash run its course, but make sure to take the jeans out as soon as it is finished.

Treating stains: the quicker, the better.

It s easy to bury stained clothes at the bottom of the laundry pile. Yet the longer a stain sits, the

more time it has to work into the fibers. Reduce the concentration of problem stains by diluting

them with water right away.

Treat your FDJ jeans well and you will be rewarded.

Drying

Gentle shake.

Make sure the zipper and button are still closed, and gently shake the jeans at the waistband.

This helps get rid of excess wrinkling. If your jeans have been feeling a tad smaller at the

waistband, now is the time to work your way around the waistband and gently pull as you go. This

will very slightly stretch the waist and may do the trick.

Refold.

Fold the jeans side seams together and then fold again, waist to hem. Place the folded garment

on the dryer drum, being careful not to overload, and throw in a fabric softener sheet.

Don t over-dry.

Run the dryer until the jeans are just dry enough (probably about 45 minutes). Over-drying will kill

the fabric, similar to your skin being baked by the sun. Neatly fold the jeans and hang them up.

Keep the fly and button closed so the top of the garment will remain flat. Because you ve treated

your jeans so well, you shouldn t have to iron. Avoid dry-cleaning any jeanswear product, as it

tends to flatten the look and feel. Denim, after all, is easy care and who wants all those

chemicals next to their skin?