I've never heard about freesing the jeans before. I think it's a good idea, but although it kills the bacteria how does the freesing cleans the dirt form the jeans?

typo! "baking soda" rather than "backing soda," I would say.

Any idea how the jeans smell after freezing too?

brilliant, but wait -- do you put salt and baking soda in the water with the aluminum foil? how much?

Be careful with the baking soda, siler foil and salt. You can remove the silver plate along with the tarnish. I know, I have.

Olive oil or vinegar (i know, sounds like the start of a great salad) will clean the smears out of stainless steel.

I posted this non-toxic silver cleaning method and yes, it definitely works! You can read about it here. http://www.ecokaren.com/2010/02/nontoxic-way-to-polish-your-silverware/

The 'recipe' is there woo and zeurotrash is right. You can't leave the silver in the solution too long.

While I can't imagine sticky cOke in the toilet, it does work for removing contact Paper if someone in your hOme's past has gotten the bright idea to use it as wallpaper as they had done at my place. Not fun clean up, but beat peeling of in 1/8 inch bits.

You can also use Coke to clean the connection heads of your car battery if they get too gunked up.

Ok, I'll believe that the freezer kills the bacteria. But freezing wont remove dirt, body oils, or sweat from the jeans. Bacteria is not the only reason to clean- your going to have a pore-clogging mess if you don't wash those jeans sometimes.

That's kind-of cool about the foil tho- does it make a terrible noise?

Baking soda can damage silver (plate especially) if you rub it into the tanish, as you might in this case when an item is too large to immerse. In tha case, skip the baking soda and use only salt. Here are directions for silver cleaning:
Instructions.Things You'll Need:
Aluminum foil 1/2 cup Salt 1 1/2 cup Baking soda Pan/basin Pitcher

Get what you need for every
project at HomeDepot.com1Line the bottom of a pan with aluminum foil with the shiny side up. Heavy-duty foil works best. If your aluminum foil is thin, place a double layer in the pan.

2Place the tarnished silver items on the aluminum foil so that the items are in contact with the foil.

3Add 1/2 cup salt to a pitcher of hot water. Stir to dissolve. Add 1 ½ cups of baking soda and allow to dissolve completely. Salt works as a catalyst in the cleaning process. Baking soda simply works to soften the water to allow the salt to work better.

4Pour the salt and baking soda solution over the tarnished silver. All areas of the silver should be covered with the salt solution. Allow to set until the water cools and the aluminum foil turns dark.

5Check that all pieces of silver maintain contact with the foil, as the process involves a small electrical current between the foil and the silver. Through an electrochemical process, the tarnish from the silver is transferred to the aluminum foil. Although salt and water alone will activate this chemical reaction, the addition of baking soda speeds the action.

6Remove the silver and rinse away salt residue with cool water. Dry with a soft cloth and polish to a shine.
.

The freezing jeans experiment was recently published on cnn and was proven to have worked. The bacteria level was just a low as washing them. Unfortunately it can do anything about the actual odor. I guess this myth is only half true?

Freezing or refrigeration doesn't actually kill bacteria- it just slows down their metabolic processes, so that they don't multiply/grow as quickly. If there's not much of a difference between bacterial load on washed jeans vs frozen jeans, I'd bet it's more likely that neither have much of an effect.

Don't waste your foil! toothpaste is great on tarnished silver (jewelry, silverware, silver whatever). I used to watch my grandpa polish our bowls and wares using just the most basic toothpaste. I'd imagine tooth whitening toothpaste could be abrasive but just plain ol' toothpaste works wonders. Just a tiny bit, rub it in with your fingers or soft cloth, rinse off and voila!

OMG, it's so sad that these rumors make it out there. Putting dirty items where we store our FOOD is a bad idea, for many reasons, and using a sugary drink to clean a toilet is even sillier. What do you want to bet Coke put out that rumor?

Soap and water, people.

It would help if companies were required to list ingredients on detergent and dish soap.

Who considers jeans to be clean after 13 days of wear? Am I reading this wrong?

