I have a serious problem with budget Australian jeans and it's only getting worse - is it just me?

Aussie who buys cheap jeans to save money has this problemREAD MORE: Designer Jeans brand goes bust 

An Australian woman who stopped purchasing designer jeans to save money has noticed an alarming problem with cheaper pairs of jeans.

And she isn't the only one.

The disgruntled bargain shopper took to Reddit to share her frustration about the embarrassing problem with her new, cheap jeans: they 'stink'.

Her old $200 designer brand Nobody Jeans would wear for a week without washing, but the new jeans get a 'really awful sour smell that persists even after washing'.

The offensive smell meant that she had to wash her jeans after every wear and wait for them to dry.

An Australian woman who stopped purchasing designer jeans to save money has noticed an alarming problem with cheaper pairs of jeans.

'This is problematic in a Victorian winter as jeans take so long to dry,' she said.

The smell only seemed to emanate from cheaper pairs of blue or black jeans and there was even the added problem of the dyes running long after being washed several times.

Redditors were quick to echo that they had experienced the same issue purchasing jeans from cheaper outlets.

Beware cheaper brands of jeans may be treated with harsh chemicals

One person 'sought medical attention' after the 'disgusting' smell of mothballs.

'It permeated my skin for five weeks,' she said.

The consensus was that the smell resulted from use of chemicals such napthalene which emits a kind of 'mothball' odor, as well as toxic formaldehyde - which is used in embalming fluid.

'If your clothing tag says wrinkle-free, stain-free, static-free, or the fabric has a strong chemical smell, it has most likely been saturated with formaldehyde' offered one who works in fashion manufacturing.

Formaldehyde is a part of some dying processes and is often used to prevent damp and mildew damage while clothes are in transit.

While it is classed as a hazardous chemical it can still legally be used to treat textiles with 'safe concentration' levels.

Another said that 'skinny' jeans can often smell worse because the elastin used in the denim doesn't allow odors to aerate properly.

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A few offered up cheap home-solutions such as soaking in baking soda before washing, or alternatively washing in vinegar.

People suggested putting the jeans in an airtight bag in the freezer could also do the trick and kill off the offending smell.

One was more vocal and suggested 'stop buying rubbish and invest in more expensive pairs'.

Another said to simply repurchase the original designer jeans on sale, mentioning that the complainants favourite brand of old jeans were now discounted to $74 online.

With the waste from so called 'fast fashion' becoming a serious global environmental issue, it doesn't always pay to buy something cheap.