I figured this would be the best place to ask. I have about 6 or 7 pairs of jeans that are rich in color and fit very well, so I don't want to dry them in a dryer. The only problem is they smell very strongly of mildew after hanging for a day, and I can't seem to find a way to prevent this. I've tried hanging them suspended between two hangers or spread out on a rack with hardly any change in scent. I live in a tiny apartment, so it's hard to do much in terms of hanging them. I also have to go to a laundromat with big, industrial-looking washers and dryers that lack a lot of choices in functions. Are there any tips or tricks I can learn to prevent this smell?
I use only a small amount of soap in the washer. Then I put them in the dryer on high with a fabric softener (dryer sheet) like Snuggles. I take them out before they are all the way dry and hang them on hangers. Not touching each other or against the wall. Perfection.
Sounds like a winner,Mr Hale. I have a bloody massive garden,so usually my jeans just flap around on a line until dry,but when I stayed at my mate's flat [he lives in a town],I had to use a dryer,so I just sprayed a few whiffs of aftershave onto them just before they were fully dry. Seems weird,but it was all I had...and it worked.
I second the fab softener sheet to get rid of mildew smell. I do like my cottons dried on high or they just don't seem to get that fluffy comfort I expect from a well fitting pair of jeans. When you buy denim you gotta account for shrinkage. I wore stiff ol' line dried jeans for years...
Hanging jeans in a garden sounds like winner also, puggs. I just got to thinking maybe spraying wet jeans with some Febreze might help if no dryer is being used. But you still can't let them air dry folded, in a drawer, or in a pile. They have to be freely drying without touching anything to stop any mildew smell, I think.
Same here. I remember the chafing and the sound they made when walking. "shree shra shree shra" Fuck that shit, lol.
Curing mildew smell using a laundromat: use hot water (once) and use vinegar as you would fabric softener, about a cup, up to two. This might need repeating. To dry make sure plenty of air can circulate. Lots of drying racks are a bit too close, so I try to leave a blank space either side of the denim. And make sure that they aren't folded over! One layer. A fan helps considerably on damp days. In Colorado, I very rarely needed to use a fan, except for reasons of impatience. In San Francisico, I use fans overnight, on chilly days or foggy days. Some commercial washers have an extra spin cycle after the rinse. Use it if you can, don't worry if you cannot.
Make sure that your washer isn't all gunked up either. Ours, unbeknownst to us, had a bunch of rug stuff stuck in it, and as a result everything getting washed smelled like an old rug. That gross, sour smell drove me insane. Once we cleaned it that definitely helped. I also find that Dr. Bronners lavender soap works great for my clothes and makes them smell yummy no matter where I dry them.
The easy and best way to dry a jeans is to rinse them with hands and roll them all the water will be dried and then lay it on bed or hang it on hanger and open the fan it will be dried in some hours to be wearable again.If you use washing machine drier it would also be nice.
