Dry clothes can become stiff for many reasons. These include the fabric not being properly rinsed during your laundry load and using too much detergent which can leave behind residue on your clothing, making the fabric stiff.
Soaking the jeans in liquid fabric softener and water overnight also helps. After soaking, wash them as usual and then add an extra amount of fabric softener to the final rinse water.
Washing: One of the simplest ways to soften raw denim is to wash it. You can machine wash the jeans on a gentle cycle with cold water and a mild detergent. Avoid using harsh detergents or bleach, as they can damage the fabric. After washing, hang the jeans to air dry.
First possible cure: After the jeans are dried throw them in the dryer with a couple of damp clothes or towels. Throw in a dryer sheet and after about 5 minutes ( on low heat ) put dryer in cool down mode and run a few more minutes. Take them out and they should be softer.
Hot water and high heat drying can cause the fibers in denim to contract, leading to a tighter fit. Over time, repeated washing cycles can further stiffen the fabric, making it less flexible and more prone to shrinkage.
Soak the pants in warm water, then stand on the hem and pull them upwards. Once the water has cooled, re-soak them in warm water before stretching them again. You can stuff them with plastic bags to enhance the width, leaving the stuffing in place until they are dry.
Put on your jeans: Wear the jeans you want to stretch and sit in a bathtub filled with warm water for about 10-15 minutes. The water helps relax the denim fibers. Move and stretch: While the jeans are still wet, keep moving and stretching to ensure they mold to your shape perfectly.
Simply wear them! The initial rigid feel will soften after a few weeks and only continue to get better with time.
The most likely cause of fabric feeling rigid or stiff is adding the wrong amount of detergent. Follow the instructions below for best washing results: If too little detergent is used, there may be insufficient active ingredients to combat the hardness of the water, which in turn can affect the softness of the fibres.
Popular Methods to Stretch Your Jeans
Spray the jeans with a generous amount of lukewarm water. Be sure you're wearing them. Allow the water to cover the outside and inside of the jeans. Place your jeans on the floor, stand on them and pull.
A good rule of thumb is to wash your jeans after every 3-10 wears, or when they start to smell. If you're regularly active in your jeans (think: manual work, anything where you work up a sweat), wash them every 3 wears, but if you're working at a desk, you can probably go through multiple wears without washing.
If you really cannot resist the temptation of drying your jeans in the dryer, make sure you air dry them first. Only then put them in the dryer at low temperature – this will soften them up.
Denim may seem like a tough fabric, but that doesn't mean you should choose a Heavy Duty wash cycle. Instead, opt for the Delicate or Gentle cycle, and use cold water to help avoid shrinking or fading. Opt for a mild detergent, especially one made specifically for dark clothes if your jeans are blue or black.
Air drying your jeans will keep them fresh and new-looking. The dryer can be hard on your clothes and ruin the fibers in denim. If your jeans feel stiff or crunchy after air drying, you can throw them in the dryer for 10 minutes on a low heat setting with a couple of dryer balls.
WEAR HARD & WAIT
Many denim brands say to wait at least six months, some even a year. The key is holding out. If they start to get a little funky you can steam them, hit them with some Febreeze, and hang them outside to air-out.
Non-stretch jeans are known for being very rigid. They do not allow for much movement throughout the day. Non-stretch jeans are best for people who are less active and don't “run around” much on a daily basis.
Wet the jeans with warm water and stretch them by hand. Put on your jeans and soak in the tub, then stretch in them. Stuff your jeans with objects like foam rollers while storing them. Use a waistband stretcher or wooden hanger to expand the waist.
Spandex, elastane, and other synthetic fibres are mixed into denim to create stretch denim material. Due to the addition of this synthetic fibre, the fabric has a stretch that allows it to stretch, mould to your body, and provide you with comfort as you move in a pair of stretch denim jeans.
White distilled vinegar softens clothes through its natural acidic properties. The acetic acid in vinegar dissolves mineral deposits, detergent residues and hard water buildup trapped between fabric fibers.
If we allow dirt and excess detergent to build up in our washing machines, this can transfer to our clothes and make them stiff. We recommend regularly cleaning your washing machine for fresher and softer clothes.