Bra and Lingerie Care Tips
Bra and Lingerie Care Tips

Bra and Lingerie Care Tips

They’re not known as delicates for nothing! If you’re investing in a gorgeous collection of smalls then the way that you clean and store them is going to make a huge impact on how long they last and how well they fit you over their lifetime.
Don’t worry, at Brastop, all bras are sacred and we’re here to give you a loving set of tips to ensure that your lingerie wardrobe stays looking fab for as long as possible!

Follow these handy lingerie care tips and you’ll be feeling like the ultimate domestic goddess in no time, and if it’s swimwear that you’re dealing with then take a look here at our dedicated swimwear care tips.

How often should I wash my bra?

How often should I wash my bra?

This one’s a hot topic and there’s a high chance that two women won’t give you the same answer when asked how often a bra should be taking the plunge.

If it’s not being used for high energy sports, where excessive sweat can be the cause of chafing or even boob spots (eww!), then, at Brastop, we recommend that you wash your bras around every three to four wears.

This is just a general guide, however, and if you and your bra have had a particularly taxing day then it’s also going to be time to do the deed!

Hand Washing

I know what you’re thinking… “Who on earth has the time for hand washing in this day and age?”. We might be tempted to agree with you, but for the sake of bra longevity, hand washing really is the best way to go.

This is due to the high temperatures within a washing machine that damage elastic, coupled with the chance of straps wrapping around other items of clothing and getting stretched and even getting the hooks stuck on the machine’s drum, breaking them off!

Hand washing is, therefore, the Brastop recommendation when caring for your lingerie.

To do this, first fill your sink with warm (not hot!) water and add in a small amount of ‘hand wash’ liquid or a mild detergent. Submerge your bras into the water and leave them to soak for around ten minutes, before rinsing them thoroughly with cool water to remove the soap. Finally, squeeze out the excess water gently and that’s hand washing complete!

Hand Washing
Washing Machine

If you must use a washing machine

We understand that sometimes, the last thing that you want to be doing in your spare time is standing at a sink washing bras.

While we’d always recommend our option A, there is a savior out there for machine washing in the form of the wash bag. This genius piece of engineering stops your favourite lingerie from becoming the sad victim of a horror story by encapsulating them and protecting them from the side of the machine.
Our Brastop brand washbag is suitable for washing three to six D-K cup bras at once. Perfect!

Once you’ve thrown your bras into a wash bag and chucked them into the machine, there’s not really too much more to it!
With regard to heat, we wouldn’t recommend going to more than 30 degrees and, as a bonus, if your washing machine has a ‘hand wash’ setting then it’s definitely a good idea to use this!

One final tip is to avoid fabric conditioner at all costs when washing bras, sports clothes and any other items with high levels of elastic. This is because it softens fabric, overstretching it and causing it to become too big.

Storage

We love a good storage hack here at Brastop! So much so that we have a whole section dedicated to the best ways to store your undies.
We do have some quick and handy tips available, however, to turn bra storage into a work of art!

First off, padded bras should never, ever be stored with one cup inverted into the other. This might seem like a neat storage method, but it is bad news for the internal integrity of the cup and it will result in a shorter life for your bra.

Instead, it’s a great idea to dedicate an entire shallow drawer to your bra collection, stacking each one into another. Not only does this save space and keep your bras protected, it also looks awesome!

Storage
Replacing Bras

When it's Time to let go!

Goodbyes are hard. We all know this. When it comes to bras, however, we do have to lay them to rest after a certain amount of time or we risk wearing one that is no longer giving our boobs the support that they deserve.

Detailed in our bra fitting guide, a brand new bra should be fitting you perfectly on the loosest clasp. Over time you can then move onto the middle clasp, and then the tightest one. Once the tightest fitting does not fit onto your back snugly, due to the stretches of wash and wear, then that bra has officially reached the end of its life.

As a general rule, a well-fitting bra should need to be replaced around every six to twelve months, depending on how often your entire collection is being rotated.

Bra Care & Storage