How Often Should You Wash Your Bra?
Don't mess with your most trusted friend.
15 June 2017
According to Redbook mag, an average woman owns 9 pairs of bras and out of these, 6 are for regular use. Now compare this with the number of dresses or shoes you own and you’ll have the answer to who, in your closet, is your most trusted friend.
We, women tend to have a pretty intimate relationship with our bras. We stand united in tough times (hello PMS), we care for each other (remember those bumpy rides?), we’re more or less consistent, committed and secure in each other’s company. Heck, we even talk, sometimes.
Your bras are more than just a garment and these babies need special upkeep. Here is a quick list of bra-rules that you should never forget.
Rule 1: Try to hand-wash, whenever you can.
Raise your hand if you've ruined a luxurious lacy piece by washing it in the machine? We all have.
Your mum, the lady at the store, the stylist — point is, everyone will tell you to wash your intimates gently by hand. Stay away from harsh detergents and bleach.
Always hand-wash your intimates in cold water. That's the best way to ensure they stay in shape for the longest period of time.
Rule 2: Store them correctly.
Yes, we totally get the satisfaction of taking off that tight innerwear after a long day of work but that doesn't justify you loosely hanging it in a corner or worse yet, throwing it on your couch.
You've got a closet full of clothes so don't tell us you don't have separate space.
You can buy drawer separators, or you can carefully place your bras according to their types. For instance, if you are storing a foam cup bra, keep them stacked in your drawer, but fabric cups such as bralettes are perfectly safe folded.
Rule 3: Wash them often, not every day.
This depends on your personal hygiene and lifestyle but experts recommend that you should wash your bra after three to four wears.
If it's a sports bra, make sure to rinse in in cold water after every use.
Rule 4: Always hang-dry.
While you may get away from the hand-wash rule, you will NEVER get away from machine drying them.
The extremely high temperature used in mechanical dryers ruins your delicates. The rule of the thumb here is to hang-dry them by the strap or lay them to dry on a towel, cups facing up.
Rule 5: Replace them every 3 to 4 months.
Once again, this totally depends on your usage. But according to experts, if you wear a bra on daily rotation then it's best to replace it every three to four months.
Saggy straps, loose cups or stretched out hooks - they're all signs that it's time to go for some lingerie shopping.
