How to properly wash and care for jeans so they last as long as possible

Useful tips

Jeans have long ceased to be clothing that was intended exclusively for the working class. Now they are a very stylish thing in our wardrobe, and some sophisticated fashionistas prefer to wear them even to various parties and social events.

Why do we love this item of clothing? Probably not always only for its convenience and versatility, but also for its durability and durability. Jeans can serve their owner for a very long time, several years. During this time, they are only able to emphasize the individuality of their owner.

Everyone who prefers this type of clothing is concerned about the issue of caring for it. Denim (jeans, or cotton fabric) does not belong to some capricious category of fabrics, however, a special approach is required

.

Any owner of this item should know how to properly care for jeans and wash them, how to maximize their service life without letting them lose their shape, and also prevent them from fading and losing their overall appearance. You can find out all this by reading the materials from this article.

Do I need to wash my jeans and when should I do it?

In fact, there are a lot of denim care products, so a reasonable question arises: do they need to be washed? Most people are sure that this fabric does not like being near water at all, since it can wear out from frequent washing, while other people believe that denim items need to be washed almost every day.

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According to scientists from
the Alberta Institute , the size and number of different bacteria found on jeans does not change
, no matter how long a person wears them. After some research, scientists came to the conclusion that after wearing jeans for fifteen months by one person, and about two weeks by another, the number of invisible bacteria on the fabric completely coincided.

Most different
experts assure that newly purchased new jeans in a store should be washed only after two weeks of wearing the product.
This is what contributes to the preservation of the color component of this product. When dealing with “raw” denim, it is recommended that you wash your trousers for the first time no earlier than six months later.

If you are concerned about the shape of your jeans

, it should be understood that any washing will only affect those types of trousers that have not been washed during their production.

It will take some time for your trousers to fit well on your figure.

In all other cases, washing jeans and jeans products does not play any role. What is much more important here is how carefully you dry your trousers.

How to wash jeans by hand

Unfortunately, not everyone knows how to wash jeans by hand correctly, so as not to spoil the fabric or appearance, and use washing machines.
Meanwhile, hand washing is much better for denim than washing jeans in a machine. You should wash your jeans for the first time immediately after purchasing them. Even if you don't know how to hand wash your jeans, don't dry clean them. The vast majority of jeans are sold already boiled, and the chemicals are extremely destructive to the fabric. Well, a lot of problems are caused by the so-called “shrinkage” of fabric after washing in a machine or chemical treatment.

So, let's take a point-by-point look at how to wash jeans by hand, what you should do and what you shouldn't do.

Immediately before washing, soak the jeans in warm water for 20-30 minutes. There is no need to keep them soaked for more than 2 hours, this will destroy the fabric. Do not pour the powder onto the fabric itself; it is better to dilute it in water and put things there.

Look carefully at the labels, they contain important information that will help preserve the appearance and texture of things for as long as possible. The water temperature should not exceed 60 degrees. Otherwise, the jeans will shrink and putting them on later will be problematic. The zipper must be fastened, and the jeans themselves must be turned inside out.

Do not use powders with bleaches, this will greatly damage your things, especially when it comes to soaking. You can use ordinary laundry soap; it does not discolor the fabric as much and rivet buttons do not fade as quickly as with powder.

So, after soaking, we proceed directly to washing. Jeans should be laid out on a flat surface, for example, the bottom of a bathtub works well. You need to wash with a hard bristle brush. If you wash with soap, then you should not soap the fabric, but the brush itself. Apply light pressure to the brush and move evenly over the surface. In areas of particular contamination, a little force can be applied. But do not rub the jeans too much; in case of heavy soiling, it is better to soak the jeans.

After washing, rinse your jeans in clean water. Clothes hangers and shower hangers work well. Hang your jeans over the bathtub and rinse them with the shower stream. Don't forget that denim doesn't like hot water. If soaking allows 60 degrees, then it is better to wash at 40. The fabric is good, and the hands are comfortable and not hot.

After rinsing, wring out the jeans with your hands and hang them on a clothesline by your waistband. You shouldn't dry your jeans in the sun, as this will cause them to shrink. Also, do not put on your jeans damp or wet; let them dry completely, otherwise they will shrink to your figure and rub.

