It’s laundry day and you’re cringing at the thought of trying to care for your intimates. Been there, and I’ve found the perfect ways to conquer your lingerie care fear. I know, it’s a hassle you’d like to avoid. Between the lace, the hooks, the straps, it can be an annoying and time consuming feat. While it may be tempting to just toss them all into a laundry bag and throw it in with your other laundry (not recommended), you are likely wearing down your intimates a lot faster than necessary.

Over the years, I've collected the best tips, from both personal experience, my wonderful mom, and professionals, that'll help your sexy undergarments last as long as they are worth. Here’s how...

Don't Wash Every Wear – Especially Bras!

Just like washing your hair, washing intimates (besides underwear) does NOT need to be done after every wear. Constant washing will break down the materials and fibers that provides support and shape, and will damage the structure of your lingerie. Plus, if you are using a normal detergent like with all your other laundry, the harsh chemicals in it will also add to the breakdown of the material.

Hand Wash, Hang Dry

I can hear your moans through the screen. I know it may seem like a lot of work, but when you spend a pretty penny on any intimates, hand washing and no machine drying will lengthening the wear of your intimates, and make them worth their price tag. Plus, as mentioned earlier, you don’t need to wash them with every wear, so set aside one day a week to make your lingerie fresh and clean.

In reality, it's not as labor-intensive as you might think. Simply fill your sink or bathtub or wash basin with lukewarm water and a cap full of delicate lingerie wash (or if you only have it, a very small amount of regular detergent). Gently swirl your bras and lingerie through the soapy water. Once finished, gently wring out the excess water as gently as possible! We want to avoid stretching those beautiful delicates!

If you have a drying rack handy, laying your clean lingerie here is a great option! If not, hanging from hangers in the shower or bathroom works great too. I would not recommend laying flat on a solid surface because the air won’t be able to circulate.

Detergent Dilemma

Special lingerie or delicates detergents aren't just a marketing ploy to make more money!! They were created because normal detergents are more harsh and break down fabric fibers more quickly. For delicate garments, delicate detergents really do preserve the shelf life. We’d recommend washes like Eucalan, Soak Wash or the Laundress!

Spooning Bras

Sounds silly, but arranging your bras so that the cups are spooning one another will prevent any crushing or curling of the cups beneath each other. No lady likes a curled, bulging bra. I can't count how many bras I ruined as a teenager because the cups got crushed and curled.

Worst comes to worst, bag it, baby!

I know, sometimes you just don’t have the time or patience to hand wash. Hot date, girls night out, whatever the rush may be, sometimes it’s necessary to do a quick machine wash. When the occasion calls, keep the following things in mind:

1. Bag ‘em, I highly recommend keeping a laundry bag around for these times, to keep your lingerie safe and sound, separate from anything that could damage.
2. Set your washing machine to delicate and cold temperature, to make sure the laundry bag doesn’t get tossed around too much and the water temperature doesn’t stretch materials or fade colours.
3. Be sure to fasten the hooks of any pieces that have them so they don't snag other items. This doesn’t just stop the hooks from being bent but will help avoid the pulls in other clothing as well.
4. Most importantly, DO NOT MACHINE DRY. The heat of the dryer often proves too much for delicate fibers and it can cause colour bleeding (YIKES).

There you have it! Put these tips to the test and increase the lifetime of your favorite lingerie pieces.