Why do jeans ripple, pucker, or wrinkle when washed?
After ruining more than one pair of jeans, I did some research to find out what was really going on. It turns out those fibers do a lot of work when they go through the washing machine and dryer.
Heat deteriorates the Lycra in your jeans
(most jeans aren’t 100% cotton these days). They usually contain a little Lycra (or elastane) to give them just the right amount of stretch. But here’s the problem: Lycra doesn’t like heat. In fact, it almost hates it.
At high temperatures in the washing machine or dryer, Lycra begins to degrade. When this happens, the surrounding denim fabric also begins to deform. This is why you see those ripples or wrinkles in random spots, instead of general shrinkage, as occurs with cotton. Once Lycra loses its elasticity, there’s no going back.
Washing jeans too often also damages the fibers over time. And for some reason, most of us wash them far more frequently than necessary. In fact, experts recommend washing them much less often than you might think, as excessive washing can compromise their durability.
The washing machine twists and then stretches the fabric.
