Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Day 183 | Wash day

It's finally done. The jeans have been washed for the first time in 6 months. They're still a bit damp, so I'm only taking photographs of them tomorrow.

It was a bit scary at first when I put the jeans in the machine this morning. I can speak a little bit of Swedish and when I selected 30 degrees Celcius, I noticed the word "Ylle" next to it. I didn't know what it meant, and checked the machine to the left of it. That one said "Ylle/Handwash", so I knew it would be something to do with a gentle wash. I had to select the machine to the right, because there was a button where I could switch off "Centrifugering" or spin cycle. I didn't know how to do it on the machine on the left, which was a fancier model. Ylle, I found out later, means wool. So it was a safe choice.

When they came out the machine they were still soaking wet, and I stretched the seams out a bit from the crotch to the hems. This left blue water all over the floor. I rolled them up so I could get them upstairs without messing all over the steps on the way up. I hung them in the shower with the belt loops over a hanger, and left for work.

When I came home this afternoon, they turned out fantastic, but as I said, still a bit damp. I'm wearing them again tomorrow, just to feel how they've changed. I can already see that they're a bit lighter, but look great. The bottom photograph is the last on of me wearing the jeans unwashed. All shiny, oily and worn in.

It did feel weird wearing a different pair of jeans today for the first time in 6 months. It was however my my favourite Evisu/Puma jeans

3 comments:

  1. Daryl,

    You lasted 6 months...Congratulations!! I can't wait to see the dry, post-wash photos. I'll check back later.

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  2. I am coming up to the six month mark with my raw Dr Denims...I'm rather tense about washing them lol. My labels are in English though, they say to wash inside out at 40C.

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  3. LOL... Don't worry, I was very nervous too. Didn't want to mess it up. Wash inside out at between 30 - 40 degrees C and no spin cycle. Very important. Afterwards just grab the crotch and hem and stretch the seams out slowly. This is difficult cause the jeans are very wet from no spin cycle and dripping blue ink all over the place.

    If you have a bath, then rather bath in them for 30 mins or so. This will ensure they shrink on your body. Been advised by a lot of people to rather do this, plus it's cool to sit in the blue ink.

    I didn't cause we only have a shower in our apartment.

    Good luck.

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