How to Dry Jeans

Co-authored by Robert Shapiro

Last Updated: August 19, 2024

Jeans are a fashion staple, fun to wear, a must-have for anyone's closet. They somehow always manage to stay in style. Jeans can be dressed up or down, and they’re durable if taken care of properly. Knowing the right way to dry a pair of jeans can help you keep them in your wardrobe for a long time.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Air-Drying Your Jeans

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1
Hang your jeans on a clothesline or a shower rod overnight. If you have some outdoor space, and nice weather, you can dry your jeans outside on a clothesline. If that won’t work, a shower rod or a towel rack inside is also a good option. In either case, leave them to dry overnight. ^{[1]
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- The easiest way to hang jeans is to drape them over the line or rod. Make sure both sides are balanced so they don’t slip off.
- You can also use clothespins to attach your jeans to a clothesline, or a hanger to hang them from a rod. It’s possible that your jeans could end up with indentations in the fabric, though.
2
Take your jeans down before they are fully dry. Feel the jeans for dampness. The best time to take them down is when they are slightly damp. Letting them dry only most of the way avoids possible damage to the fabric. ^{[2]
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- If the jeans were hanging outside, look over them carefully before bringing them inside. You may have to brush off bits of leaves, or even insects.
- Hanging the jeans in sunlight will help them dry a little faster. This works whether you hang them inside or outside!
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Wear the jeans for a while to loosen them. Air-drying jeans can make them feel stiff.^{[3]
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Research source} Though it might not be the most pleasant sensation to have wet denim clinging to your legs, wearing them for a little while right after taking them down will stretch the fabric and return it to normal.^{[4]
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Expert Source

Robert Shapiro
Laundry Specialist

Expert Interview. 24 August 2021.}
- If it’s a clear, warm day, and not too humid, you can wear the damp jeans outside in the sunshine to help them dry faster.
- Walking, bending, and other lower-body movement is good for stretching jeans, not to mention being good exercise!

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Machine-Drying Your Jeans

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1
Place your jeans in the dryer. You can load them either by themselves, or with other like items of clothing.^{[5]
X
Expert Source

Robert Shapiro
Laundry Specialist

Expert Interview. 24 August 2021.} If the other clothing items are made of thinner material than your jeans, they will dry faster, but that won’t affect the speed at which your jeans dry.
- Be sure to clean the lint filter! Many people forget this step and let the lint build up, but if it builds up for too long it could cause a fire.
- Dryers have ducts that vent hot air outside. If you can get to the outlet, make sure that it’s not blocked by excess lint or anything else.
2
Set the dryer's timer and temperature controls, and start the dryer. Every dryer has different controls, so check the dryer's manual if you need to. Set the timer, and use a medium-heat setting for a faster drying time. Drying jeans at a low heat setting will help them last longer, but it will also take them longer to dry.^{[6]
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- On your timer, there may be other markings like “permanent press” or “cotton” that show recommended dry times for different fabrics. The thicker the fabric, the longer the dry time.
- Gas dryers and electric dryers have different methods for heating the air inside the dryer, but that doesn’t usually affect how the controls are laid out.
3
Take the jeans out of the dryer while they are still damp. Check the jeans a few times near the end of the cycle by opening the dryer and feeling the fabric. The best time to remove them is when they’re a little damp. Over-drying your jeans can shrink or damage the fabric. ^{[7]
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- Make note of how long the jeans were in the dryer, at the settings you used, so you can use the same settings each time.
- Some dryers have moisture sensors rather than timers. In that case you will have to keep an eye on the drying time with a phone or other device that keeps time.
4
Lay the damp jeans on a dry towel. This protects the surface underneath and wicks away remaining moisture. You can also put a towel on top to remove even more dampness. Gently pressing on the top towel now and then will speed the process.
- If you have the room, lay the jeans out completely flat. This exposes as much of the fabric surface as possible to the dry towels.
- Most jeans have parts that dry more slowly than others, like a coin pocket, or the fabric covering the zipper. Your jeans should be wearable even if these parts are still not quite dry.
- Be patient! Jeans take a long time to dry, but it will be worth it in the end to extend their wearable life.