And finally, a little advice on cleaning heavily soiled items (work clothes). If your jeans are stained with something difficult to remove, like machine oil, and if their appearance is no longer so important, then you can do the following. Wet the item with water, rub with laundry soap or sprinkle a thin layer of powder and leave for 10-12 hours. Then soak the jeans in hot water with turpentine (1 liter of turpentine per 3 liters of water). Leave until the next day. Now you can wash with detergent, using a hard bristle brush and applying strong pressure. Rinse several times alternately in hot and cold water. This method is suitable specifically for work clothes, not for expensive items.

Washing steps: what you need to know when washing jeans

When it has become clear that water, in principle, is not something terrible for denim, as many imagine, you can begin the washing process.

1. Before you start washing, always read and read the label carefully

   .

2. You should take it as a rule: always, before any washing of denim clothes - you need to turn it to the other side

   .

3. Try to buy clothes made from this fabric the most gentle means

   .

4. If you put your pants in the washing machine, try so that the water flows into it exclusively cold

   . If for some reason this cannot be done, then let the water be at least warm or at room temperature. You should also know that it is best and preferable to wash denim products only by hand.

5. If your jeans are dark in color, then it is not recommended to wash them at all, and in some cases only dry cleaning

   .

6. Pants made from this fabric should not be soaked for a long time

   .

7. Experts do not recommend
   wringing out jeans
   .
8. If this is your first time washing denim or any denim, you should keep in mind that This fabric can shrink easily

   , especially if you use hot water when washing, or use a dryer.

Know that the more cotton there is in the product, the stronger and more intense it will shrink.

Preparatory stage of washing jeans

Black jeans are especially tricky when cleaning. If the product is washed by hand, then only laundry soap should be used. A special powder is required.

For colored fabrics . It should not contain phosphates or enzymes, which spoil the color and destroy the fabric. To wash denim fabric, it is better to use liquid detergents or powder for delicate washing.

Before washing jeans, you need to carefully study the label . Before putting the item in the washing machine, you need to turn it inside out. During the cleaning process, only gentle products should be used. Denim should only be cleaned on a gentle cycle with room temperature water. It is better not to use an automatic washing machine, but to wash the product by hand.

Proper preparation for washing jeans is no less important than the process itself. General rules:

1. Sometimes it is better to dry clean items, especially if they are black.
2. It is not advisable to soak jeans; it is better to wash them at a temperature of no more than 40 degrees Celsius.
3. In addition to how to properly wash jeans by hand, you need to know that they cannot be wrung out.
4. It is not advisable to clean denim products frequently. The less often the fabric is washed, the better.

If you cannot do without soaking, then it is better to do it in warm water . The total soaking time of the fabric should not exceed 60 minutes. This interval is specified because buttons and snaps can leave rust marks on the fabric if they are left in water for a long time.

When soaking, it is better to refuse washing powder and use laundry soap . Detergents lighten the fabric too much, but laundry soap does not have this effect. How to wash jeans without fading:

1. If your jeans are black or colored, you can add a little vinegar to the water during the washing process.
2. Manufacturers advise washing jeans by hand, but today there are many programs in automatic washing machines, so you can choose the method at your discretion.

Washing machine

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1. If your jeans are decorated with any decorative elements, which usually include beads, rhinestones, seed beads, sequins or appliqués

, it is more advisable to wash them in a bag specially designed for this.

2. Don’t forget to button up the item.

(If there are any).

3. Select the appropriate washing mode on the machine display. The latest models already have a ready-made “Jeans” mode. But if there is no such mode, then the manual or delicate wash mode

.

4. If you do not know the exact washing temperature of your product, then set the machine to 30-40 degrees

.

5. When spinning the product, set the minimum number of revolutions

. It is also recommended to remove the jeans from the machine and wring them out by hand. To do this, you should spread a thick terry cloth and lay your jeans on it, then roll them into a roll and press lightly.

6. When drying denim items, try to lay them on a horizontal surface, away from sunlight and heating appliances

on the floor covered with thick cotton cloth or a towel. To make your jeans dry much faster, you can place a fan nearby, this will significantly speed up the process.

Avoid drying your jeans as this can cause them to shrink and will inevitably cause the fabric to fade. But if you still decide to dry them in the dryer, then at least turn it on the gentle, delicate setting with the lowest heat level.

