Posted on October 04 2026
This question generates more strong opinions than it deserves. Denim purists will tell you six months. Practical people will tell you that's unhygienic. Both camps are partly right.
Here's a usable answer.
The actual guidance
Regular stretch denim: every five to ten wears, or sooner if there's a visible mark or an odour.
Rigid or raw denim: as infrequently as you can tolerate, and spot-clean in between.
The reason isn't superstition. Every wash cycle does three things: it fades the indigo, it agitates the cotton fibres, and it degrades the elastane that gives modern denim its stretch. Elastane is the first component to fail in a pair of jeans, and heat and agitation are what kill it.
Why your jeans go baggy
If your jeans fit at 9am and are loose at the knee by evening, that's stretch fatigue. Two causes.
The first is normal: cotton relaxes with body heat and movement. That's expected and recovers in the wash.
The second is permanent: the elastane has broken down, usually from hot washes and tumble drying. Once that's gone it doesn't come back.
This is the single biggest argument for cold washing.
The routine
Turn them inside out. This protects the outer surface from abrasion against the drum, which is what causes the whitish wear across the thighs.
Cold water, gentle cycle, mild detergent, and nothing else in the drum with them if you can manage it. No fabric softener.
Hang to dry. Never tumble dry good denim. If you want them to feel softer, take them off the line while very slightly damp and wear them for twenty minutes.
The freezer myth
Putting jeans in the freezer does not sanitise them. Freezing makes bacteria dormant, it doesn't kill them, and they reactivate as soon as the denim warms up.
What actually works between washes is airing. Hang them somewhere with moving air overnight. That deals with the vast majority of odour, because odour comes from moisture and bacteria, and removing the moisture handles most of it.
Spot cleaning
For a small mark, use a damp cloth and a tiny amount of mild soap, work from the outside of the mark inward, and let it air dry. Don't scrub, and don't use a stain stick with bleaching agents on indigo.
Raw denim, briefly
If you've bought raw or rigid denim, the first wash is a decision rather than a chore. Waiting longer produces higher-contrast fades in the places you naturally crease. Six months is the traditional advice. Three is more realistic for most people.
The AG Tellis in 1 Year Stino is a good middle path: AG's washes are done for you, so you get the character without the wait, and the fabric still has enough structure to develop its own wear over time.
Get the fit right first
None of this matters if the fit is wrong. Come in and try a few cuts. We'll hem them properly while you're here.
Browse jeans or visit us in Markham.
Common questions
How often should you wash jeans?
Far less often than most people do. Every ten wears is plenty for raw or selvedge, every five or six for stretch denim. Airing them out does most of the work.
Should you wash jeans inside out?
Yes. Cold water, inside out, minimal detergent, and hang to dry. This is the single biggest thing you can do to keep the colour.
Do jeans shrink in the wash?
Stretch denim barely moves if washed cold. Anything with a high cotton content will tighten in a hot wash and a hot dryer, and some of that is permanent.
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