Lingerie Care: Tips for Long-lasting Intimates

Raise your hand, if you are officially tired of your underwires stabbing you or fabric coming apart in the wash? Same, girl, same! But here’s the thing. While bras do have a shelf-life, you can actually prolong the life of your bras and other intimates. By taking better care of them! We typically don’t take care of our intimates as well as we should. As a result, they don’t last as long –-and one day your bra betrays you. 

First things first—you need to know when it’s time to replace your intimates. Generally, you should replace your bra every six months or so. Especially if you don’t have a wide selection to rotate between. If you have a number of bras (that you’ve cared for properly—more on that later!), then you can make them stretch longer. One of the main ways you can tell that it’s time to replace your intimates: when they are all stretched or worn out!

It’s easier to tell when your underwear needs to be dumped because it’s pretty obvious. They will feel loose and ill-fitting. Probably fraying at the edges and hopefully we don’t let it get to this stage. But holes are a good indicator it’s time to toss your panties or lingerie. With bras it can be a little trickier cause many of us aren’t wearing the right size. But if the back is all stretched out and no longer hugging your ribcage - let it go! You have to tighten the straps a lot to improve support because they feel too loose - let it go! The dreaded underwire stab, then it’s probably time to get some new bras.

Additionally, did you know that your bra size can change pretty often? No seriously! There’s no guarantee that a bra size that fit you perfectly a year ago will fit you the same way today. Ideally, women should get fitted every six months or so. But we know that isn’t realistic for a lot of women. Generally, just pay attention to how your bras feel—if you notice they aren’t supporting your breasts as well as they should, it might be time for a new bra and a new bra size.

And now on to some tips to care for and keep your intimates in good condition:

•  Handwash! Best suggested cleaning process.

• If you haven’t noticed by now, washing machines and dryers can wreak havoc on your intimates. Most intimate wear is made of more delicate materials and the washing machine can simply be too harsh for them. To wash your intimates by hand, fill a water basin with our Soak Laundry Care detergent. Let them soak for a little while, gently clean (particularly in the seat of your underwear to ensure they are cleaned thoroughly), and then rinse with water.

• Alternately, if you do want to use the washing machine, utilize our Mesh Bag. For delicates, its important to keep them protected during the cycle. But hand washing is always the safest!

• Invest in YOU!

• Intimates can be expensive. Buying cheap ones can result in faster wear and tear. Even if you are taking good care of them. The unnecessary tension, pain on your shoulders, back or groin area is not good. Additionally, having a range of bras and underwear reduces how many times you have to repeat wear (and wash). This, in turn, prolongs the longevity of your undergarments.

If you need to schedule an in-person or virtual fitting, contact us here.