Jeans washing is more than just a cleaning step—it’s the art of shaping denim’s style, texture, and personality. From the classic faded look to edgy distressed designs, every wash method tells a unique story. As a jeans manufacturer with nearly 10 years of experience, we’ve mastered all these techniques to deliver tailored solutions for our clients. Whether you’re a small brand looking for low MOQ (Minimum Order Quantity) or a buyer seeking factory-direct prices, this guide breaks down 13 practical jeans washing methods to help you make informed choices.

What is it? Garment wash is the most basic mechanical washing process, replacing manual washing with industrial equipment. The water temperature ranges from 60°C to 90°C, and a certain amount of detergent is added. After about 15 minutes of regular washing, the jeans are rinsed with clean water and mixed with a softener.

Effect: It makes the fabric softer, visually more natural, and cleaner. Based on the washing time and the amount of chemicals used, garment wash is further divided into light garment wash, standard garment wash, and heavy garment wash—there’s no strict boundary between the three.

Our Advantage: We precisely control the washing time and temperature to ensure consistent softness and shrinkage, even for small-batch orders.

What is it? Enzyme is a cellulase that can degrade the fiber structure under a certain pH value and temperature. This process causes slight damage to the fiber surface, improving the fabric’s smoothness and softness. It gently fades the fabric, removes excess lint (creating a "peach skin" effect), and provides long-lasting softness. It can be used alone or with stones—when combined with stones, it’s called enzyme stone wash.

Effect: The denim becomes ultra-soft with a natural, subtle fade, perfect for casual and comfortable jeans styles.

Why Choose Us? With 10 years of enzyme ratio testing, we avoid over-degrading the fabric, ensuring durability while maintaining the desired softness. We offer this eco-friendly wash at factory prices.

What is it? In this method, pumice stones of a certain size are added to the washing water. The water level in the washing tank is kept low enough to fully immerse the jeans, allowing the stones to rub against the fabric effectively. Garment wash or bleach wash can be done before or after stone washing. Different types of stones—such as yellow stones, white stones, AAA stones, artificial stones, and rubber balls—are used to achieve various effects.

Effect: The fabric surface takes on a hazy, vintage look, with slight to heavy wear marks on the jeans.

Our Expertise: We select high-quality stones to prevent excessive fabric damage. For custom orders, we adjust the stone quantity to match your desired vintage level, even for small MOQs.

What is it? To give jeans a bright white or vivid appearance and a soft handfeel, bleach wash is used. After regular washing and rinsing, the water is heated to 60°C. An appropriate amount of bleaching agent is added based on the desired color depth, and the process lasts 7-10 minutes until the color matches the standard. After bleaching, sodium carbonate (Na₂CO₃) or sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO₃) is used to neutralize residual bleach, stopping the process completely. Then, the jeans are rinsed again, and detergent, optical brightener, and hydrogen peroxide are added at 50°C for washing, pH neutralization, brightening, and softening.

- Oxygen Bleach: Uses hydrogen peroxide to break down dye structures under specific pH and temperature, achieving fading and brightening. The fabric surface may have a slight reddish tint.

- Chlorine Bleach: Uses sodium hypochlorite for oxidation, creating a bold fading effect. It’s commonly used for indigo denim.

- Bleach Stone Wash: Bleaching followed by stone washing.

Our Promise: We test bleach concentrations for each denim batch to ensure uniform color, with no streaks or uneven fading.

What is it? Unlike other wet washes, snow wash is a dry process. Dry pumice stones are soaked in potassium permanganate solution, then placed in a special rotating cylinder to rub against dry jeans. The potassium permanganate oxidizes the rubbed areas, causing irregular fading and creating white "snowflake" spots on the fabric.

Effect: The denim features random, snow-like white patterns, ideal for trendy, edgy streetwear.

Factory Edge: Our workers control the soaking time of pumice stones to adjust the snowflake density—from subtle to bold. We offer quick turnaround for small-batch snow wash orders.

What is it? It’s a manual process where workers use sandpaper or brushes to create localized fading. The intensity of the effect ranges from weak to strong: Hand Brush < Sanding < Spray Monkey Wash. Sometimes, combinations like Hand Brush + Spray Monkey Wash or Sanding + Spray Monkey Wash are used, but Hand Brush and Sanding are never paired—sanding would completely cover the hand brush effect. Spray Monkey Wash tends to look rigid, so it’s often combined with hand brush for a natural transition.

Effect: Mimics natural wear, with soft, gradual fading on areas like knees and thighs.

Our Skill: Our experienced workers ensure consistent fading patterns. For custom designs, we focus on specific areas to highlight the "lived-in" look.

