How you care for your bras has a direct impact on the lifespan up to 3x and fit of your bras which has a direct impact on its fit and your health.
Your best, favorite foundational bras are the groundwork of your outfits. We rely on their staying power and structural integrity when we need it most. But, due to our own folly, those mainstays might not last or hold up if they are mistakenly ruined weeks or years later because you simply didn’t know better. <le sigh>
But, we do know better. So, here are the top 4 best-kept secrets on how to best wash and care for your bra:
1.Wash Your Bras In Cool Water, Never Hot.
Simply hand wash in lukewarm to cold water, always.
For highly technical fabrics, hot water can shrink materials and fabrics like cotton and ruin rayon, silk, and satin. It’s best to stick with lukewarm or cool water instead for this reason also.
Lastly, don’t let your bras soak for too long – 10-15 minutes is ample time to sit in soapy water. And don’t forget to rinse them and pat them dry. Never wring them out. Twisting the fabric could bend the cups and do more harm than good.
2. Don't Wear the Same Bra Two Days In a Row.
No, your favorite bra isn’t tired – but it does need its beauty rest to be its best for you for all of its days. That’s right. Here’s one of the best pieces of advice you need to know about: If you tend to wear the same bra a lot (we all have our favorites), always allow it to rest a day between wears. By following this rule, the day you let it sit will enable the bra elastic enough time to shoot back into the band, prolonging the life of the band and your favorite bra.
Instead, switch between different bras so that you don’t wear the same piece too often. We like wearing old ones in the back of the drawer we forgot about while letting our favorite bras rest so that we can clean out our drawer, too. After your wear, once a week, decide to keep, donate or toss.
3. Wash and Dry Bras with Caution! (Hand washing is your friend. Dryers are your enemy.)
Wash your bras in a sink, by hand.
For the newly initiated, add cool to lukewarm water to your sink or basin and then submerge your bra with a small amount of mild detergent or lingerie wash. Give ‘em a swish swish! After 10-15 minutes, rinse and drain. And, yes, lay to dry.
For the desperate to use the washer, it is... manageable. Grab a lingerie bag. Then, hook the band of each bra so it doesn't tangle and twist in the machine. Finally, turn on the *gentle* cycle, always using cold water. Use a detergent designed for delicates, for the best result. No sweat!
Just Say No, to the Dryer.
Never, ever do we put bras in the dryer. Sure, it may take longer than you’re used to but it will mean that you don’t put pressure on the fabric at all. It’s a small price to pay for the lingerie lasting.
Even on low heat, the dryer can do irreversible damage to delicate and sturdy lingerie alike. It can distort or wrinkle cups, and stretch out elastic bands and straps in eye closures.
Remove from the dryer and start by using your fingers to tenderly press out the excess water-- never wring or squeeze -- and let your bras air dry by laying them flat on a towel or drying rack. You’ll want the bras flat with the cups facing up. This way, the bras will dry on their own without any extra tension.
If you’re a hang-dry die-hard, you might want to try this lay flat technique instead every so often. That’s because hanging them by the straps causes tension, leading to stretched-out straps over time. And no one wants that!
4. Stop Washing Your Bra After Every Single Wear.
Every 2-3 wears is a good rule of thumb. We believe that washing your bra on a routine basis is essential. This doesn’t, however, mean washing the same bra, again and again, all the time. When you always reach for the same bra or two that you like in your drawer, this can become a problem. Then two bras you like turn into zero bras you like because you washed them on heavy rotation.
The key here is to invest in a solid variety of great-fitting bras that you love so that you can rotate your first layer on a daily basis. Buying duplicates of your favorite bra is also a secret trick we use!
So, are you guilty of any of these bad habits, too? Don’t worry – we all are offenders. Take the advice here, however, and turn your hard-knock life around by truly looking after your beloved bras with care, thought, and patience.
Once you get into the habit of treating your intimates well, you, too, will notice what a huge difference it ends up making in the lifespan of your go-to bra favorites.
And there you have it – a quick guide to #lingeriecare.
