Science: He Wore Jeans For 15 Months Without Washing Them

I know you are probably wondering how this article can be about science, but trust me, wearing jeans for 15 months without washing them is as much a science experiment as anything else. Can you even imagine the bacteria that would be growing on those badboys? Gross. Well, at least that is what any self-respecting germophob would believe, right? It turns out we are wrong.

Josh Le, a student at the University of Alberta, bought a pair of Nudie Jeans online for $167 in September 2009. He then wore them everyday for 15 months (he even slept in them for about a month) without washing them. It’s all part of the “raw denim” trend.

He wasn’t careful with them either. He spilled food on them, sweat in them, played sports in them, etc… He said after a while, they started to smell really bad. He fixed that problem by putting them in the freezer for a little while every other week. At the end of 15 months, Josh and the assistant human ecology professor at his school tested the jeans for bacteria. They ran several tests before and after they were washed. Guess what? In all the tests, they found the levels to be normal. It turns out, wearing jeans for extended periods of time without washing them poses no health risk or high levels of extra “germs.” Shocking.

The professor, Rachel McQueen, said, “I think wearing underwear is probably a pretty important thing here if you’re not washing your jeans.” Hmm… ya think? Thanks Josh, this study will put my mind at ease during those weeks when my ten-year-old son insists on wearing the same jeans over and over. You can read more details about this study on the National Post.