7. Always wash your jeans with other jeans.

or with products of a similar color. Please note that the dye on jeans may wash out. If this fabric is washed frequently (whether by machine or by hand), it may fade and even lose its original color.

8. If you only wash jeans in a washing machine, you can load no more than five pairs

because denim is very heavy.
When loading more jeans, the machine may start to work slower and may not be able to wash the item to a good condition. Yes, and placing a large number of jeans in the drum can lead to damage to
both the product itself and the equipment.

How to wash in a washing machine

If you follow the established rules, denim will not shrink or change color. But how to use an automatic machine correctly? If you follow some simple rules, your jeans will remain like new after washing. Cleaning in a washing machine:

1. Denim fabric has a lot of weight when wet, so it is not recommended to fill the drum with a large number of things.
2. When washing in a machine, you need to take into account that jeans fade, especially for black items. Therefore, you need to put them in the car with other things of the same color.

If you choose the right program in the machine, the life of denim items is extended several times, jeans shrinkage does not occur, and they remain in their original shade for a long time. But what to do if the automatic machine is an old model? In this case, you must choose a delicate mode or clean the fabrics at a temperature of no more than 40 degrees.

How to avoid color loss

The main problem after washing denim items is the loss of the original shade or even shedding of the denim. How to wash jeans by hand so they don't fade:

1. Before each cleaning process, you must turn your pants inside out and check your pockets.
2. You need to use mild detergents to clean the fabric.
3. It is not recommended to soak pants.
4. You need to use powder for colored fabric. The cleaning product should not contain chlorine or bleach ingredients.
5. Jeans should only be cleaned with liquid products. In addition, you can add a color stabilizer to the washing water.

What to do if your trousers are excessively soiled: in this case, the item should be left in warm water for 30 minutes , but this time interval must not be exceeded, otherwise a dull shade of the fabric will appear. To avoid shrinkage of the product, you need to use cool water.

If you decide to dry them in a washing machine, this should be done with care and in the delicate drying mode . But this is not necessary. It is better to smooth the denim with your hands and hang it out to dry.

How to clean jeans without washing

If your jeans are expensive, it is better to dry clean them. With expensive material, it is better not to take risks and not wash it in water, because in this case the item may lose its shape and color, and the fabric will become rough.

How to wash dark pants

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Denim is usually associated with the familiar blue color, but today black jeans are considered an equally classic option, the care for which is somewhat different from blue jeans. Let's figure out how to wash black jeans.

First of all, we need to warn you not to be particularly frightened if you find black stripes on your legs after putting on jeans for the first time. Do not rush to return the product back to the store, as this is not a defect at all. The thing is that the jeans have a double color

, and therefore such colored stains can remain after jeans recently purchased at the store.

Most of the excess paint will be washed off immediately after the first wash.

, and it’s also worth considering that after this the jeans will become much softer and more comfortable so that they can be worn comfortably.

If you want to preserve the bright color of your favorite trousers for a long time, then soak them in a little water with vinegar or salt before washing.

. This action will allow the paint on the product to absorb as deeply as possible into the fabric.

Features of denim

Classic denim is made from cotton twill weave. This fabric is very dense, with a characteristic relief, comfortable to wear. Denim is often supplemented with threads with a synthetic base: this adds new properties. Stretch jeans with polyester have excellent stretch and fit perfectly to the figure.

Caring for natural and blended denim consists of a number of rules. The most basic ones are always indicated on the label.

How often to wash

Although no one forbids washing jeans every day, frequent contact with water and detergent will cause the fabric to lose its elasticity and color faster. The less frequently we wash our jeans, the longer they last. But this does not mean that you need to stay in your pants for a whole month, and only then wash off the ingrained layer of various dirt. Washing is always commensurate with wear: worn a little, then washed.

It is better to wash new jeans immediately after purchase. Local stains should be washed by hand in a basin, so as not to spin generally clean trousers in the drum.

Advice A sure sign that jeans need cleaning is a stretched waistband or slightly protruding knees. After drying, the shape will be restored.

Rules for washing colored denim

Classic dark blue jeans have long ceased to be one of a kind. Now denim trousers can come in a wide variety of tones and colors, with equally varied designs. Today, embroidery, rhinestones, various stones, and many other decorations are used to decorate jeans.

