Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Bra Care



Now that you are wearing a bra that fits you properly, you need to take care of it. Sure, the nice bras that come in sizes that fit larger-chested ladies are more expensive than any old cheap 34B you could grab at Wal-Mart, but they are much better made, and if you take good care of them, they should last much longer, not to mention offer better support.

Washing:

  • Never machine wash your bras! Hand washing might seem like a pain, but it's really not that hard. If you machine wash your bras you will ruin them pretty much instantly. Do you want to throw away $50? I thought not. The only exception is sports or wire free bras that explicitly state that they can be handwashed. And never, ever put any bra in the dryer! Ever!
  • To handwash:
    1. Fill up a clean bucket or sink with lukewarm water and gentle or delicate laundry soap. I use one by Ecover, but there are lots of options. In a pinch, just use shampoo. I have heard that woolite is bad for bras, however.
    2. let the bras soak for about 1/2 hour, swish them around gently.
    3. drain the sink or bucket, refill it a few times and swish the bras around to rinse. If you are using a soap that is designed for delicates it shouldn't be hard to rinse out.
    4. Don't wring out your bras! You can gently press them with a clean towel or just let them drip over the tub for a few minutes.
    5. Hang them to dry.
    6. See? Not that hard.
  • Don's invert molded bra cups inside one another, it wears them out. You can store them stacked inside of each other.
  • Don't wash your bras after every wear unless you are sweating a lot. I wash all of my bras about once a month. (They have been rotated and each been worn about a week total.)
  • Have at least 3-5 bras, and don't wear the same one 2 days in a row if you can help it. The fabric needs a break or it will wear out much faster.
  • You need new bras at least once a year, or when you are on the tightest set of hooks. When you get there, your bras are 'dead' and not offering enough support. It makes sense to re-evaluate your size that often, too.

image via weheartit

2 comments:

  1. This is a super helpful post, I have recently invested in some new lingerie and want to make sure my lovely new bras last as long as possible. Thank you :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi, surely it depends on the bra? Why is it such a big deal not to machine wash? (A padded bra seems different to me than, for instance, a bra consisting solely of lace or cotton or gauzy material) I'm curious because, as the labels on my bras have always included washing information, I've always put them through the washer. Am I ruining them?

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