I have the same doubt about the jeans freeze: I'm not worried about bacteria as much as traces of dirt and food stains! Btw if you wear your jeans for 13 days in a row, you probably won't worry about washing them 'cause you're a bum.

And I love the irony that this "myths debunked" post is getting comments about even more myths!

My husband freezes his jeans, and it works great! They retain their indigo color (8 months now and they still look almost new) and there's no bad smell. He spot cleans them to remove the occasional stain.

Our two-year-old calls them "chilly pants."

Silver cleaning remedy improved version: Place silver in aluminum foil (shiny side up) lined bowl; pour boiling water to cover and then add powdered water softener [Calgon works very well]. Instant results, no polishing, no abrasive rubbing - just SHINE, SHINE, SHINE

I've cleaned blackened silver numerous times in an aluminum foil pan with baking soda and boiling water (no rubbing!). However, this serves only to clean off the tarnish. Actual silver polish has ingredients that shine the silver and prevent the immediate return of the tarnish. Both methods have their uses.

what about the coca cola in lieu of drano myth?

My boyfriend also does the "frozen jeans" thing and swears by it because washing them repeatedly really does break down the fibers. Of course they need a wash now and again, but the freezer trick is good.

Also, you always put it in a plastic bag so your dirty pants aren't exactly rubbing up against your food. Not to mention that most things in your freezer are in bags and not floating around, right?

To get baked-on crud off of broiler pans, oven racks, roasting pans, glass baking dishes, stainless steel pots and pans, place item(s) in a large plastic trash bag, pour in a little ammonia, tie bag closed so it is airtight and set aside overnight. Open in the morning and wipe away the crud with a sponge.

Really!

Do not use this method with anything painted, coated with teflon or other non-stick, wood handle(s), copper, or cast-iron (talk about having to re-season!), or enameled.

So PLEASE - explain to me the the baking soda, then vinegar down the drain method.

Does it REALLY remove gunk? Or does it just fizz up in a fast reaction and look impressive?

I wouldn't use the aluminum foil method on anything of value. Basically your electroplating your silver with aluminum. You are removing tarnish, but can also be removing silver (http://scienceblog.com/community/older/1998/B/199801523.html).

As for drain cleaning, the vinegar and baking soda react and loosen the gunk in the drain. I've used is on minor drain issues.

For other green/less toxic ideas, Annie Berthold Bond's book is a good place to start (http://www.amazon.com/Better-Basics-Home-Simple-Solutions/dp/0609803255).

wouldn't freezing your jeans make your ice cubes taste weird?

I have used the aluminum foil - 1/2 cup baking soda (no salt) method for years. It works pretty well, unless the item is very tarnished. If that's the case, you may need to use a little bit of silver polish to remove the rest.

Can you just use a ready made aluminum foil baking tray instead?

I use coke to clean the drains. And tenderize meat. My husband drinks it. 0_0

I don't know if this is weird but I buff our stainless steel sink with flour after I've given it a good clean with baking soda and maybe vinegar. I love it when my kitchen sparkles!

I'm trying to wrap my head around the "jeans in the freezer". Even if it works, I think I would miss the fresh clean smell when they come out of the dryer:(

Who wears their jeans 13 days in a row without washing them? Gross. I think I'll stick with soap and water.

Use WD-40 on stainless steel sink. Beautiful.

I have heard about the silver cleaning before, but never got all the ingredients right. I just tried it out on a silver jewlery case that had not been polished for 20 years, and it looks brand new. I also put my Alessi Aluminum juicer, which accidentally had a go in the dish washer some time back, and got all tarnished. This method actually worked on that too, and I have tried almost all the tricks in the book (Vinegar, baking soda paste you name it). So thanks! :)

I've used Diet Coke in my toilet and it works just as well... It's really for stubborn stains that can't get scrubbed out.

It's 13 days after washing; I didn't go read the link, but I think it's likely that they weren't worn over those 13 days. Maybe. But if they weren't worn and the bacteria levels are the same, then possibly wearing them doesn't transfer much living bacteria, anyway. Jeans are not a preferred growth medium, I'm thinking.

