Dear Mary: I used to buy a packet of “blue jeans softener” in a store that has since gone out of business. Added to the first washing, it would make a pair of new jeans feel like they had been stone-washed. I can no longer find anything like this. Do you have a suggestion for softening new denim? I’ve tried extra fabric softener in the last rinse, but that didn’t work. Thanks! — Gail C., Florida
Dear Gail: I don’t know which product you used, but I’d like to get my hands on some of that, too! Blue jeans manufacturers use a fiber-digesting enzyme called “cellulase” to break down and remove the cellulose from the fibers. It leaves denim soft as though it was stone-washed. You can purchase cellulase capsules over the counter, sold as enzymes that break down indigestive dietary fiber. Readers have reported great results by dissolving one or two capsules in a bucket of warm water, then soaking the denim item it’s in. You will need to experiment, but just be aware that the cellulase eats fiber, so overtreating denim in this way may shorten its useful life by weakening the fibers. Cellulase capsules can be a little pricey, available online and also in a well-stocked drugstore. In the meantime, you can fill your washer with warm water. Add the jeans and a half cup of table salt (no detergent), allowing the entire wash and rinse cycles. That should start the softening process….