Soaking Raw Denim: The Critical Preliminary Step

Caring for raw denim properly is analogous to tending to anything of value. For instance, if you had a brand-new car and hated dealing with any sort of gravel scratches or dings on the front of the hood, you would go through some preventative measures.  You might apply a protective coating or even install a guard.  For raw denim, it is precisely the same, with the first step being soaking.

We’ve gone into depth on how to wash and clean your raw denim but the crucial preliminary step befor eyou wear and get them dirty is soaking – literally meaning to submerge your raw denim in a water-filled bathtub post-purchase and pre-wear.

In-Defense-of-the-Frequent-Wash-80's-Levis-Ad-showing-the-tub-wash-technique.-Image-via-Levi's.

80’s Levis Ad showing the tub soak technique. Image via Levi’s.

What’s the purpose?  With raw denim that is unsanforized (i.e. has not been pre-shrunk by the manufacturer), it will shrink up to 5%-10% upon its first wash, so it’s important to get your raw denim goods soaked and in their final sizing so that they can mold to your body in the right places. Imagine dropping a few hundred bucks and investing half a year breaking your raws in, only to find out that after the first wash, they no longer fit.  Plus you risk f’ing up those fades you worked so hard for.

Thus, it is imperative to (1) size up a 1-2 times (varies on the model and is best to check with the retailer/manufacturer); and (2) soak prior to your first wear (given they are unsanforized).

Now if you go through with a soak, here are the 5 easy steps:

  1. Find out if your raw denim is sanforized or unsanforized.  It is best to ask whomever you purchased from or check with the manufacturer. If sanforized, no need to soak.
  2. Fill your bathtub with 2-3 inches of hot water (but not scolding hot).  Bear in mind that the hotter the water, the more indigo (i.e. dark color) will be lost an the more shrink will occur. Optional: to optimize the post-soak fit, sit in the bathtub wearing your denim.
  3. Flip your raw denim inside out and lay flat in the tub for 1-2 hours, with bottles resting on top to submerge them.  Do not try to shake or move your denim too much, otherwise you will risk losing more indigo.
  4. Carefully remove them from the water, lay them on a large towel, and then pat them with another clean towel to remove excess water. Alternatively, lay them on a towel and roll that towel up with the jeans inside. Whatever you feel is the best way to remove excess water that will weigh the jeans down too much on step 6. (Please note that raw denim will transfer indigo dye onto other surfaces when wet)
  5. Hang dry, ideally in the sun or in a warm, dry room with a heat source i.e. radiator.

If you’re interested in potentially starching your jeans, check out To Starch or Not To Starch, and How

Good luck!