Great tip with the silver - will try when in a pinch for time!!

The reason why people freeze their jeans has more to do with the type of denim it is. Usually Japanese denim is "raw". Go to the French store APC and look at their jeans to understand. Anyway, the raw jeans start to fit your body, crease, fade, etc. but only after months and months of wear and then finally you wash it so that you got as much use as possible from the indigo in the wearing down process.

I've washed my jeans twice since I bought them a year ago. They don't smell at all and I wear them almost every day. I'm loathe to wash them again, as they're already lighter than I'd like.

I've used the aluminum foil to remove tarnish without the addition of the baking soda and it worked quite well. Next time I'll try it with the baking soda!

The jeans thing actually sounds interesting -- you can freeze wool yarn or sweaters to kill moths so I can't imagine why it wouldn't work on jeans. I seriously doubt it would harm any food unless you'd been mucking out the barn and with the wool, you place it in a plastic bag first anyway.

I would like to add that spackling compound, ounce for ounce, costs less than toothpaste and does a far better and more long-lasting job when it comes to filling holes in walls.

Sometimes it's best to just use the right product for a specific job.

@Lunchy: I have to admit, my jaw dropped. I was not aware that there were people with access to laundry facilities, but who would wash jeans once every six months. Question: forget the color -- what about the fit? Six months of stretching out? I get 3-4 wearings out of mine before having to wash to shrink 'em back up.

Easy solution for tarnished silverware, which seems a big issue: dump your high-maintenance silverware. Who are you silver-platin', jean-freezin' freaks? (Tongue in cheek, of course.)

maybe there is a maximum limit to how much bacteria can actually be on a pair of jeans? 13 days or freezing doesn't matter - both leave the most bacteria you can possibly have?

Read "Half Broke Horses" for a description of long-term wearing of unwashed jeans that will turn your stomach. NB-the wearers did lack hot water.

This is the grossest thing I've ever heard of!
I do however, sometimes wash just the crotch area of my jeans. Turning them inside out when washing and using warm,not hot water, does help preserve the color.

If you clean yourself it's doubtful your jeans smell. As far as drying jeans to fit and the stretch out factor ... drying damages the "stretch" content of the fabric.

Reading the comments has been enlightening, but not in a good way.

Here are a few other options: Try using Tang in the toilet. Just let it sit overnight. If you have a ring - use a pumice stone.

Freezing jeans is strange, but there is a great way to use snow and sun to get your whites white! Just wet your whites and leave them out in the sun on top of the snow! It really works.

Coca Cola is the only thing that will get oil stains off concrete.
Using the aluminum foil method on silver does remove some of it, but not nearly as much as silver polish.It does not, however, give the same high sheen as polish and is best used as a pre treatment.
Good to know about coke and contact paper, which means it probably also removes label goop. Always good for label goop is peanut butter.
Vinaiger and soda release co2, and that may bubble up small drain issues, but it will not clear large ones (would coca cola?).
baking soda not only takes the smell from refrigerators, but keeps freezer taste at bay. Fill a do it youself teabag with some and put it inside for rolls, anything loose in a bag.
Baking soda is a good polishing agent for stainless steel.
Unscrew shower heads stuffed up with calcium and dunk in vinaiger. (Vinaiger does remove scale/lime buildup, which may explain the vinaiger soda reaction.)
Wrap Vinaigre soaked rags around lime caked faucets, etc.
Bleach solution in a spray bottle aimed at a shower wall kills and removes black mold. Add detergent to help remove scum. TSP (Tri Sodium Phosphate) detergent and bleach make a powerful cleaner for all kinds of awful dirty things.
Burnt pans, if you don't believe in Easy Off (a Nobel Prize for the inventor, please) can be saved by filling with a little water, sprinkling dishwashing powder over the bottom and bringing to a simmer slowly. Probably good to avoid fumes.
Run out of shampoo? Dilute dish detergent.