What is it? Alkaline and oxidizing auxiliaries are used to create a faded, vintage effect. When combined with stone grinding, the fabric surface develops a soft frosty fuzz. Softeners are added to make the washed fabric loose, soft, and comfortable to wear.

Effect: The denim has a matte, worn appearance with a plush handfeel, great for lightweight jeans.

Cost-Saving Benefit: As a direct factory, we source auxiliaries in bulk, offering sand wash at 20-30% lower prices than middlemen—even for small orders.

8. Spray Stone Wash / Sand Blast (喷砂)

What is it? Also known as "sand hitting," this method uses specialized equipment (similar to a large electric roller brush) to grind the fabric, often with an inflatable mold for support. Compressed air propels brown corundum sand from a sand tank through a blast nozzle, creating various faded patterns on the denim surface. It’s typically done before regular washing. Under strong air pressure, alumina particles hit the garment surface at high speed, causing indigo dye fibers to peel off locally.

Effect: Creates localized wear effects, with sharp, defined fading on specific areas.

Safety & Quality: We use eco-friendly sand and strict safety gear for workers. We tailor the blasting intensity to your design needs, ensuring no excessive fabric damage.

What is it? Usually done after regular washing, a potassium permanganate solution is sprayed onto the jeans with a gun according to the design. A chemical reaction causes the fabric to fade, and the fading degree is controlled by the solution concentration and spray amount. After spraying, the jeans are rinsed thoroughly. Monkey wash can create various patterns, such as whiskers and white stripes (whiskers can also be achieved by hand brush).

Difference from Sand Blast: Monkey wash relies on chemical reactions (uniform fading, affecting both surface and inner fibers, strong effect), while sand blast uses physical friction (only surface fading, visible fiber damage).

Our Precision: We adjust the solution concentration to match your desired fading effect, ensuring no color bleeding or unevenness.

10. Moustache Effect / Whisker (猫须)

What is it? Whisker is a type of hand sanding (hand brush), shaped like cat whiskers. It can also be created via monkey wash with a whisker stencil. There are three popular types:

1. Standard Whisker: The basic type described above.

2. 3D Whisker (Higher Cost): Has layers (light and dark), creating a 3D effect.

3. Hand-Folded Whisker: Can be made via heat pressing or sewing. Heat-pressed whiskers use chemicals after pressing, forming creases that retain a 3D effect with high-temperature setting. Sewn whiskers don’t need chemicals—after washing, the sewn high points turn white, and low points stay original denim color, with irregular, unique shapes.

Effect: Enhances the figure by simulating natural creases, perfect for women’s and slim-fit jeans.

Customization: We offer all three whisker types, adjusting shape and intensity for your brand’s style.

11. Chemical Wash (化学洗)

What is it? Strong alkaline auxiliaries (e.g., NaOH, NaSiO₃) are used to achieve fading, giving the jeans a distinct vintage look. Softeners are added to make the fabric soft and plump. When combined with stones, it’s called chemical stone wash, which enhances fading and wear, creating a strong vintage and fuzzy effect—combining the benefits of chemical wash and stone wash.

Effect: The denim has a bold, worn appearance with a soft, full handfeel.

Eco Commitment: We use low-toxicity auxiliaries and treat wastewater properly, ensuring sustainable production at factory prices.

What is it? Popular in many European countries, pigment dyeing (also called "single-sided coating / pigment dye wash") is designed for garments dyed with pigments. It reinforces the original bright color and improves softness.

Effect: Maintains vibrant hues while making the fabric softer, ideal for jeans with bold, non-traditional colors.

Market Adaptation: We follow European standards for pigment selection, ensuring color fastness and compliance with international regulations—great for brands targeting European markets.

What is it? After stone grinding and auxiliary treatment, certain parts of the garment (e.g., seams, collar corners) are intentionally damaged. It can also involve cutting the fabric at designated positions before washing to create a frayed effect.

Effect: The jeans have a明显 (obvious) worn, distressed look, perfect for streetwear and youth fashion.

Our Control: We use templates to ensure consistent damage positions and reinforce frayed edges to prevent further tearing, even for small-batch orders.

- 10+ Years of Experience: We’ve solved common challenges like color bleeding and fabric damage for hundreds of clients.

- Low MOQ: Start with just 300 pcs—ideal for small brands and startups.

- Factory-Direct Prices: No middlemen, so you get premium wash finishes at competitive rates.

- Full Customization: From wash type to pattern design, we tailor every detail to your needs.

Whether you’re looking for classic garment wash or trendy snow wash, contact us today for a free sample and quote. Let’s bring your denim vision to life!