How to Remove the Dye Odor From New Black-Wash Jeans

Do your black jeans smell weird? It's not you; it's the dyes used for the fabric. Darker-colored jeans need a lot of chemicals and dye to make them black, and sometimes, those chemical smells can linger. No one wants to wear smelly jeans, and if yours still stink after washing them, you can try a few things.

If you have a pair of black jeans that smell weird, you can try adding unique cleaning products to your laundry machine that are good for eliminating odors. One of these is Castile soap, which is an excellent stink remover. Add 2 tablespoons of this liquid soap to a medium wash load instead of regular detergent. When the load finishes washing, take out the jeans and do a sniff test.

Should those black jeans still smell weird, baking soda is also good for eliminating odors. Add 1/2 cup of baking soda to your regular detergent for a medium load. After the machine fills with water, let the jeans soak there for about an hour before continuing to the next wash cycle. Many people also have success with using vinegar instead of baking soda. Add 1/2 to 1 cup for an average-size load with your detergent but do not add any baking soda if you use vinegar.

It is best to wash new and smelly jeans without other things because that chemical smell and the dye can transfer onto clothing and linens. Use either Castile soap, baking soda or vinegar, soaking the jeans in one of them before laundering. You can use less if you are only soaking one or two pairs of smelly jeans and remember not to use vinegar and baking soda together. Let the jeans soak for an hour and launder as usual.

Oxygen bleach (like OxiClean) also works well because it gets deep into clothing fibers. You can soak the jeans in this bleach and water but read the label to see how much of each to use. Never use chlorine bleach on jeans unless you want them to have white spots. Borax can also work, and you would use that just as you would baking soda.

To keep your jeans looking their best, never wash them in hot water because that can cause them to shrink. You also have to be careful about drying them because that can also be damaging. Read the garment labels and follow them. You might shrink the jeans if you forget and wash and dry them at high temperatures. To remember, make it a habit to wash all jeans without anything else in the machine.

A safer option is to let your jeans air dry inside or outside. This option can make the denim feel hard, though. To avoid that, you can run them on an air cycle (no heat) in your dryer, and they will come out feeling nice and soft. If you're using this method, don't wait too long after drying. Also, be sure to check all the pockets before washing. A forgotten lip balm or pen could ruin your favorite pair of jeans.