© Gerard Koudenburg/Getty Images

There are some nuances that you also need to know about.

1. To prevent dye from leaching from your pants, never wash blue or dark jeans in hot water. And in order for the rich shade to remain so, you should always add a certain amount of table vinegar to the water.
2. White denim is washed much more often than dark denim in dark tones and colors. Usually, in order to completely eliminate the appearance of a yellowish tint on the fabric, it is necessary to add specially designed bleaches that are suitable for white laundry with each wash. It is also recommended to add oxygen bleach from time to time. Before washing white jeans, you should always check their pockets very carefully, since even the smallest colored piece of paper can leave a noticeable stain on the trousers, which will then be very difficult to remove.
3. Trouser models decorated with rhinestones should be hand washed only. It is not recommended to soak them under any circumstances, since contact of trousers with water can be an enemy for decorative elements.

Hand washing process

Considering that the latest models of washing machines are capable of carefully washing even the most capricious fabrics, jeans should still be washed by hand, especially if they have thin fabric or have rhinestones on it.

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For hand washing, a basin or any container similar in size is absolutely not suitable for you, since wet denim becomes so rough and unyielding that it is absolutely impossible to do anything with it.

1. It is necessary to lower the jeans into a bath of water so that they are completely immersed in it. The water must be slightly warm or closer to cold.
2. Prepare soap shavings and dissolve them in water. Regular laundry detergent will also work.
3. If your jeans are heavily soiled, then you need to leave them in the bath for about thirty minutes, if necessary for an hour, and then vigorously rub the legs of your jeans.
4. It is also recommended to use a brush with fairly soft bristles. In this case, the fabric should be rubbed very carefully so as not to destroy its structure and fibers.
5. Jeans should be rinsed several times.
6. Do not wring out the washed product, just let the water drain.

How to wash jeans by hand (video)

Handwash

To wash things by hand, you need to lay them out in the bathroom and apply soap to a clothes brush. It is necessary to walk the brush over the jeans, but do not press it too hard.

If there are large stains on the fabric, you can soak the jeans for 30 minutes .

But you shouldn’t overuse this, because the dye on denim washes out very quickly, and the rivets and buttons oxidize. General rules:

1. An important point is the choice of water temperature. If it is too hot, the jeans may shrink, so 35 or 40 degrees Celsius is the best choice.
2. After washing, the item should be rinsed thoroughly, but do not twist the fabric too much. It is enough to run your hands over your jeans to get rid of excess water.
3. You must follow all directions that can be read on the jeans label.

What products to use for washing jeans

It’s worth noting right away that ordinary powders are absolutely not suitable for washing denim products, since they contain phosphates, enzymes and other aggressive compounds.

All types of bleaches are also contraindicated, since they directly affect the color of the product and can also oxidize metal parts: rivets, buttons and locks.

The ideal solution for washing denim items is a special liquid product designed for washing jeans. It is also perfect for washing other delicate fabrics.

Care at home without washing

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1. If you have any stains on your jeans

, but you do not want to wash the products, then instead of washing, you can remove existing stains using water and a rag. If you use soap, be careful because the area where you try to remove the stain may discolor the fabric.

2. If you don't wash your jeans very often

, then it is recommended to at least ventilate them from time to time. Hang them out in the fresh air for at least 24 hours. Also, in order to eliminate various odors, it is recommended to use a deodorizing spray, which will do an excellent job of eliminating various unpleasant odors.

3. For those who very rarely wash their jeans

, there is another secret where you can simply freeze trousers in the freezer. Why do you need to do this? This is necessary so that bacteria can be killed, which are usually transferred from our body to the fabric and cause not very pleasant odors.

To get rid of bacteria

, you can simply put the trousers in the freezer, but keep in mind that in this case they will come into contact with food, so it is better to pack them in any paper bag or fabric bag that will allow air to pass through well, while a plastic bag is unable to do.

Before hanging your jeans on the line, you need to let them warm up a little.

4. If you've only worn jeans a couple of times

, this does not mean that they need to be washed, since they have a slightly different wear life. You need to wait until the jeans begin to sag a little in the back or stretch out at the knees, and also until they become loose at the waist.

