Make Your Favorite Bra Live Longer: How To Take Proper Care Of Your Lingerie

Finding the best brassiere takes time and lots of effort, so obviously we want to make sure the garment serves us as long as possible. Apart from choosing the brand that is able to survive through multiple wears and wash cycles, let’s talk about practical advice on how to wash, dry and wear your undershirt.

Fitting a bra is a true art – to find that perfect combination of color, shape, size and style is an achievement every lady should be proud of. That is exactly why every acquired brassiere has two possible destiny options: to be tossed the next week and not ever worn again, or becoming the lady’s best friend. Since we all want to keep our best friends around as long as possible – that’s where proper care rules come into the play.

Don’t worry – we won’t be mentoring you about the necessity to hand-wash all your bras because they are so delicate. We understand that a modern lady doesn’t have the luxury to spend so much time caring for her underwear. So let’s be realistic: you may wash your undershirts in a washing machine, it’s no crime! But there are other important nuances that are worth keeping in mind:

Washing Frequency

Here comes the biggest surprise – there’s a 90% chance that you aren’t washing your brassiere often enough. Bra is the closest thing to your body and must be cleaned of all the oils, sweat, dust, perfume leftovers that it absorbs. Washing your bra depends on how often you wear it:

  • Heavy wear (7-8 hours per day, or on a very humid day) – wash every 3 wears
  • Light wear (2-3 hours per day) – wash every 4-5 wears

Machine Cycle

As we already agreed, you may wash your bra in a washing machine. But try to adhere to the following rules:

  • Zip the hooks and put the bra in a special lingerie bag;
  • Wash with same kind of items (delicate small pieces);
  • Choose slow spin cycles;
  • Combine the same colors and fabric types;
  • Add extra rinse option to the cycle.

Gentle Temperature

Cotton is the only fabric that can handle hot water, all the rest should be washed in lukewarm water. The general rule is – the hotter the water, the less soap you’d use. And on the contrary – choose a good washing detergent but use low temperature of water.

Soap

Bra fabrics are one of the most expensive ones: because they have to support and look good at the same time. That’s why the soap you use should be:

  • Alcohol-free;
  • Liquid formula;
  • As little fragrance as possible;
  • Neutral color.

If you do take time to hand wash your bras – then remember to soak it in detergent for not more than an hour to avoid fabric getting destroyed.

Drying Methods

In terms of maintaining the shape and elasticity of lingerie pieces, making sure the bra dries in a proper position is crucial. That’s why you should always avoid putting your lingerie in a drying machine at any cost – heat and excessive circulation will damage the fabric color and shape. There are two ways to dry your bra:

  • Simple bras – lay flat to dry on a bed or drying stand.
  • Bulkier models (full figure, corsets, sport bras) – hang on soft hangers in a well-aired room or on the balcony.

Storage Rules

Once you’ve washed your lingerie, it’s time to store it nicely in a closet. The main rule here is not to wring or twist the cups and keep the wires in place. And of course to have a system where you can quickly find the piece you want early in the morning.

Unless it is a wireless bra, keep your brassieres laid out in shallow draws like Victoria Secret stores do. This will eliminate the creases on cups and will keep the elastics from stretching.

Rotation

Elastics need time to regain their initial shape, that’s why experts suggest avoid wearing the same bra two days in a row. However, given that you opt for high-quality materials (and this should be a number one goal while choosing the best bra piece) – six to eight hours should be more than enough for an undershirt to be like new again.

We do recommend having at least 3 everyday pieces to wear – this will give you enough time for washing and provide freedom of choosing the cleavage and other model particularities.

bras drying on the clothesline

Following all the tips mentioned above you will have no problem with damaged underwear. Taking care of your bras shouldn’t be tiresome or expensive, that’s why most of them can be washed in washing machines. However, there are special kinds that will require hand wash (sheer or mesh silk bras, or even dry cleaning (stage bras with decorative elements).