Buying the perfect pair of jeans is tough to do. Buying a pair of perfect jeans and keeping them that way is next to impossible. Unless you plan on keeping that pricey pair of designer jeans on the hanger, chances are one day you’ll be forced to do what no woman ever wants to do to her jeans: wash them. For many women washing their jeans not only means 15 minutes of squats, splits and other denim stretching exercises, but it also means saying goodbye to an expensive wardrobe investment.

The washing machine doesn’t have to be your worst enemy when it comes to keeping your denim in semi -new condition. Here are a few tips to make sure your money isn’t washed down the drain the next time you put your jeans through the spin cycle.

• Wash your jeans as little as possible. It’s just not necessary to wash your jeans every time you wear them. Unless you spill something on them or were doing some extra strenuous work and were sweating, don’t wash them until they have had several wears.

• Whenever you do need to put your jeans in the wash, make sure to turn them inside out.

• Cold Water is your best friend when it comes to keeping the color of your jeans intact. For best results wash your jeans in cold water with very little or no detergent.

• Another great way to keep your jeans that perfect shade, soak them in vinegar. Fill up your bathtub with cold water and a cup of vinegar or stick them in the washing machine on cold with cup vinegar. Let them soak for a couple hours or overnight then remove them from the bathtub or finish the washing cycle.

• When using detergent, choose a delicate one made for darks such as Woolite or Cheer.

• Don’t dry denim. Drying not only causes jeans to fade a little faster, but it can ruin the way they fit. For the best results hang your jeans up and let them air dry or line dry. If you don’t have time to let them dry on their own, put them in the dryer until they are just slightly damp. Take them out of the dryer and let them finish drying as you get ready.

• Once your jeans are dry, hang them up and match the inner and outer seams as best as possible to help them maintain their form and prevent wrinkling.

• If you need to iron your jeans do it while they are still a little damp. If your jeans are already use a spray bottle full of water to dampen them a bit.

• If you buy jeans with embellishments such as rhinestones, embroidery, or metal studded designs, sometimes it’s just best to make a trip to the dry cleaner. They are well prepared to handle cleaning them without compromising the design. The cost of a visit to the dry cleaner is going to be less than going out and buying a new pair when the washing machine takes its toll on them.