Recently, a male friend of mine told me he was sick of having to buy new 7 jeans all the time because of how quick they fade. I asked how he went about washing them, to which he replied, "what do you mean?"

It's a common mistake (even more common for guys), but designer jeans are simply not meant to be thrown in the wash like any other pair of jeans. Of course, depending on the brand/style/fabric, your particular jeans might have specific washing instructions that may vary, but here are some simple general guidelines to follow when it's time to wash your favorite pair of designer jeans. On the other hand, if you think your jeans are too dark or stiff, you might want to disregard the following tips!

Turn them Inside-Out!
One great way to reduce color fading is to turn your jeans inside out before tossing them in the washer. In reality, you should be practicing this with all your jeans, designer or not, but if you paid a couple hundred dollars (or more) for your jeans, obviously you want them to last!

Use Cold Water
Avoid using hot or even warm water when washing your designer jeans. Cold water should work just fine to get them clean, unless of course they are caked in mud or something. What are you doing getting your fancy jeans covered in mud, anyway?

Hang Dry
This isn't necessarily as critical as the first two tips, and it is also a tad bit inconvenient. But if you really want to maximize the lifespan of your jeans, hang drying as opposed to using the dryer will make a noticeable difference. If you don't like the idea of hanging your jeans outside, most dryers also feature an air-dry option that uses no heat (but takes quite a while).

Use a Good Detergent
Like it or not, using some quality Tide versus that crazy off-brand that comes in a plastic bag will also make a difference! You get what you pay for, when it comes to detergent. The higher end brands feature better color-protecting technology.

Well, there you have it. Everything you need to know to give your designer jeans a little TLC!