Quote:
Originally Posted by
TheDreamthinker 
any other (simple) ways to wash a pair of jeans?
Is putting them into a bucket of water enough?
It depends on how dirty/soiled the jeans are and also how concerned you are with your personal hygiene.
Personally I don't sweat on my legs or typically get stains on my jeans so I only need quick hand washes in cold water and Woolite. But it helps that I have several pairs that I rotate so they don't see a lot of wear and tear. If you're wearing the same pair day after day you may need to give them more thorough washes (warm water, soaks, stronger detergent).
Are you trying to avoid shrinking, fading, or both?
If you let them soak, the color will bleed. If you wash in hot water and machine dry them, they will shrink. Even if your new jeans just touch water, there will still be minor bleeding of the dye. That's just how jeans are. I remember I bought a new pair of 511's and I tried them on, walked around for only a few minutes, and there were already denim stains on my socks. Jeans were designed to fade.