Knowing how to hand wash lingerie properly is important for maintaining its form and color. Your delicates deserve to be well taken care of, so follow these easy washing techniques to ensure they last longer and remain looking as sexy as the day you first bought them.
Keep it cool
Avoid washing your delicates in hot water as the heat breaks down elastic and shrinks natural fibres, leading to a warping in the shape of your barely there items. Silk intimates should be washed in tepid to lukewarm water, while cooler water should be used for bras, shapewear and other highly elasticated items.
How to get a clean wash
Hand washing can be as clean as machine washing - sans the damage to delicate fabrics, as long as you follow these steps.
- Soak your intimates in soapy water for a few minutes to dislodge dirt and impurities
- Apply soap directly to soiled areas and rub gently between your fingers to remove the stains.
- Rinse the garments well and gently squeeze out the water. Never wring them dry.
- Smooth the garments with your hands and hang them up to dry away from sunlight or heat.
- For items that hold excess moisture, lay them on a towel, roll it up and squeeze. Reshape the garment and leave flat to air dry.
Use gentle detergents
You don’t want to use harsh detergents and bleaches on your intimates as the chemicals will destroy spandex and other fabric fibres. Plus you don’t really want to have these strong chemicals lingering on so close to your most delicate body parts do you?
Instead, use a gentle wash that is specifically designed for lingerie such as La Blanc Linen Wash, or purchase a a gentle, non-chlorinated detergent made for washing baby clothes. If you are traveling, shampoo or baby wash will do the trick nicely.
Show silk items extra TLC
While you might be able to get away with machine washing lined or cotton intimates, throwing silk into the wash is a strict no no. You don’t have to send silk items to the dry cleaners if they are made purely of silk, simply hand wash them like you would your other intimates.
To get the excess moisture out, squeeze the garment gently – don’t wring or twist. Shake the item with a good, hard, whipping motion, smooth the garment out and hang it up to air dry. Use a warm-to-hot iron on the inside of the garment while it is still damp to get any wrinkles out.
Time saving hack
If you’re too busy to set aside time to hand wash your intimates, simply take them into the shower with you! You can soak them while you lather up and rinse them while you are rinsing off at the same time. You’ll get to savour a precious few extra minutes in the shower away from it all - and get a chore out of the way too!
Your delicates deserve to be well taken care of, so follow these easy washing techniques to ensure they last longer and remain as sexy as the day you first bought them.
This is the second of a two-part series on lingerie laundry. For more tips on how to care for your bra, stay tuned for our next care guide update.