Here's an ancient way to get your linens white. Most of us won't be able to do this but, it's a historical fact. In European countries during the middle ages women would first beat their clothes against rocks with lye soap and then hang their unbleached linens over cotton bushes in the sun to dry to bleach them.

As for the jeans thing, I've a 4 yr old that always has mucky fingers no matter how often I clean him up. I'm not going to waste my time "spot" cleaning my jeans. I do wash them maybe once a month in cold water with very little soap, I smooth them out in the way they will be folded so I get the lines down the front and back of my jeans and then I lay them out on a clothes rack in my kitchen.
Why iron out wrinkles in things? Just take a hot shower with the wrinkled clothing in the bathroom near the shower. The steam and gravity will pull out the wrinkles.
I live with baking soda and vinegar as my mainstay for cleaning.
Baking soda will get stains off most counters if they are surface stains. (Google the type of counter you have as you may need to seal them every so often for this to work. Or the manufacturer may have other recommendations on getting stains off in a Green manner.)
I'm an Interior Decorator, when I put something into a person's home we ask how are these things cleaned. Why? The cleaning manner may make the much loved item a no go.
Denim is actually a hard wearing material, it's stretch now comes from synthetic materials, so if you're into green all the way...read the label of the jeans before you buy them...get a fit that's snug at first and no spandex (or whatever). Wash with very little soap and cold water, hang dry. This will preserve the fibers, not the dyes. To help preserve the dye colour use about 1/2 cup salt in the water, it will help set the dye, do this for the first 4 washings. Wash your jeans with like coloured jeans. Dark blue with dark blue. Black with black. Sounds silly but if you have 4 pairs of Levi's in the same wash type. The dyes released will redeposit back on the jeans a little and help preserve the colour without altering the dye colour much. Same theory (we've all done this.) 1 red thing in with the whites. What do we get? Pink things. As for freezing, people freeze batteries (debunked myth) to slow the discharge.
Note: Jeans were originally made from tent canvas. Denim is a highly durable material if it's pure without stretch additives.

The coke/toilet idea makes sense: I 'm a nurse, and we often use coke or diet coke (though I'm sure any cola would do) to unclog feeding tubes. And, yes, it is quite effective.

If you freeze your jeans and you think that they don't smell, I suggest you speak to some more sensitive friends. Give them your "clean" frozen pants, and have them give a good sniff at the crucial area.

I don't do laundry to kill germs - I'm not that germophobic. But smells are another issue. Pants sit on one of the most inherently stinky parts of your anatomy. Plus, fabric in general absorbs odors from every place you visit: restaurants, bars, the subway. ::Shudder::

(Yes, yes, I know that people used to wear the same clothes for a week at a time in the "good old days." They also used to have lice and bedbugs and, I suspect, incredibly smelly clothes.)

Mary

I wash my good jeans inside out in cold water and hang them to dry. I toss them in the dryer for a few minutes to remove any wrinkles. It helps keep the "stretch" from wearing out. As a woman, I can't imagine not washing my jeans. I would think that exercise and daily wear would create odor issues on the cleanest of women. No freezer for my jeans!

@Mary, I'm with you! ;)

Having serious issues with the as clean as jeans only worn for 13 days- Really?? Wearing your jeans for 13 days without washing is considered clean?
I was mine after every time I wear them.. I personally don't mind them fading with time. Isn't that part of the charm of an old favorite pair of jeans?

Actually the Coca-cola to clean the toilet does work. It has nothing to do with the sugar or "citric acid" It has to do with the formula that Coca-cola uses as a basis for their syrup flavor. When the base is transported, it has to be done so via a special carrier and with corrosive/toxic labels. Dr Pepper can be used as well but it's most corrosive in the Coca-cola form.

For it to work you have to pour a can in the water and let it sit for at least an hour so the base can eat away at the porcelain.

