Fans of the cleaning guru Mrs Hinch have revealed how to keep black jeans looking fresh after they've repeatedly been put through the wash.
Black jeans require a lot of dye to look they way they do, and each time you wash them, you risk some of that dye being removed.
Other things that can speed up the fading process and make your jeans look old and tired are leaving them out to dry in direct sunlight, and packing them in your washing machine too tightly.
But there's no need to fork out for another pair when the dye fades, as there's a simple and affordable solution shared by cleaning fans on social media.
Mrs Hinch, who is known for her cleaning and organisational tips, has amassed millions of followers and inspired countless Facebook groups for people to get together and share their own cleaning dilemmas.
One woman recently wrote about her struggles with keeping her jeans black, writing on the Mrs Hinch Cleaning Tips group: "What’s the best way to wash black jeans so they don't fade?"
Jeans often fade because of the way denim is dyed. Dyeing is the process of adding colour to yarn by soaking it in a vat of dye.
When the yarn is removed from the dye, the oxidation process binds the colour to the fibres of the yarn.
Since the dye is not absorbed to the core of the yarn, the colour will eventually wash off and the part of the yarn not dyed will start to appear. However, there is a way to prevent this from happening, according the cleaning fanatics.
In the post's comments, most people suggested that the woman turned the black jeans inside out when putting them in the washing machine and adding white vinegar.
One person said: "Turn them inside out and add one cup of white vinegar."
Another instructed: "So soak them in vinegar for a little while, before you wash them, it will set the colour dye."
And a third commented: "We add white vinegar to all our black washes and it works amazing for us. No more faded jeans."
Vinegar is in fact helpful for preventing jeans from fading. White vinegar in particular contains a mild acid called acetic acid that helps to lock in dye and prevent fabric bleeding.
White vinegar retails for 29p from Asda and Tesco and costs 40p at Sainsbury’s.
It’s best to set the dye in new jeans when you first get them and during every wash after that. Without using vinegar to lock in the colour of your jeans, they may fade prematurely.
Another popular suggestion from the group's members was to use salt when washing the jeans, which should also help to set the dye.
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