Your underwear will last much longer if you take good care of it and handle it in the right way. A good bra will last for several years.

The best for your underwear is to wash it by hand and not in a machine as this tears the materials and can effect the fitting negatively. Wash your undergarments by hand to prolong their lifetime. Clean them with a mild washing detergent, rinse properly and hang up to dry. If you want to wash bras and briefs in the machine the least damaging way to do so is in 40 degrees and using a mild detergent. Coloured underwear should always be washed with a detergent for colours. For white garments you can use a detergent with optical brighteners, as it restores the whiteness. Never use detergent with bleach included, not even for white garments. Always follow the washing instructions. You should also avoid softener as for example sport bras include certain fabrics that can be harmed by this (thin and soft, breathable fibres). The great risk is that the pores in the fibres will be clogged by the softener and the breathable properties are lost.

If you choose to wash your underwear in a machine we recommend you use a washing bag if it’s an underwire bra. Otherwise there is a risk the wire in the bra destroys the machine.

Don’t mix tights with white synthetic underwear. All tights contain dye and will release some of it during washing, which white underwear can easily absorb. Underwear should always be washed separately.

It is best to hang your underwear up to dry. If you prefer to use a tumble dryer, do so on low heat. Otherwise you risk damaging the garment’s elastics. Always check the washing instructions first to see if you can use a dryer at all.

There’s really no hard and fast rule, and it all comes down to personal preference. Some considerations you may want to make are:

Do you have enough underwear to fill a load of laundry? Putting your machine on without a full load can waste water, energy, and detergent! Either choose a shorter cycle or “half load” option on your machine or consider hand washing if you really must wash these items separately for other clothes.

The most effective way to sanitise underwear is to add a laundry sanitiser to your wash in addition to using your regular detergent.