This question does not come as a surprise, considering how almost unbearable it is to move around in stiff denims. People are wont to look for ways out of the unpleasant situation and luckily for them, we have so many ways to get these stiff denims to soften.
Here, we would be looking at how to get this done using one of the most common and easily accessible items ever; salt.
Pro Steps To Soften Denim With Salt
Contents
Items needed
- Table salt (Obviously)
- A cup for measuring
- Washing machine
Step 1
Measure a cup full of salt and have it added to the washing machine. This is the part where you make use of a measuring cup for accurate measurements.
Step 2
Have the machine set to a very short cycle, way shorter than the normal cycle. You can do this by setting the timer to a few seconds or minutes. Short cycles usually use less water so that should allay your fears if there are any about water wastage.
Step 3
Place the stiff denims into the washing machine. Wash them separately, do not include any other form of clothing and leave the cycle to finish.
Step 4
After the wash cycle is completed, take the denims out and place in a dryer. Set the dry to run on a very low heat. Remember that the denim material does not fare well under very hot conditions. You can then get the denims out once the drying cycle is over.
This completes the denim softening process using salt. You should note though, that it is totally safe to add salt and the detergent together. Both will do their work independent of each other perfectly well as they do not have any effect on themselves.
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How to use salt to stop denims from bleeding
When denims bleed, it means that the dye used in its production is washing off. It can be very annoying because the more they bleed, the more faded the denims appear.
This starts to make them seem like they are worn out and keeps you away from wearing them. This can be a normal occurrence with denims made with very low quality.
Find below ways you can prevent your denims from bleeding or at least, slow down the rate at which it bleeds. The salt does this by deep setting the real colours of the fabric, preventing it from getting washed out.
Items needed would be your detergent, good old table salt, a basin, and water of course.
- Step 1: considering the amount of denim you want to wash, add a sufficient amount of water. Done with that, introduce a cupful of salt to the water. If the denims are much, make that one and the half. The next thing you do now, is to stir well. Ensure that the salt is fully dissolved in the water.
- Step 2: throw the denims in the mixture. Press them down and see that they are fully immersed in the water. Allow to soak for a few hours. This is to give the salt ample time to do its work preserving the colour of the denim.
- Step 3: Get the denims out of the mixture and have them washed as you normally would do.
- Step 4: Add one quarter if salt using a measuring cup to the wash cycle.
Do remember that you are not just to use salt for this round of washing but, on every wash you do on the denims in the future. This would keep their colors intact and make stay look new.
Does saltwater destroy denims?
Absolutely not. Your denims are totally safe in saltwater. As a matter of fact, saltwater does the exact opposite by aiding in the preservation of your denims original colour.
You wonder how the salt water works? Well, salt water is very efficient in soaking in surplus dye instead of having it released to be washed away.
The difference can be seen when you have the same denims washed in ordinary water. The excess dye usually succeeds into the water and wastes away, leaving your denims looking white and faded as time goes on.
The saltwater not just only absolve the surplus dye but, it finely sets the leftover dye too making the denims less prone to bleeding.
Why are some denims very rigid?
Denims naturally, do have a rigid outlook but, should they feel rigid as well? No, they should not. Denim materials unarguably are one of the strongest materials ever but at the same time, we know that all that composition of strength found in the material should not be made to affect the feel on our skin. They should not be too hard against our skin and cause us a great level of discomfort.
If you are experiencing this kind of issue with your denim, it could be due to so many things. Let’s get a few of them listed below.
Low-quality denim
All denims might look the same but every denim isn’t equal. They are unequal on the terms of materials used in its production, fabric, buttons, zip etc. not every denim brand source for high quality materials in making their denims clothing so, even when it comes down to the materials, we have the superior and inferior ones.
You will also notice the quality of denim judging by the production company. We know that we have denim production companies with highly skilled and passionate experts and the ones just producing to make profit and stay in business. The result is a large churn out of low quality denims that are nothing close to being comfortable.
You just need to invest in a pair of good quality denim and you would not need to be advised to stick to purchasing them only. The difference is truly clear.
Drying under very hot settings
When it comes to your denims, one of the things that you should not fail to do is consulting the care tags as to the washing and drying instructions. You would save yourself a whole lot of trouble and money too if you do.
Drying under very hot settings can damage their tender fibers. I know you think of denim as one of the most rugged fabric but, the truth is that they are made with some very delicate materials that cannot stand extreme heat. When you use the hot dry settings for your denim, the fibers constrict and this in turn, makes the jean extra rigid than it was.
Denims are better dried on a very low setting. It might take a while for them to get dried this way, but at least, you know you are getting them back in one piece.
Unsuitable detergent
This is one area a lot of people tend to overlook. They just use whatever detergent they can lay their hands on in washing their denims forgetting that a lot of these detergents have contained in them, very toxic chemicals that can be very harmful to the fibers of your denims.
These chemicals usually do have a very harsh effect on them and cause them to weaken. Without mincing words, this is one of the ways to get them stiffened.
There are tons of denim friendly detergents around, go exclusively for them and stick to using them for washing all of your denim materials.
How can we get denims to soften without using salt?
Another effective way of getting your denims softened without using salt is by employing the use of fabric softeners. Fabric softeners are often effective in getting your denims feeling soft, they should live up to their name, don’t you think so?
When applying, just add a little amount to the detergent dispenser pocket of your washing machine or better still, you can just add straight into the load and leave it to get mixed with the water and detergent.
It is best to read the label on your fabric to be sure that you can use the fabric softeners on them and the right quantity to be used to get a positive result.
How To Soften Denim With Salt – Conclusion
There is no arguing the fact that stiff denims are uncomfortable. The denims impairs your normal range of motion, making you walk with some difficulty. Waste no time in using salt to get them loosened. Another option worth a mention too is Fabric softener. These are washing agents specially formulated to soften fabrics and turn that rough feeling you get when you put them on to a softer, relaxing and comfortable one.
Now, that is just what you deserve.
