This is how often you should wash your jeans according to Levi’s CEO

Everyone has their preference for how they want their blue jeans to appear, but how we wash them and how often can make a world of difference. “Washing denim too frequently can cause them to lose their shape and fit,” Levi’s warns as part of its care instructions.

There are many theories about how to best preserve your blue jeans with real denim aficionados saying you should never wash them. Other people say just to do so once they begin to smell, with some throwing them in the freezer overnight to put off doing the unthinkable of putting them in the washing machine.

Levi’s blue jeans’ biggest carbon footprint is water

Speaking recently, to CNBC’s Christine Tan, Levi Strauss CEO Charles Bergh gave his own particular view on the age-old question. When asked by Tan if there was a story behind why every time she types Levi’s CEO into a search engine, “don’t wash jeans” automatically pops up, he told he never said that between laughs.

But there was a story dating back to one of the first onstage interviews that he did as CEO. It was for a conference on sustainability hosted by Fortune. Bergh explained that the company had done a life cycle analysis on a pair of jeans and the biggest carbon footprint the company has is water usage.

“In real rough terms 50% of the water usage is consumed by the time the consumer gets their jeans,” he told the conference attendees. That comes from growing the cotton which is used to make the denim. “The other 50% is after the consumer buys them in the store and starts washing them all the time.”

Levi’s is trying to educate their customers that they don’t have to wash their jeans with as much frequency as is habitual, in the United States usually after each wear. The company synonymous with denim says to “wash them once every 10 wears at most to keep them fitting correctly and minimize sagging.” The CEO explained that he personally never puts his in the washing machine, but he does wash them.

This is how often you should wash your jeans according to Levi’s CEO

Bergh says that he spot cleans his jeans using a sponge or toothbrush and a little bit of Tide, he owns stock in the company. As well the Levi’s CEO recommends letting them air dry. “I’ve yet to get a skin disease or anything else. It works,” he told the sustainability conference of the year-old pair that he was wearing that had never seen the inside of a washing machine.

As for when they “get really gross” because he’s been out sweating or such he jumps in the shower with them on and soaks himself down and washes them. He told Tan it was a technique he and his travel mates picked up when they used to Eurail as kids around Europe.