How much fun is washing your bras? ...Loads!

How do you wash your bras?

​Sounds like a bit of a silly question doesn't it, as the obvious answer is the washing machine...where you wash the rest of your clothes! But did you know that putting your lovely new bras in the washing machine will actually do more harm than good? Let me explain why...

Although the bras are made extremely well and are incredibly durable, washing them in the washing machine will do a lot of damage in a relatively short space of time. If you check the washing instructions in the bra, the majority of the time it will direct you to hand wash, especially if its underwired. Some non wired bras do say you can machine wash them, so please always check the label first. 

The motion and the heat of the washing machine cycle will break down elastics, hook & eyes can get caught and snag delicate lace. Your straps can get tangled and mis-shapened and a moulded or padded bra might lose their shape.

Ever had the wire come out of your bra? This happens if the bra is washed in the machine. Again, the motion and the heat will damage the casing and the stitching, and then after time, the wire will start to poke through and then the bra will start to become uncomfortable.  I hate to break it to you, but even if you put your bras on a hand wash setting, or in a laundry bag, it won't stop them from being damaged. 

The good news is that I have some handy tips to help you! Now nobody likes to hand wash (me included!) but there are some quicker and easier ways to wash your bras.

​When I need to wash my bra, I will simply fill up the bathroom sink whilst I'm pottering around and leave them to soak in there with some delicate/hand wash detergent.

There is an absolutely lovely brand called Soak, who make a specific wash just for your lingerie! You only have to use a teaspoon each time, and you get 75 washes from each large bottle!

They have gorgeous flavours such as Pineapple Grove, Fig, ...and many more! They come in 375ml bottles, or smaller travel size bottles (18+ washes!) I've listed a few of my favourite ones below if you want to check them out! Simply click on each picture to get more info.

You don't need to leave to soak them for a long time, as they simply need a quick freshen up. I usually leave mine for about 10 minutes. There's also no need to rinse either - how fab is that!
​

Pineapple full size bottle 375ml

Fig full size bottle 375ml

Travel size bottle 90ml

​Another handy tip to save time is to take your bra in the shower with you! It might sound a little odd, but just hop in there with your bra, take it off and then you can wash it through with anything that you might wash your skin with (as it will be soft enough for the bra). I've borrowed this excellent tip from a lovely lady called Allison who owned one of the shops I used to visit in my previous role and I've never forgotten it! This works especially well with Sports bras, as you will probably want to hop in the shower as soon as you get back from your gym class, and it means that your bra will be clean and dry for when you next need it - voila!

How do you dry your bras?

The tumble dryer is also another no no I'm afraid. Again, the heat will melt the elastic, warp the underwire, might cause the fabric to pill and the colour to fade. ​Let your bras dry naturally. After washing, pat them dry with a towel (do not wring them out too hard) and lay them on a clothes airer. When letting them dry, try not to hang them from the straps as the extra weight of the wet bra may cause them to stretch.

If you look after your bras, they will last a lot longer for you. Generally speaking, a bra should last you about 6 months to a year, and this will depend on how well you look after it and how much you wear it! Therefore, it's a good idea to have around 3 or 4 bras on rotation so you have one to wear, one in the wash and one in the drawer!