How to care for your lingerie

The inner garments that we wear which is called lingerie cannot be washed like regular clothing. They need special care and products to be washed.Lingerie is usually made from delicate fabrics like satin, silk, lace or gentle cottons.

Do not simply toss your undergarments without reading the care instructions attached to it. Follow it to a tee and also read these following tips to help you care for those garments who remain so close to you.

1) Machine-wash or Hand-wash?

Hand-wash:

Since most lingerie is delicate, it is always best to hand-wash them. Fill a tub with water, pour in some washing liquid solution for delicate garments and then gently swish the garments through the soapy water.

For stubborn stains, apply the liquid detergent directly to the spot and rub it against itself.

Note of caution: Remove all rings and other jewelry so that they do not snag against the delicate material and lace of your bras and other delicate undergarments.

Machine –wash:

If you are lazy or don’t have the time to hand wash your under garments, pop them in a cotton mesh laundry bag that you will find on Shyaway , exclusively to wash undergarments in the machine.

Here are some tips to help you machine-wash your delicate :

• Hook the bras together so that the tangling gets reduced.
• Opt for a gentle cycle when washing undergarments and hot water is an absolute ‘no’ for delicate undergarments as it will kill the elasticity of the garment.
• Wash similar colors together.
• Do not wash undergarments along with other heavy garments like jeans or bed sheets as they might crush your bras and make the under-wires go out of shape.
• Straighten out after the wash.

2) Decode the label

The manufacturers of your lingerie know best how to care for what they have created. So follow the labels carefully. They are there for a reason and they are there to tell you how to wash them .

Follow the wash and care instructions as specified, or the symbols.

Points to take note on the instructions label :

• Hand or machine wash
• Temperature of water
• Drying instruction

So bear with the irritating aspect of having a label attached to your bra or underwear. Following this piece of label will actually help make your undergarments last longer.

3) Detergent

Use the mildest detergent that you can find.

Even baby shampoo works fine. Never use bleach or other strong chemicals on your undergarments as they damage the fabric.

4) Drying

Never wring the garments dry. It will ruin the shape of the undergarment. Instead pat them dry or take of the excess water by patting with a towel.

Never put the undergarments in a dryer, as it will bend and twist and ruin the shape as well as elasticity.

Even if the label on the bra says it’s ok to pop into the dryer, resist doing so as the heat from the dryer usually lands up ruining the elasticity over time.

Always line dry your undergarments unless mentioned otherwise on the wash and care label.

  

5) Frequency of wash

It goes without saying that the more you wash a garment the sooner it wears.

Bras : You will need to wash your bras every two uses that is of course excluding sports bras because you perspire in them due to which you have to wash them after every use.

Panties : I’d like to listen to my mother and say that a fresh set of panties should be worn every day.

Nylons and tights : You can wash them every third use. Never tumble dry them either as they might rip in the process of getting tangled up.

Remember the way you wash and care for your lingerie shows in the number of days they last.

So take good care of those garments that stick to you all day and provide them the care that they also give you.