How to Wash Dry (Raw) Denim: Nudie Jeans' Own Steps, and Where the Brand's Advice Stops

Dry denim — also sold as raw or unwashed denim — is fabric that has not been washed or bleached, so instead of arriving with a factory-made worn-in look, you create the wear yourself. Nudie Jeans describes the outcome as a long-term commitment that depends on how much you wear the jeans, producing fades, whiskers and honeycombs shaped by your own life. That is also why washing is treated differently from pre-washed denim, which the brand says you can wash whenever needed.

The famous six-month rule comes from the brand itself, and the brand itself softens it. Nudie Jeans' help center says wearing dry jeans for at least six months before the first wash is only a suggestion, aimed at people who want patina and a worn-in look, and notes that breaking in a pair is not for everyone. Its blog adds the reasoning: daily wear over that period abrades off much of the surface-bound indigo so the creases render sharper contrast, while washing earlier and more often gives lower-contrast fades. In the brand's words, there is no right or wrong way — the routes simply produce different results.

Before the first machine wash

While you wait, the brand's advice covers stains and freshness. For a stain early on, dab it away with a damp cloth rather than soaking, so the indigo is not disrupted. To freshen jeans that are not ready for a wash, Nudie suggests airing them outside on a cold dry night, or hanging them in the bathroom during a shower so they absorb some moisture and are then aired out.

One precaution concerns your footwear. The deep indigo of dry denim can transfer onto other surfaces — the brand calls this dry bleeding, and it also names dry crocking as a way dry jeans fade before a few washes. Nudie's two fixes: cuff the hems to create a buffer between denim and shoes, which it says is especially helpful for lighter sneakers/trainers or tan leather boots, and tape the inside of the jeans — removing the tape before washing.

The brand's seven-step machine wash

Nudie Jeans' blog, presented by its in-house washing experts, frames every wash around four factors: time, temperature, mechanical movement and detergent. Before the cycle, it says to empty the pockets, un-cuff the jeans, use detergent for colored clothes, avoid stain removers or bleach-containing detergent, and skip fabric softener for stretch denim. Then the steps, as the brand gives them:

• Turn the jeans inside out.
• Fold or roll the jeans.
• Pre-soak, especially if the jeans have not been worn much; this softens them and minimizes the risk of bad wash effects.
• Wash on a 40°C cycle, with the spin set to low if possible — the lower the spin, the gentler the wash, though the jeans come out wetter.
• Remove the jeans promptly when the cycle ends; leaving them wet and crinkled can cause uneven dye distribution.
• Flatten the jeans and stretch both the outseam and inseam, plus the waist if they were tight before washing.
• Hang to dry.

Where the brand says its gentle method stops

Nudie is explicit that this gentle routine exists for the look of the jeans, not their survival. The blog states the method is only for aesthetics and that the denim can mechanically withstand much tougher treatment. Once the jeans have aged — roughly after a year of daily wear, when most of the surface-bound indigo is gone — the brand says a regular spin is fine and tumble drying will work well, with one caveat: never tumble-dry stretch denim to completely dry, as it can deteriorate the elastane fiber over time. Soaking in a tub is offered as a gentler alternative that loses less dye but cleans less thoroughly.

Shrinkage: what the care label says

All Nudie Jeans are sanforized (pre-shrunk), a treatment the brand explains limits first-wash shrinkage to no more than 5%, versus a potential 10% for unsanforized fabrics. For its dry jeans specifically, the brand says the care label states shrinkage of about 3%, though it may vary with washing temperature, stretching, and how long the jeans were worn before the first wash. If a pair shrinks too much, Nudie suggests a quick rinse in lukewarm water with a little softener, then stretching thoroughly in every direction several times while they dry.

One more brand-specific rule worth knowing: Nudie's free repair service accepts jeans only freshly washed, for hygiene and because repairs come out better on clean denim. Check the care label inside your own jeans for the shrinkage and temperature figures that apply to your pair, and compare any brand's washing advice against its current help-center pages, since such guidance can change.