This Video Explains When (and If) Your Jeans Should Be Washed.
Jeans are amazingly durable clothing that might not need to be washed as often as you think . With all the conflicting information in mind, this video helps explain why you might not want to wash your jeans.
As explained in a video from HowStuffWorks, indigo paint in jeans is the source of all the debate about whether to wash. Washing damp jeans too early can cause the indigo dye that gives the jeans their characteristic color to tarnish too early. Some companies even advise shoppers not to wash their jeans for six months if they want a unique fade pattern, as opposed to the only uniform fade you get when machine washed.
The video also touches on the obvious issue of cleanliness. Most bacteria that can build up in your jeans will die in between wearing them (depending on how often you wear a particular pair). This means that you only really need to wash your jeans if they get dirty or have been worn out too often. However, if you wash them regularly, there is nothing wrong with that, except that the pattern fades. So, if you’re uncomfortable wearing jeans that haven’t been washed in six months, as the manufacturer suggests, you can throw them in the washing machine. You just have to live with a different fading pattern.
How long should you really not wash your jeans? | How it works