I have had a lot of great feedback from you guys about my bra hand-washing tutorial, but it seems that so many of my readers are too darn busy to commit to this time-consuming process, and I’ve had countless requests for an easier way to do it.
I get it. Believe me, I know how busy life can be. I personally try to make time to hand wash, as I have seen for myself the affect that machine washing can have to your underthings.
Notice the difference between the white bra which has had many tumbles in the washing machine and my yellow Marcie which has only ever been lovingly hand washed – you can see how the straps have started to curl and distort strangely. This is just one outcome of machine washing bras. This is why I think, if you have the time, you should always make time to wash them properly!
I understand though that busy mums or working ladies will struggle to find or make the time to hand wash, and would rather have ten minutes’ peace than get their hands in a bowl of soapy water. Some ladies who have emailed me have even said they don’t particularly care what state their bras get in and would rather repurchase more often than have to hand wash them. I guess I can understand that mentality. We’ve all got different priorities!
So, for you (naughty!) ladies who would rather save a little more time with the weekly wash, I’ve put together my last minute bra washing routine – for the times I need a bra sharpish or I’m about to run out of the door but have no clean bras for the week.
For both hand and machine washing, I usually pick up the cheapest delicates wash I can find (I’ve found that the more expensive ones make little to no difference, but I’ve only ever tried one high street brand which was created solely for lingerie!). This time I happened to pick up this detergent called ‘Ace’ from my local Wilkinsons for just a pound. The Persil alternative was £3.20 and nobodygottimefothat.
The smell is pleasant and ever so slightly floral, but not overpowering, which for this situation is perfect for me. I just want my bras to me nice and clean and the thought of harsh, strong-smelling chemicals doesn’t really ‘wash’ that well with me.
It’s really important that, just as I mentioned in my hand washing post, that you don’t ever use fabric softener when you’re washing your bras. It doesn’t make any visible or tactile difference to the fabric and it plays havoc with the elastic, especially in the stretchy portion of the band and the straps.
So, when you’ve found your specialist lingerie detergent, it’s time to crack on with the job at hand.
I recommend always using a wash bag when resorting to washing your bras in the washing machine. It protects your bras, but even more importantly, it protects your washing machine! Those pesky wires are prone to popping out when machine washing, and the consequences of getting them stuck in your machine can be severe. Don’t take the risk and pick up a wash bag or two. I picked this one up today in good ol’ Wilko for just £2.
Then you just tuck the straps in and zip her up!
Once you’ve got your bra in your lingerie bag (this one seems to fit between one and two at a time), it’s time to face the beast that is your washing machine. If you’re anything like me you’ll have the buttons and cogs set to the same old position which you use for everything. I even tend to avoid buying clothing with any special washing instructions to avoid using this masochistic device. Even so, when washing lingerie in the washing machine I will never EVER have the settings for my standard 40 degree wash with a full term spin cycle, polys/cottons setting and 30 minute tumble dry. Ever.
I set the cycle to a ‘short cycle’. The way I see it, the less time your bras are in the washing machine, the better. Plus, bras rarely get heavily soiled or stained so it’s really just freshening them up to remove dead skin cells, sweat and other gross things that accumulate on the fabric. This doesn’t need the usual industrial-strength hour-long stint in the machine.
My washing machine doesn’t have a ‘delicates’ cycle, so I opt for the next best thing and have the lowest temperature easycare wash. I’ve not had any problems with this so far, but I know many machines have a special setting just for washing lingerie, or a hand wash setting, which may be better.
Lazy girls; if you take anything from this tutorial, please make it this: never EVER tumble dry your bras. I don’t care what anyone says, or whether or not you’d rather just YOLO it and repurchase a bra every week in order to avoid waiting for your bras to dry. Nothing good has ever come of tumble drying bras and it never will. The heat will ruin the elastic of your bras and it’s also likely that any delicate fabrics will eventually distort or disintegrate in the heat. Just don’t.
You’re fine to hang your bras dry with a hook or a peg if you are in a hurry, but make sure that the bra isn’t soaking wet before you hang them as the weight of the water will distort the fabric. My top tip is to pop your bras in the washing machine just before bed and that way they will have had a few hours to rest and drip dry before you hang them. Or, even better, leave them to dry flat on a towel on the floor.
Finally, just like with washing anything, reading the care label is really important when washing your bras. I’ve heard horror stories of girls washing their glorious silk delicates amongst their regular washing only to find out later (when the bra emerges in tatters!) that it’s a dry clean only garment. Don’t let yourself be that girl and familiarise yourself with your bra’s needs before you subject them to the enigma of the washing machine. I hate to keep harping on about it, but in my experience: whenever in doubt, hand wash.