How to dry jeans

When it comes to drying your jeans, be sure to turn them inside out and dry them on the gentle cycle and low heat setting (unless the label instructs otherwise). You can throw a couple of washing and drying balls into the machine along with your jeans.

Jeans will last longer and retain their shape if you take them out of the machine slightly damp.

All that remains is to iron it (more on this below) and hang it.

Keeping them in the car for too long can cause them to shrink, and too much heat can damage the spandex or elastane in the fabric.

How to dry jeans correctly

How to properly dry trousers so that this process takes minimal time:

1. The first idea that comes to mind is to put the machine in drying mode. This should be done if you want the jeans to shrink.
2. If you want to maintain the original size of the item, then wet jeans should be laid out on a towel and then rolled up. This is necessary so that the moisture quickly transfers into the fabric of the terry towel. To speed up absorption, the roll can be placed under a press.
3. To speed up the drying process, you can use a hair dryer.

There is another drying option. It is necessary to turn on the heater , hang wet things near the switched on oven. It is very important that the oven is clean, otherwise the jeans will absorb the aromas of previously cooked dishes.

It would be more correct to dry the denim under normal conditions and iron it while wet . Drying jeans in the sun is not recommended; this will make the fabric rougher and may fade.

Useful tips

There are many tips for cleaning jeans:

1. Washing new jeans is advisable, especially if the denim is black. If jeans are dyed correctly, they are double dyed. The first cleaning will remove the external dye from the fabric, so your feet will not become covered with dark spots while wearing the item. After cleaning, the fabric will become softer.
2. To prevent black fabric from losing its shade after soaking, the washing process must be carried out using vinegar. The acid perfectly fixes the shade and helps it penetrate deeper into the fibers of the fabric. After this, it is recommended to rinse dark-colored denim in acidified or salted water, this will help avoid shedding of the fabric.
3. If you don’t want the denim product to stretch, then you need to wait until the fabric dries completely. And only after that you can put the thing on yourself.

If there are rhinestones or embroidery on the pants, then washing such items in a washing machine is strictly prohibited. Because all the decorations will not remain in place, but will lie in the filter of the washing machine. If you don’t have time to clean it by hand, it is recommended to wash your jeans at 30 degrees in an automatic washing machine. In this case, you should turn them inside out or place them in a special bag. This will reduce the friction of the fabric in the machine drum. After this, it is recommended to set the washing machine to delicate mode and turn off the spin cycle.

Need for ironing

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There is absolutely no need to iron jeans after washing. They straighten out quite calmly on the human body, if only they were dried completely straightened out.

If the jeans still require ironing, then you need to turn the item inside out, slightly dampening the fabric. The iron should be turned on to the lowest heating setting.

And it’s best to use a steamer for this purpose, which can easily rid your trousers of all kinds of creases.

Various tricks

By following certain rules for caring for good jeans, you can actually wear them for more than one or even two years. Interesting fact: this material in trousers can adapt to even small changes in a person’s figure. This applies primarily to the fact that the changes will not be too significant.

If the owner of the jeans has lost weight, but the pants themselves have stretched, then this situation can be saved as follows:

1. You can wash this item directly on yourself. To do this, you need to sit in your jeans in a bathtub with not very hot water, lather a sponge or your own hand with any soap and gently rub the fabric with it. After this, without removing the item from yourself, you must also rinse it on yourself with clean water. Now let the jeans dry again directly on the body.

This method is appropriate only when the ambient temperature is quite high, that is, in the hot season, since at lower temperatures the item will dry out for a very long time.

Jeans washed this way will fit your figure just perfectly.

via GIPHY

2. You can speed up the drying of jeans using a special mode available in the washing machine. You can also reduce the size of various individual elements, for example, elongated places on the knees, or the entire thing.

There is also a solution if your jeans become too small for you:

To do this, you need to lightly moisten them with a spray bottle or simply sprinkle them with water and then put them on yourself. Wait until the jeans dry on you, and you will notice that they themselves stretch out in the places that you need.

It doesn’t matter if you have gained a lot of weight and the moment comes when you are unable to button up your favorite trousers. In this case, it is also recommended to wet only the belt and the waist area of ​​the trousers with water and stretch this area as much as possible with the help of books inserted between the fabric and your body.

