You will be surprised to know that Levi’s boss hasn’t washed his jeans in 10 years.
The CEO of renowned denim brand Levi’s made headlines a few years ago when, at a May 2014 event, he revealed that he hadn’t washed his jeans for over ten years.
He has been wearing his favorite pair of jeans from the past 10 years, they have never been washed.
Instead, he just spot-clean them if there’s a particular stain, or in worst case scenarios, hand washes them when they need a quick freshen up.
Now, Chip Bergh, 61, has been speaking to CNN about his denim cleaning habits, admitting his beloved ten-year-old Levi 501s “have never been in the laundry”.
Mr. Bergh said: “If you talk to real denim aficionados, they will all agree you should never put your jeans in the wash.
“I spot clean my jeans when they need to be washed. Worst case, I hand wash my jeans. And I do it myself. I mean I love my jeans, and I take good care of them.”
But the main concern is about the sheer number of germs that must accumulate on a pair of jeans that haven’t been washed properly in more than a decade
According to Kelly Love, co-founder and CEO of non-toxic cleaning brand Branch Basics, this isn’t a problem.
She says just putting them out in the sun to get some air will work wonders.
“Of course it depends on where you’re wearing your jeans and what’s getting on them, but normal wear is not going to pose a health threat and doesn’t warrant fear of grossness.”
“At least not from the microbes picked up from your skin and being out and about town.”
“Sunning outside in the hot sun for several days – ideally until there is no odor – is actually better than washing for breaking down the volatile organic compounds.”
“Sunning is also better for the environment, conserves water and energy, and, in fact, a good practice for all clothes because it reduces the number of washings required to remove chemical residues,” she advised.
Speaking to Well and Good, author and microbiologist Jason Tetro, said: “It will work, but you need water and it has to be below -18 degrees Celsius.”
“If you do that, then there’s a good chance you’re going to kill off 90 per cent of the bugs, which means about 10 per cent are going to survive.”
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