HOUSTON, Tx – To wash or not to wash. We're talking about your blue jeans. That topic is trending on social media after the CEO of Levi's said there's no need to wash your jeans at all.
Chip Bergh made the comment at a Green conference. He was talking about how consumers could conserve water, but then he took it a step further by admitting he takes his own advice.
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"These are one of my favorite jeans," Bergh said, talking about the jeans he was wearing. "These jeans are maybe a year old and they have yet to see a washer."
"Oh no, oh no," said Rosemary Montelongo in reaction to Bergh's confession.
"Yeah, that's gross," said another woman.
Aside from saving water, there is a theory that all of that washing and drying will wear your jeans out faster. It's why some people actually freeze their blue jeans, instead of washing them, to kill bacteria.
Jill Lindsey said that is not even an option.
"I have a toddler so I get food smushed into my blue jeans, so that's not gonna work for me," she told KPRC Local 2 Consumer Expert Amy Davis.
Bergh said he treats stains and spots instead of using the washing machine.
"You can spot clean," he said. "You can air dry it and I have yet to get a skin disease. It works."
"Maybe that might get you by to skip a couple of washes, but I wouldn't go a year without washing my jeans, no," said Houstonian Michelle Perez.
Another water-saving method to clean your jeans is by wearing them when you shower.
"I'd have a hard time taking them off wet," laughed Maria Ochoa.
Our unscientific poll leaned heavily to the side with the soap. And according to microbiologist Dr. Heidi Kaplan, that's the safest side.
Kaplan said freezing your jeans will likely kill most of the bacteria, but it won't do anything about the sweat and dead skin cells on your jeans.