How to Wash APC Jeans? Our Advice on Washing.
How to talk about raw denim without mentioning the famous brand A.P.C. ( Atelier de Production et de Création ). The French label created by Jean Touitou has become a must in the field thanks to its high quality Japanese selvage cotton fabrics. You can find all the A.P.C clothes (jeans, pants, bags, overshirts, jeans...) and our advices on our Graduate Store website. If you also want to learn more about A.P.C. denim, our article: "APC jeans, minimalism and expertise" will talk you about a production workshop.
A raw canvas
When you buy such a quality piece of raw APC denim, you naturally want to be able to keep it and preserve it as long as possible. Once you've chosen the perfect fit thanks to our Size Guide: How APC jeans fit ?, that's where the question of cleaning comes in.
A pair of raw denim jeans of this quality is not a common piece that will undergo the same cleaning as the rest of your laundry. Raw denim is a material that needs few washes while still allowing for daily use over the long term.
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The fact that they are "Raw" comes from the lack of rinsing and treatment after the fabric is produced. It is this extra dye to the indingo color that will appeal to raw denim purists, as it allows it to be more malleable and unique throughout its life.
What better way to accompany its exceptional pants than with tops from the French label. In order to keep this consistency and to select the right fit for your body type, you can find our tips on the "Sizing Guide : How To Size APC For Men and Women? Our Advice", to have a look in perfect coherence.
When to wash your raw denim?
The first thing to do with raw denim is to keep it "dirty" as long as possible. This may sound weird or even "gross" to you, but there are several ways to get rid of bad odors without washing the garment.
However, free to wash it however you like, fading may be something you can look for as well.
The best time to consider cleaning your raw denim for the first time is "as late as possible", but raw denim may discourage some newbies, as the cotton fabric leaves blue streaks the first few weeks.
Fixing excess indigo
A small immersion in a bath mixed with salt and vinegar will not be too much to make your piece less raw and fix some of the excess indigo dye. The process is simple :
Fill your largest container with cold water and add two handfuls of salt and a glass of vinegar that you mix together. You can add a capful of laundry detergent if you want to give the garment its first cleaning at the same time.
Now gently shake out your garment for 30 minutes to let the pigments set on the fabric.
You have now cleaned and fixed the pigment as best as possible to make your jeans a little more malleable.
Simple Washing
Washing your jeans is unavoidable and once again, you should not wash your piece in any way to avoid altering its shape, texture and color. It can be done "by hand" or in the machine according to your desires, but we recommend you to avoid this method as much as possible.
For the manual method, you just have to fill with cold water a container large enough to accommodate your garment without folding it too much. Leave it immersed for an hour with a little Woolite (for dark clothes) without rubbing. Rinse it briefly and delicately with clear water then wrap it in a terry towel and lay it out to air dry. Don't hesitate to place a basin under the jeans when they dry so as not to stain your floor.
If you don't want to bother, the washing machine can be a solution. First, turn your jeans inside out so you don't damage the seams during the cycle. Use the delicate cycle in cold water or 30 degrees maximum with a little Woolite Noir to minimize the loss of pigment and color during the cycle. This process can give it a "washed" look to your and make it look quite plain. We recommend that you use the manual technique to minimize the loss of color.
Removing a stain
With daily use, your jeans will be in the front line of stains due to your activities, but don't worry, there is no need to wash them at the first stain.
Your savior will be the mythical soap of Marseille, but be careful not to force on the stain, because it could leave a wash of the worst effect. Take a slightly dampened cloth, rub it on your Marseille soap and gently rub the stain. Check regularly to see if the stain is fading so that you rub the material as little as possible.
Daily maintenance
If washing should only be done occasionally, the maintenance of your jeans should be daily to avoid bad odors and limit dirt.
The biggest tip we can give you is to let them air out. A good night out in the fresh air on a regular basis will not only remove odors, but will also bring comfort.
Cold and warmth can also eliminate some bacteria and evaporate sweat from your garment. A quick trip to the refrigerator in an insulated bag won't hurt and will eliminate some bacteria. A hot spring will evacuate some of the accumulated sweat.
These techniques will increase the interval of your laundry, ensuring a longer life.
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