3. Are you a conservative and always buy the same model every year, but it suddenly suddenly disappeared from sale? No problem! Don’t despair too much, you can still continue to buy it the same way you used to do it before. Pay attention to the label located on the inside of the trousers. On it, if it has not been erased, of course, as a rule, there is information and all the data specifically about your trouser model. You can simply find them on the Internet and purchase them again.

How to wash jeans

For hand washing, it is advisable to select products based not only on their cleaning properties, but also on their effect on the skin of the hands:

1. Jeans can be washed with regular laundry soap. It cleans fabric well of dirt and copes with complex organic stains on clothes. It is made from natural fats of animal origin, which is important for the skin of the hands.

   Laundry soap effectively removes dirt during hand washing and cares for the skin of your hands.

2. Special laundry detergents made from ingredients of plant origin are safe for health. It’s good if the label contains a mark indicating compliance with SAN PIN standards.

   Synergetic is a safe product that can even be used for washing children's clothes.

3. It is convenient to clean jeans with a brush. For dense fabrics, a stiffer one is suitable, but for thin and elastic ones, it is better to take a brush with soft bristles. You can use a household sponge.
4. If the product has an unstable color, the last rinse should be done in a vinegar solution: 1 tablespoon per liter of water. This will help preserve the color.

Any liquid detergent is suitable for machine washing. They dissolve well in water and are easier to rinse without leaving marks on clothes. You can use special gels for washing denim, which are designed taking into account its characteristics.

A special product for denim will protect clothes from color loss and make them soft after washing.

When purchasing liquid detergent, focus on color and smell. Open the cap and check that the liquid is white or neutral in color. The brighter it is, the more unnecessary dyes it contains. A pleasant smell is also a sign of excess chemicals. Manufacturers guarantee frosty freshness or the smell of lemon, but this will not affect the quality of the wash.

Table: overview of detergents for denim clothes

Video: which product removes dirt better

Caring for your favorite clothes

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If you choose the right type of jeans, they will highlight your figure and also hide some of its flaws. Plus, they will also easily approach a variety of things. Finding such trousers is not always easy the first time, but if you succeed, then you will, as a rule, wear them for many years, practically without taking them off.

1. Always buy jeans half a size smaller than necessary, or even a whole size. Ideal jeans should be difficult to fasten after purchase when you first put them on, but literally after a few days they stretch, hugging your figure. But don’t overdo it, because jeans that are too tight can interfere with your blood circulation and can also cause swelling or some other illness in your body.
2. Wash your pants as often as possible.
3. If you notice that a shine has begun to appear on your jeans, then you need to moisten them with a weak solution of ammonia, then apply washing powder, and only after that you can proceed directly to washing.

Storage

Learning how to wash your pants correctly is only half the battle. You also need to learn how to store them correctly. Most people make the same mistake over and over again: folding items and storing them in a stack.

We forget that in this way the fabric in the folds will wear out faster. In fact, jeans deserve the same careful treatment as trousers with creases. If you want to store your trousers correctly, they should be hung in the closet on hangers with clothespins.

Problems with lightning

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• If suddenly the zipper on your jeans suddenly stops working, then a graphite pencil can come to your rescue, which you need to draw along the entire length of the zipper. If suddenly the pencil was unable to cope with this problem, then you can move on to other lubricants, which could be soap, a drop of oil or hygienic lipstick.
• If the lock on your trousers does not stay on top and is not fastened all the way, then a saving solution for some time can be a ring from your key ring, which can be attached to the zipper slider, and then hooked to the top button. This way, your trousers will no longer unbutton on their own when not needed.
• If some teeth are missing on the zipper of your trousers, you are unlikely to be able to fasten your jeans properly. In this case, the zipper should be replaced with a new one. But in some situations, if there is no tooth at the very end of the zipper, you can do without replacement. The slider should be fastened so that it is slightly higher than the damage site. Now you can make a few stitches with a needle and thread above the place where the tooth is missing.
• You can also carefully remove the damaged lock and make a clasp that will fasten with buttons.
• If at the most inopportune moment the slider on the lock of your jeans comes off, without which it will be almost impossible or very problematic to fasten them, then as some kind of temporary solution you can attach a paper clip or a ring from a key ring instead.