I'm just not buying the freezer jeans thing. Body oils, dead skin cells, sweat rub off on the inside. Plus, whatever gets on the outside, no matter how careful you are about getting food on your clothes, there's no telling what others have deposited on things that you're sat on or rubbed against. I will wear my jeans for 7-10 times before washing, as long as I'm not getting sweaty while wearing them, so I don't think I'm especially clean or germophobic about them. I can only see freezing working for jeans that are only worn for a few hours at a time and not daily: the ones that make your butt look fab and only get worn for special "look at my fab butt" events.

when i was a kid, my mother used to freeze antiques that she imported from east and north africa. we had an extra freezer in the garage specifically for her finds. as far as i know, freezing is a pretty standard method collectors use to kill bugs and germs in objects made of wood, cloth, hair, shells, and other organic materials. i'm sure the same method works for killing germs on dirty, worn jeans. however, i doubt it's a sanitary idea to put your dirty clothes in the same freezer where you store food.

I can't believe the number of people who don't wash regularly. My jeans feel dirty on the third day, if they make it past two wears. I can't imagine 13 days w/o washing.

Here's a radical idea: buy another pair

Okay, totally different trick (because the jeans discussion is grossing me out):

You can use peanut butter to remove pricetag residue! Just schmear it on there and let it sit until turns milky white (just a few minutes). Then clean it off as you would any other smudge. The sticky stuff comes right off with it!

**Try to remove as much of the paper part of the sticker as you can before you begin. The PB won't eat through that.

I really wish you would stop promoting the aluminum foil silver cleaning thing. As I said on the re-nest post on it, this is what a professional silversmith told me when I asked about it:
"We do not recommend the process especially with silver-plate as it cleans by galvanic action which the interaction between metals and chemicals. It works; however, the chemical process stays in the cells of the metal and keeps on working and corroding the metal long after it has been rinsed off. Sterling silver is safer to use in this process than plate as silver plate is a combination of metals which is a bad mix for galvanic action.We still recommend a good silver polish above and beyond anything else."

comments got a little TLDR but i did want to say that if you're trying to clean a large-ish silver something use a little toothpaste and a soft cloth or a soft toothbrush for intricate areas. then rinse it off in water and dry it. i have this really awesome silver tray that was practically black and in less than an hour it was gleaming!

As for your request for other ideas that work, use denture cleaning tablets to get coffee stains out of mugs (I had given up on getting the stains out of my stainless steel commuter mug), the white water rings out of glass vases, and more. Unbeknownst to me, a nail fell into a Tiffany's mug I had. There must have been a few drops of water in the bottom, because I discovered a rust stain in the delicate porcelain. One table from a box purchased at the 99 cents store: stain completely gone.

@sadiegrrrl - Toothpaste is abrasive and will damage silver. It is not considered a good choice for cleaning anything you value.

This is probably more of a cleaning tip than cleaning myth, but, putting on a rubber dishwashing glove and wiping it over upholstery removes pet hair fast.

Turn your jeans inside out and wash them in cold water. Hang them dry. They'll last a VERY long time this way. And I wash them after one wear.

Besides, my freezer is too full of ice cream and vodka to fit jeans in there.

Ice Cream and Vodka? We should be friends.

In reply to jarich's: "I wouldn't use the aluminum foil method on anything of value. Basically your electroplating your silver with aluminum. You are removing tarnish, but can also be removing silver (http://scienceblog.com/community/older/1998/B/199801523.html)."

Wouldn't that be electroplating your aluminum foil with silver (oxide)? [When you scrub w/toothpaste or something else, you're removing silver, too.] I'm definitely in favor of green cleaning!

I can't imagine my toilet getting so gross that I have to use Coke to clean it. Cleaning my toilet once a week with regular toilet cleaner keeps it clean. If we're talking about calcium build-up from hard water, then I can see the need to use Coke.

For slightly clogged drains, I use baking soda, vinegar and boiling water. Sprinkle in the baking soda, pour down some vinegar and let that sit in there for a few minutes - then carefully pour an entire kettle of boiling water in.

As for the jeans - I do exactly what someone else already posted: turn inside out, wash in cold water, hang to dry and then stick in the dryer for a few minutes to remove the wrinkles once they're dry (you can also throw in a damp wash cloth and a sachet full of lavender - gives them a lovely scent!).