An Australian woman who stopped buying designer jeans to save money noticed an alarming problem with cheaper pairs of jeans.
And she’s not the only one.
The disgruntled bargain shopper took to Reddit to share her frustration over the embarrassing problem with her cheap new jeans: “they suck.”
His old $200 designer brand, Nobody Jeans, would be worn for a week without washing, but the new jeans have a “really horrible sour smell that lingers even after washing.”
The unpleasant smell meant he had to wash his jeans after each use and wait for them to dry.
An Australian woman who stopped buying designer jeans to save money noticed an alarming problem with cheaper pairs of jeans.
“This is problematic in the Victorian winter as jeans take a long time to dry,” he said.
The smell only seemed to emanate from cheaper pairs of blue or black jeans and there was even the added problem of the dyes running long after they had been washed several times.
Redditors were quick to repeat that they had experienced the same problem when purchasing jeans from cheaper stores.
Be wary of cheaper brands of jeans that may be treated with harsh chemicals
One person “sought medical attention” after the “disgusting” smell of mothballs.
“It permeated my skin for five weeks,” she said.
The consensus was that the smell was due to the use of chemicals such as naphthalene, which gives off a sort of mothball smell, as well as the toxic formaldehyde, which is used in embalming fluid.
“If the label on your clothing says wrinkle-free, stain-free, static-free or the fabric has a strong chemical smell, chances are it has been saturated with formaldehyde,” suggested someone who works in fashion manufacturing.
Formaldehyde is part of some dyeing processes and is often used to prevent moisture and mold damage while clothing is in transit.
While it is classified as a hazardous chemical, it can still be legally used to treat textiles at “safe concentration” levels.
Another said that “skin” jeans can often smell worse because the elastin used in denim doesn’t allow odors to air out properly.
Some offered cheap home solutions, such as soaking in baking soda before washing or, alternatively, washing in vinegar.
People suggested that putting the jeans in an airtight bag in the freezer could also work and eliminate the unpleasant smell.
One was more vocal and suggested “stop buying junk and invest in more expensive pairs.”
Another said he should simply repurchase the original designer jeans that were on sale, mentioning that the complainant’s favorite brand of old jeans was now $74 off online.
With so-called “fast fashion” waste becoming a serious global environmental problem, it’s not always worth buying something cheap.