Pre-washing

A.BCH Raw Denim is totally untreated/unwashed past the yarns being dyed, and therefore holds rich, excess dye in the fabric surface. This means that there is a chance the dye will rub off as you wear it. It also means that the material has not been pre-shrunk and may shrink if not cared for as per instructions. We don't recommend washing raw denim all that much. If you'd like to remove some of the excess dye, you can pre-wash your raw denim with like-colours or black, on cold (warm water will cause shrinkage). After washing, immediately remove from the machine and stretch/pull the denim back into shape at the side seams before hanging to dry, out of direct sunlight.

Wearing

Raw denim will begin to patina and fade over time, depending on your movements, pressure points and how often you wash the denim. Embrace the fade and the white yarn core as it begins to show through in a way that's unique to you, this is the traditional way of raw denim!

Preserving Colour

The best way to preserve the rich colour of raw denim is not to wash them, ever. If you think your denim might need a clean, try spot cleaning any stains and then storing denim in a plastic bag in the freezer, or air out in a well ventilated space.

Detergents

If you need to spot clean your denim, we recommend using this laundry bar. Is you need to wash them in the machine, use a gentle, eco-friendly liquid detergent, checking for added bleach that may lighten your denim prematurely.

Washing

We don't recommend washing raw denim much, if at all. Check the "preserving colour" section for more.

Drying

If you need to spot clean or wash your raw denim, remove your raw denim immediately afterwards and while wet, stretch/pull the denim back into shape at the side seams before hanging to dry, out of direct sunlight.

Ironing + Steaming

Raw Denim can be ironed and steamed at a relatively high (cotton) heat. keep in mind that organic fibres can mark with excessive heat, so turn inside out or use a pressing cloth to avoid this.

While Raw Denim garments can withstand hot ironing and steaming, we do recommend moving promptly over the material and using plenty of steam rather than increased, dry heat. Prevent fibres from burning or marking by avoiding holding the hot iron or steamer in one place for extended periods.

Storage

You can hang your raw denim to keep it well ventilated, rather than folding it up where bacteria and odours might become trapped. If your raw denim is smelling a bit off, try popping it in the freezer overnight for a quick refresh. Or do as Levi's CEO does and spritz with vodka.