Chip Bergh, CEO of Levi Strauss, told jean-lovers not to wash their jeans during a Fortune Magazine panel interview on Wednesday.

Don't Wash Your Levi's

While speaking about the endurance of Levi jeans and their longevity, Bergh pointed to his own pair and revealed the secret to keeping a pair of jeans like new.

“These jeans are maybe a year old and these have yet to see a washing machine. I know that sounds totally disgusting. I know it does. But believe me, it can be done,” Bergh told the audience.

Bergh spoke adamantly about Levi’s commitment to sustainability – in terms of energy, product and their status as a company. Bergh was elaborating on a ‘life cycle assessment’ of a pair of Levi’s, which found that 50% of the water use involved in the life cycle of a pair of Levi’s occurs after the Levi’s are bought. In other words, half of the water energy spent on jeans happens when consumers put their jeans in washing machines.

“We’re trying to educate the consumers,” Bergh said about the water usage involved in owning a pair of jeans.

Alternatives to putting jeans in a washing machine include spot cleaning with white vinegar or alcohol and then air drying them, or even putting jeans in a freezer overnight to eliminate bacteria and odor, according to Good Morning America.

When asked how often he recommends consumers wash their jeans, Bergh answered simply:

“Not very often. If you talk to real denim aficionados, they’ll tell you don’t wash your blue jeans!”

Bergh is not the first to tell customers not to wash their jeans. In October 2013, TMZ asked Tommy Hilfiger how often he washed his jeans and he answered

“I never wash my Levi’s,” Hilfiger told the gossip website.