Taking Care of Your Canvas Pants

We get a lot of questions about workwear, and one of the most common is how to wash your canvas work pants. We thought we would give a quick rundown of what works best for almost all canvas workwear. Of course, it’s always recommended to read the washing instructions, but we also want to share what we’ve learned over the years that works best.

Most canvas work pants are made of cotton, either 100% cotton or close to 100% cotton. Most canvas work pants are pre-washed, but some may be unwashed (like our Foundation Pants or the Carhartt B01 double fronts). You may want to wash your unwashed canvas pants separately the first time you put them in the machine to prevent color transfer, but if you don't, please make sure you use like colors.

Step 1: Zip the fly and button the waist of your pants, then turn your pants inside out. We say this because when you turn the pants inside out the part that may rub against the agitator in the machine, or against other clothes is the inside part of the canvas. When canvas rubs too much against another fabric, you may see "cracking" or lines form in the canvas. If they are inside out, and this does happen, it will be on the inside of the canvas at least.

Step 2: Use cold water and a mild detergent. Cold water helps prevent any dye from running out of the cotton. In general a warmer/hotter wash can cause dye to come out of darker garments and will make the pant color fade more quickly. The mild detergent is better to keep the cotton in better shape longer. Detergent that is higher in chemicals, fragrances, or dyes can leave residue in between the fibers of your clothing causing it to smell and can also weaken the threads over time.

Step 3: Use a gentle cycle. Unless your clothing is covered in grease, a gentle cycle is usually good enough for almost all your laundry. A gentle cycle spins more slowly and prevents garments from rubbing against each other too much. This will help keep your clothes in better shape longer.

Step 4: Drying your clothes. The absolute best thing to do to keep your clothes in good shape is to hang-dry them. We understand that isn't possible for a lot of people, so here is what we can recommend. A lower heat/gentler cycle like Permanent Press or "Air" can help reduce the wetness, so we recommend leaving them in the cycle for 10-20 minutes. As soon as you take them out, try to shake out any excess wetness if there is any, and try to press the pants flat with your hands while they are still a bit damp. This can prevent you from taking out an iron later (coming in the next step). And when you hang your pants, try to hang them by clipping them at the ankle and letting them hang upside down. The weight of the upper part of the pants will pull the fabric a little to make it straighter.

**NOTE** Using high heat in your dryer will get your pants drier quicker but it can cause them to shrink, fade, or wear out faster. Excessive heat can cause the cotton fibers to become more brittle over time and that can lead to more stress on the pants, more wear at the seams, and developing holes in the pants faster. Regardless of how much you spent on your pants, this will happen to cotton garments that are not cared for properly.

Step 5: Warm Iron if Necessary: We've all seen this note on our clothes and the truth is; these are work pants not dress slacks. If you would like a wrinkle-free look, then you will have to iron your cotton canvas pants. It's a fact of life that cotton fabrics will wrinkle. Otherwise you should opt for synthetic fibers that won’t wrinkle. 

For the most part, you can iron a pair of pants in just a few minutes, here's how:

 - Keep your pants inside out and lay them flat on an ironing board. You can use your hands to sort of press out some of the wrinkles before you use the iron. Use a warm iron and start in the middle of a leg, around the knee. The quickest way is to start on the front and work an iron outwards to the seams without going over the seams. You can also work the iron down to the ankle. 

 - Then go back to the middle and iron your way up to the waist, making sure not to go over the pocketing; go underneath it instead. Repeat for the other leg and the back if necessary. As you go over the pocketing, do not press hard; this can cause lines near the seams of the pockets and would look a bit peculiar. Be gentle, you're not trying to make a smash-burger, you're trying to make your pants look good.

 - Seams - The inseam and outseam are very thick fabric and should only be ironed carefully. If you press too hard on a seam or the iron it can cause it to look even more wrinkled. The only seams you should iron are the ones at the ankle hem. A quick run across the hem at the ankle will give the pants a crisp finish. 

Just like anything you purchase, whether it be pants, boots, or even a new car, it doesn't matter how much you spend on the item - if you don't take care of it, it will fall apart faster. For cotton canvas work pants, it's in the washing & drying. If you want your clothes to last longer, then be mindful of how you handle them - they can last years instead of months. 

If you have any questions, please reach out to us at info@davesnewyork.com or come visit us!