Do Levi Jeans Bleed? Any clothing brand that makes use of raw denim for jean production might have them bleeding upon the very first wash. As a rule, the insides of your jean trousers would become darker in the process.
This is as a result of the way in which water spreads out the fabric dye to it, being that it has woven and undyed cotton yards.
The Levi brand has a lot of different collections of jeans made with raw denim and as such, you should expect them to bleed slightly when washing for the first time.
What to do when washing jeans for the first time
Contents
It is a given that the indigo dye (element used in creating that jet black look) from 100% raw denim fabric will bleed as you wash them the very first time, but, the trick to having it bleed a lot less is to wash them in cold water only and before you even think of putting them on.
Washing new jeans before wearing would see that the excess dye from the production stage clears off. It is advised that you wash them first so; they do not bleed onto your shoes or anything else.
You should also see to it that they are washed alone or along with other dark fabrics. This is important to avoid the loose dye staining other light fabrics that are washed together with it.
After washing, sparingly if I must add, give it a vinegar rinse. The white vinegar has proven to be a very effective tool in making denims stay true to their colour.
The acetic acid it possesses greatly assists in locking in dye securely thereby, preventing the material from bleeding. This procedure is exceptionally powerful when carried out during the first wash of a new jean and it puts paid to the possibility of the jeans bleeding when worn or washed subsequently.
Asides from protecting the fabric dye, vinegar is also very powerful for bacteria/virus control. It kills harmful microorganisms housed within your denim.
Just in case you are wondering; it is totally possible for new jeans to be contaminated as well. This is because you have little or no idea as to the kind of germs and other forms of debris it has been exposed to while displayed on shelves in stores.
Denim care guide
For the sustainability of your denims, there are specific guidelines you ought to know and follow. Following these guidelines religiously would make you experience a prolonged year of service from your jeans and denim in general, making it worth every penny spent.
Find below, helpful tips that would help you retain the color of your jeans and cause them to fade less:
Do not wash jeans too often
This is the number one rule to follow if you cherish how bright the color of your jeans are and wish for them to stay that way. Jean experts advocate for jeans to be washed only after about 10 wears.
The benefits of sticking to this instruction are more than you might think. It makes them stay fit as new and keeps the color of the jean intact.
Turn jeans inside out before you wash
This helps to prevent the dye base of the jean by limiting the level of contact it directly has with the soap and water.
Wash jeans with cold water only
Say this repeatedly until it sticks. Coldwater preserves your jean’s natural color and locks it in during a wash. You can totally avoid the jean shrinking or their color fading just by following this guideline.
Do not use harsh detergent on your denims
The fibers of your denims are very fragile and would totally cower as soon as it comes in contact with detergents produced with harsh chemicals.
To be on the safe side, get denim-friendly detergents, they are specially formulated to be tough on stains but, gentle on your denims. Also, see that you use the stated recommended dose.
Natural line dying method is best
Do not wait to experience the effects of dryers on your jean before you pay heed to this. Your jean does not augur well when put in dryers. They tamper with the fit by either through shrinkage or just having the fabric bent and twisted out of shape.
This happens because the fibers of your jean and extreme heat do not have anything in common. Switch to the act of line drying your jeans in a shady place, making sure they are turned to the other side.
Trending Searches
How to make jeans clean without washing them
Okay, I know we have some clean freaks that will never come to terms with the fact that they have to go on wearing a particular pair of jeans on 10 different occasions before they can wash. It would never make sense to them and they would find it extremely difficult to comply with the rule.
If it makes you feel any better, you do not need to leave and wear jeans if they are in a dirty state, rather, the trick is to wash sparingly. This you can do by avoiding a full wash when it is not needed.
For instance, let us assume you have some sort of oil spill or grease, blood, or any form of stain at all in one or two areas of the jean; you do not necessarily have to go washing the entire jean because of that stain. Instead, you can choose to spot clean those areas.
What this means is that you dip a cloth in soapy water and dab continuously on the affected spots. If the stains are well ingrained in the fabric, you can deeply immerse the exact spot in a basin of water, then, scrub afterwards.
When it comes to the case of your jean giving off an offensive odour subtly, this means that bacteria are on a mission of raising a colony within them.
I know the first thing that might come to your mind is to throw them in the washing machine for a deep clean but, you can actually nip this in the bud by placing the jeans in the freezer instead.
Crazy but true. Germs find it difficult to survive under extremely cold temperatures and die as soon as they are exposed to it. Save the deep clean wash for advanced contamination cases.
DIY – How to lighten your jeans
Okay, there has been a lot of talk on colour preservation of your jeans but, what if you actually want them faded away?
Just because we know that people are different and sometimes want different things, we came up with these simple tips on how to achieve a clean faded look with your jeans. These tips would see you totally in control, getting the colors of your jeans lightened to the exact shade you desire.
Using a color removal
Denim experts have figured out that using color removal can help you achieve this easily. You just have to put into consideration, how many steps lighter you want the jeans to go then, get any potent laundry treatment color removal from the store and apply according to the instructions on the label.
Not too worry, a color removal is totally safe when machine washing too. For a positive result, it is advised that you go through the processes repeatedly.
Bleach to the rescue
Looking for a quick way to get your denims lightened? Think bleach! Just make sure you apply this harsh chemical with hand gloves on.
Application is pretty easy; just add half a cup of bleach to half a gallon of water and mix thoroughly, place your jeans in, and continue to mix. Your jeans should be lightened after about a 7 minutes soak.
I see you creative genius. Did you know that you can also use this method to lighten specific areas of your denim? If you don’t want everywhere lightened, simply dip in the areas you want and create a whole new unique style for yourself.
Using sandpaper
Okay, this would not really work if you want the whole jeans lightened or desire an even look but, you can get special areas of your jeans using sandpaper to achieve a kind of rugged and distressed look.
The harder the sandpaper, the more pronounced the lightning is. You can get your jean edges or pockets looking fly using sandpaper.
Do Levi Jeans Bleed – Conclusion
Every jean made with raw denim would definitely bleed as you wash the first time. As a matter of fact, it is not advised to wear it without first washing off the dye residue left from production.
If you do not intentionally wash it to get them off, they will still find a way to clear off somehow. Only that this time, it might be on that your most treasured shoe and worse still, in public too.
The Levi jeans, true to its material formulation, would bleed as you wash for the first time. But unlike other jeans, provided you stick to the stated guidelines on the care tags, they would not bleed upon subsequent washes and therein lies the difference.
