How to Wash and Care for Fine Lingerie

Now that youve brought beautiful lingerie into the house, surely youd like to keep it looking as gorgeous as the day you bought it.

Preserving your lingerie comes down to washing it correctly, whether it is a sexy bra or micro-modal. Although your washing machine may say Delicate Cycle, this is too often not gentle enough for your fine European lingerie.

Handwashing is best! Your bras will last for years if you handwash them and rotate how often you wear them.

It is easy to throw your bras into the washer on delicate with some Woolite and and think that you are treating them as gently as possible. Unfortunately, this is one of the worst things you can do for your beautiful bras!

Before you ever wash anything, consult the tags on the garment. The manufacturer knows best on how to care for the garment, as they made it. If you choose to care for it differently than the tag advises, be aware that you may have waived all rights to a replacement should the garment be ruined.

Always check for colorfastness before dunking your entire garment in the water. A good way to test this is to dip a corner in water, hang it over a clean, white cloth (that you don't mind possibly staining), and check to see if any dye drips off. Many dark garments release some dye when they are washed, but it's always good to be aware of this so other garments you might washing simultaneously are not tinted by the dye.

Similarly, do a spot check on an inconspicious inner seam or corner should you be using a stain remover.

Now that you've checked all your washing instructions and colorfastness, you can move on the washing.

First of all, Woolite is intended for wool only, not for other delicates. It says that it works for all delicates on the bottle, but it actually eats microscopic holes into your garments over time! Clearly, its not the best way to care for a Prima Donna bra or any other fine lingerie.

The best fabric wash to use is Forever New, which has been on the market for over twenty-five years. Forever New is an organic fabric wash which uses gentle ingredients to get your lingerie clean. They make a granule formulation, a liquid formula intended for darks, swimwear, and workout wear, and an excellent stain remover.

The second thing to remember is that the washing machine has an agitator, which is great for shuffling your clothes around so they are thoroughly cleaned, but not so great for your fine bras. Bras usually have an underwire (some are even specially engineered to fit your body just so), and as the underwire swishes around or gets caught under the agitator, it can bend, warp, and even pop right out of the bra!

This happens even if you put your bras in a lingerie bag. They still may become wrapped around the agitator and become misshapen. There is really no good way to wash your bras in the washing machine.

To give your bras the longest life possible, hand wash them in the sink. Fill the sink with some lukewarm water, add the Forever New and continue filling. Swish your hand in the water to mix in the fabric wash, and add your bras. Just like with regular laundry, wash like colors together. Swish them for a minute or two, let them soak a few minutes more, then rinse twice. Hang them to dry, taking care to reshape the cups appropriately if necessary.

Even though it takes a few minutes out of your life, its quicker than letting them go through the delicate cycle on your washer. Those few minutes will add years to the life of your bras.

Try it, youll be amazed at how your fine lingerie becomes a fine investment in long-term beauty.

Click here to view Part 1 of this article, How to Shop for Lingerie

Click here to view Part 2 of this article, Shopping for Intimate Apparel

Click here to view Part 3 of this article, How to Shop for Pajamas, Robes and Stocking Stuffers

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