'I take good care of them!' Levi's CEO insists people should NEVER put their jeans in the washer - and admits he hasn't put his favorite pair in for a wash in TEN YEARS
- CEO Chip Bergh, 61, celebrated Levi's going public on Wall Street on Thursday
- During the event, Chip was asked about his previous statements on never machine washing any pairs of denim
- The CEO admitted he often spot cleans or hand washes his denim on his own
- He never places the denim in the washer because of how it damages the jeans
- During the interview, Chip also revealed his favorite pair for 10 years has only been hand washed or spot cleaned
Exciting: CEO Chip Bergh, 61, celebrated Levi's going public on Wall Street on Thursday. During the event, Chip was asked about never washing any pairs of denim
Levi's CEO has insisted people should never machine wash their jeans to prevent wearing down the material and admitted even his favorite jeans of 10 years have never been placed in the washer.
Chip Bergh, 61, first made headlines in 2014 when he confessed people should never wash their jeans due to the fading and dullness it can cause on the material.
When speaking to CNN this week, the CEO reaffirmed his earlier statements while opening up about how his 10-year-old favorite pair still looks great despite never going through a wash cycle.
'I almost wore my 10-year-old 501s, which were the jeans that I wore when I made that statement [of never washing jeans],' Chip told CNN while at Wall Street in New York City to celebrate his company going public on Thursday.
The jeans Chip was wearing had also never been in the wash, but he admitted they were much newer than his favorite pair.
Incredible: During the interview, Chip also revealed his favorite pair for 10 years has only been hand washed or spot cleaned
'It's probably going to go on my tombstone when I die,' he joked about his previous comments regarding how frequently people should wash their jeans.
However he remained adamant about the fact that jeans should never be put in the washing machine.
'If you talk to real denim aficionados, they will all agree you should never put your jeans in the wash,' he said.
'I spot clean my jeans when they need to be washed. Worst case, I hand wash my jeans. And I do it myself.
'I mean I love my jeans, and I take good care of them.'
Back in 2014, while speaking at a Fortune Magazine event, Chip actually admitted that the denim he was wearing at the time had actually never been washed, and even went as far as to say that the lack of washes not only maintains the design, it also helps to protect the environment.
'I know that sounds totally disgusting,' he admitted at the time. 'It's fine, I have yet to get a skin disease or anything else. It works.'
Share this article
One hack people recommend is to place jeans in the freezer to help freeze off any germs that might collect on the pants. But Chip does not recommend the technique.
'That's an old wives' tale,' he said. 'It does not work.'
There are still ways for people to clean their denim that does not involve placing them in a washing machine.
People can soak their denim in a cold water bath with one cup of distilled white vinegar for up to one hour to help clean the pair. After soaking, the jeans should then hang dry before wearing again.
The vinegar and water combination will help remove any odors from the jeans and make the color in the denim last for longer.
Experts also recommend hanging the jeans in the bathroom to soak up the steam when taking a hot shower. This is a quick and effective way to remove odors from the fabric and prevent shrinkage.
If people insist on washing their denim, flipping the clothing item inside out and washing it at a lower temperature could help protect the pair from fading.
Brand new denim should also be washed by itself the first time as dyes can transfer into the water and spread to other clothing items.
