Over the past few years, denim jeans manufacturers have expanded their horizons by producing jeans in a wide range of styles—from low-rise, slim-fit, jeggings, and kicked-flare, to lower-waist jeans, among others. One particular style that has experienced a resurgence in popularity every now and then is acid-washed jeans. The style of denim jeans has remained popular due to its remarkable contrast and attractive color appearance.
From their names, many people assume that acid-wash jeans are made by washing denim material in acids. However, the truth is that no acid is used in the production of these jeans. Instead, they are soaked in bleaches, such as chlorine, to achieve a light, bleached color.
Here’s how it works: bleach is added to large drums, after which the denim jeans are either thrown or placed inside, with or without pumice stones. The jeans are then rotated in the bleach solution, during which the denim material lightens in color in certain areas. The result is a stylish pair of jeans with contrasting areas of color, with some parts appearing light blue and others slightly darker.
The process is typically carried out using mild bleach, chlorine, sodium hypochlorite, or potassium permanganate. Many manufacturers prefer potassium permanganate because it is a potent oxidizer and offers better control over the process.
To this end, it can be argued that the name “acid-washed jeans” is somewhat misleading because bleach and some of the reagents mentioned above are not acidic, but rather slightly basic solutions. While some manufacturers may include dilute acids in their processes, the role of these acids is not to produce the distressing effect (which causes the color to fade), but rather for neutralization purposes.
So, these jeans should really be called alkali-washed jeans, basic-washed jeans, or simply stone-washed jeans. The main reason why the term became popular for these types of denim jeans is probably because the chemicals used (bleaches and other oxidizing agents) have a corrosive effect on the skin similar to acids. Therefore, if you hear the term “acid-washed jeans,” just consider it as you would bell-bottom trousers, which do not actually have bells on their bottoms. Understand that people may be describing appearances or what they associate with these jeans, but not the actual process involved in their production.
