We are independent & ad-supported. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.

Advertiser Disclosure

Our website is an independent, advertising-supported platform. We provide our content free of charge to our readers, and to keep it that way, we rely on revenue generated through advertisements and affiliate partnerships. This means that when you click on certain links on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn more.

How We Make Money

We sustain our operations through affiliate commissions and advertising. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission from the merchant at no additional cost to you. We also display advertisements on our website, which help generate revenue to support our work and keep our content free for readers. Our editorial team operates independently from our advertising and affiliate partnerships to ensure that our content remains unbiased and focused on providing you with the best information and recommendations based on thorough research and honest evaluations. To remain transparent, we’ve provided a list of our current affiliate partners here.

Can You Freeze Jeans to Clean Them?

Though it sounds like an urban legend, you can actually freeze jeans to keep them clean. One student wore the same pair of jeans for 15 months without washing them as an experiment to see whether the levels of bacteria on the jeans would increase if he merely froze the jeans instead of washing them. It turned out that the levels of bacteria were the same after wearing the jeans for 13 days, then washing them, or wearing them for 15 months and only freezing them when they felt dirty.

More facts about jeans:

  • Americans own an average of seven pairs of jeans.

  • Several jeans-making companies recommend their customers to wash their jeans only once a month, if at all — a few actually recommend the freezer method.

  • More than 200 pairs of jeans can be made from one bale of cotton.

Discussion Comments

By anon188728 — On Jun 21, 2011

i like to set mine on fire.

By Ferenghi — On Jun 21, 2011

I've heard about this -- some of my friends do it -- but I just can't believe it works. How can they not smell after a couple times you wear them? Freezing can't get that odor out. I wash my jeans but I don't wash them every time I wear them -- probably once every two or three times I wear them. Freezing can't work for white jeans though, right?

WiseGEEK, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.

WiseGEEK, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.