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Washing your delicate lingerie can seem daunting, especially if it’s made out of a fragile material like silk or lace. However, if you’re going to invest in quality lingerie pieces (which can be fairly expensive) for your wardrobe, you definitely want to go the extra mile to keep them in the best shape possible. Which means, you’ll need to know how to wash and care for your lingerie properly to avoid ruining your favorite pieces.
Here’s the ultimate beginner’s guide to washing and caring for your lingerie correctly:
How to Hand-Wash Lingerie
Which Lingerie Should you Wash by Hand?
Because your delicates are well, quite delicate, it’s always recommended to hand-wash your intimates so they can retain their quality and shape over time. But of course, we don’t always have the time (or patience) to wash all our lingerie items by hand.
Though your most delicate pieces should be hand-washed, there’s a way to safely machine-wash the items that are less fragile. But first, always check the garment’s fabric care label to see if there are any specific instructions you need to follow. Before we start discussing how to wash your lingerie by hand, let’s take a closer look at which items need to be hand-washed and which items can be tossed into the washer.
Here’s a List of Lingerie Items you Should Wash by Hand:
- Sheer lingerie pieces
- Lace or silk fabrics
- Lingerie items with beading or ornamentation
- Padded or underwired bras
Your sturdier, everyday bras can be washed in the washing machine. However, you should always hand-wash delicate, padded, or underwired bras. When you place a padded bra into the washer, the rough agitation can either deform your bra or create lumps. Whereas a bra with underwire could get bent or twisted.
How to Hand-Wash Lace or Delicate Lingerie
Here’s How to Wash your Lingerie by Hand:
Step 1: Depending on how many pieces you’re washing, add 1-2 capfulls of mild detergent to a bucket or your sink basin and fill it up with cool-lukewarm water.
Step 2: Submerge your lingerie into the water and swirl it around gently to loosen up any dirt or stains. Leave your item in the soap water to soak for 10-30 minutes, depending on how dirty it is.
Step 3: When the item is done soaking, pour out the water or drain the sink, then fill it again with cool water. Place your item in the water again and gently swish it around to clear away the suds.
Step 4: Grab each item individually and rinse under cool water.
Step 5: After rinsing, lay your lingerie item flat on a dry towel and use the towel to pat your lingerie dry. With the item placed flat on the towel, roll the towel so it can soak up the excess water. Be sure to never wring or twist your item dry.
How to Machine-Wash Lingerie
About to toss your lingerie into the washer with your regular load? Don’t do it! Your lingerie items are much more fragile so you need to show them some more love compared to your everyday items.
Steps for Machine-Washing your Lingerie
Step 1: Place your delicate items (similar colors) into a mesh lingerie bag and zip it up. Be sure to wash different colors separately. If you’re machine-washing your bras, be sure to fasten the clasp first so they don’t snag on other items during the cycle.
Step 2: When washing your lingerie, always use a cold water cycle and set your machine to the “delicates” setting. If your washer doesn’t have this setting, use the gentlest cycle.
Step 3: Add mild detergent or lingerie detergent to your load. Adjust the detergent amount based on how big your load is.
Step 4: Once the washing cycle is over, remove your lingerie items from the mesh lingerie bag and let them air dry.
Tips for Machine-Washing your Lingerie:
- Hand-wash any lingerie items with lace trim to ensure it remains intact
- Use mesh lingerie bags to protect your lingerie during a wash cycle
- Avoid placing your lingerie into the washer with heavier fabrics – even if you’re using a mesh lingerie bag
- Don’t overfill your mesh lingerie bag with items
- Separate your light colored items from your dark colors
- Only wash similar colors together
- Avoid using bleach, fabric softener, or brightening agents on your lingerie items
- For silk lingerie, use a silk-friendly detergent that’s formulated for washing silk items, such as a silk wash
How to Dry your Lingerie Properly
To dry your lingerie items correctly, you can either hang them to dry or lay them flat on a drying rack. Never place your delicates in the dryer because the heat will break down spandex and elastic.
Tips for Drying your Lingerie:
- Remove excess water by patting your item gently with a dry towel
- Don’t wring out or twist your delicates
- Don’t use the dryer
- Never leave your lingerie out when it’s wet and crumpled
- Don’t rub silk when it’s wet
- Lay your lingerie items flat to avoid stretching
- Avoid drying your items under direct sunlight
- Avoid ironing your lingerie
Detergents to Use
Stay away from laundry detergents that are meant for heavier fabrics like wool. If you have an extensive lingerie collection, you might want to invest in a lingerie detergent, which is formulated with gentler ingredients that are ideal for washing your delicates. Though a lingerie detergent isn’t completely necessary, they’re less harsh on fragile materials and will help you preserve the integrity of your pieces. However, a mild laundry detergent will work just fine.
Fabric Tips
- If you’re unsure whether you need to dry-clean your silk garments, test the quality of the silk first. Grab the fabric with your hand and “crush” it. If your silk garment holds the wrinkles, then you should bring it to the dry-cleaners.
- If your silk lingerie doesn’t require dry-cleaning, it’s best to wash it by hand in cool water
- When hand-washing your lingerie items, you may use a delicate soap bar instead of detergent
- Avoid ironing lace lingerie
Conclusion
I hope you enjoyed this guide on how to wash and care for your lingerie correctly. Let me know if you have any questions!
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