Be Delicate with your Delicates

Washing Bras

by Marissa Zumbo, August 2022

We all need support from time to time. When you have breasts, you often need some extra support right around your chest. Yes, that’s right, we’re talking about BRAS – also known as brasseries, lingerie, bandeaus, undergarments, etc.

In order for your bras to keep providing support, you need to take care of them. They shouldn’t just be thrown into your usual laundry load. Most bras should be washed every four wears, or more often if you’ve been sweating in it. Sports bras should (ideally) be washed after every workout.

Look, it’s probably best to hand wash bras, especially expensive ones with lace and gems – if you’re fancy like that. But we’ll still walk you through two different ways to wash bras.

  • Soak your bra in about a gallon of cool water in a wash basin.

  • Add a tablespoon of detergent to the water and let the bra soak again for 5 -15 minutes.

  • Carefully agitate the bra in the water, making sure detergent is worked into the bra.

  • Remove the bra from the water receptacle or basin.

  • If you are using a regular detergent, rinse the bra thoroughly under cold water. If you’re using a “no rinse” detergent, you can skip this step.

  • Gently squeeze the water out of the bra, but do not wring or overhandle.

  • Lay or hang the bra to air dry. If hanging, hang the bra by its center, not the straps.

Hand Washing

  • Hook your bras closed and place them in a lingerie/delicates wash bag (this is a small mesh bag that will stop the straps and hooks from getting snagged or manipulated in the wash).

  • Place the mesh bag into the washing machine and add a small amount of gentle or mild detergent.

  • Choose a delicate cycle with cold water and click start.

  • When the wash is done, remove the bras and air dry them. Air drying is still best because the heat from the dryer can damage the elastic and deform the bra, making it lose effectiveness. Again, if you hang dry the bra, hang it by its center, not the straps.

*Bras could take a whole day to air dry, depending on material type and where it’s dried.

Machine Washing

No matter how great and gentle your machine is, bras are called delicates for a reason and hand washing is usually the best course of action. Machine washing will wear your bras out faster, but if you just don’t have the time or patience to hand wash, take the above precautions in order to extend the life and effectiveness of your bra.

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Sources Cited for Article:

https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/guides/how-to-wash-bras/

https://www.cnn.com/cnn-underscored/home/how-to-wash-bras

https://fashionista.com/2017/06/how-to-hand-wash-bras-in-machine