The Art of Washing Delicate Laundry

“Lingerie is my next love after clothing; I think it is what is worn underneath that really inspires a woman to feel beautiful in her clothes - that inner, secret glamour.”

― Alice Temperley

I agree with Alice—and then it comes time to washing that lingerie! Then I feel a bit more like Phyllis Diller who said “I've buried a lot of my laundry in the back yard.”

Ok, ok maybe not in the backyard, but I’ve certainly ruined my fair share of delicates over the years, and I am sure you have as well.

Washing delicates is certainly different than anything else. I guess it is because they are, well, delicate. I used to think I could just throw my bras in with my denim, but when I went to transfer my clothes from the washer to the dryer I was made acutely aware this was NOT working.

After many ruined bras, and the subsequent trips to Victoria’s Secret to find yet another perfect bra (that would get ruined the minute I washed it) I knew I needed to get to the bottom of this challenge. And based upon the growing impact my undergarments were having on my budget, I needed to figure it out fast.

I began where every modern woman begins: the internet. Researching “how to clean lingerie” and “how to wash bras” and found that there was way more to this than what I expected, let alone what I was doing. I was washing all my delicates—swimwear, activewear, and lacy lingerie—wrong.

So here you go. All my research in one quick, concise, and easy post so you can start washing your delicates and swimwear the correct way.

DELICATES:

What you need:

Mesh laundry bag. The fine-mesh bags won’t catch on the machine drum, but they will provide enough movement for effective cleaning.
Delicate laundry detergent. Here’s the story: your lingerie and underwear fit closely to your skin, so it needs to be something gentle similar to baby soap.
A soaking sink if you are hand washing or a washing machine with a gentle or delicate cycle.

How to begin:

Place all similar colors together, if you have a bright color like a red bra, you will want to wash this separately.
Put the bras, bralettes, and all the other lacy pieces you have inside the mesh bag.

Begin to wash (in the washing machine):

Put the mesh bag in the washing machine.
Be sure to use cold water, you never want to wash delicate pieces in anything above 80 degrees.
Always use a short cycle and set the washing machine on the “gentle” or “delicate” cycle.
Use your delicate laundry detergent, read the label for the amount to use.

Begin to wash (soaking in a sink):

Fill the sink with cold water.
Place like-colored items in the sink together.
Use a capful of delicate laundry detergent per gallon of cold water.
Gently squeeze fabric to work in suds, let items soak 30-45 minutes.
Rinse well and roll in a dry towel to remove excess moisture.

Pro-Tip: Only soak delicates for up to one hour. Soaking longer can ruin the delicate fabric.

Drying your delicates:

Never place your delicates in the dryer
Always reshape them and lay flat to dry

SWIMWEAR:

Washing swimwear is important, and if you are spending lots of money on beautiful pieces you want to protect the colors and fabric. You want to be sure you use a delicate fabric wash. It will help remove chlorine, salt water, and sunscreen from your swimwear.

Begin to wash (always soak in a sink or bathtub):

Fill the sink or bath with cold water.
Place all swimwear in the sink or tub.
Use a capful of delicate laundry detergent per gallon of cold water.
Gently squeeze fabric to work in suds, let items soak 30-45 minutes.
Rinse well and roll in a dry towel to remove excess moisture.

Drying your swimwear:

Reshape and lay flat to dry

Remember that the process of washing delicates is a bit of an art. A delicate matter (pun intended) and one that should be done when you are going to be home and have the time to do it properly. You need to watch the clock and quickly take them out of soaking mode or the washing machine once the cycle has been completed. Reshaping your pieces and laying flat to dry is critical to ensure a fabulous fit, maintain their shape, and keep the beautiful look of the pieces you purchased.

Follow these directions, and you won’t be rushing to the store anytime soon for replacement lingerie. The next time you buy the perfect bra, you will just be adding to your collection.

The real question is: How many pieces do you need?

My answer: Just one…more.