Lingerie Care 101

Prolong the lifespan of your lingerie 

Correctly caring for your lingerie will enable it to stay true to its original form for longer. The better you care for your lingerie, the longer it will serve you.

Keep your lingerie fresh and clean

Most bras should be washed every 1-2 wears, but sports bras, briefs and hosiery should be washed after every wear. Sticking to these guidelines will ensure your lingerie looks and smells fresh and clean.

It’s the hygienic thing to do

Underwear grips your sensitive areas for long amounts of time. Washing your lingerie regularly will help to kill any built-up bacteria.

Generally speaking, your lingerie should always be hand-washed. However, let’s be real, there’s not always time to show your lingerie this level of TLC. So, we’ve outlined five simple yet effective steps for both hand and machine-wash methods, and you can choose whichever fits your lifestyle best.

Step 1 - Remove jewellery

Sharp rings and bracelets can easily get caught on lingerie and cause snagging and ripping, to prevent this from happening you’ll want to remove any jewellery from your wrists and fingers.

Step 2 -Separate your Delicates
Group your lingerie into piles of similar colours for washing separately. This may seem like a tedious task but it’s so worth it, nobody wants their pink undies to become discoloured grundies!

Step 3 - Fill a wash bucket or bathtub with cold water and pour gentle laundry detergent into the water. Place lingerie into water
Cold water prevents the colour in your lingerie from bleeding. You can use lingerie specific detergent for this step, but gentle laundry detergent will also do the trick. Check the detergent label for the correct amount to add. Gently massage your lingerie whilst submerged in the soapy pool of clean goodness. Repeat this step for each separate group of colours.

Step 4 - Softly squeeze the water out of your lingerie

Be careful not to wring the lingerie as you could damage the elasticity resulting in drooping straps and loose under-bands.

Step 5 - Hang or lay lingerie flat to dry, never tumble dry

Lying lingerie flat to dry will help the garment keep its shape. If you hang your lingerie on a clotheshorse try not to use pegs as they can damage delicate materials. Keep your lingerie away from direct light or heat, and never hang them over a heater

The following lingerie should always be hand-washed as they are made with vulnerable materials and hand-washing allows for the extra love and care that you cannot control in a machine wash, Padded Bras, Lace, Underwire Bras, Hosiery, Suspenders, robes, Chemises.

Neatly storing your lingerie will not only make you feel very organised, but it will also help to protect your intimates.

• Separate highly embellished lingerie from everything else, that way the crystals and hardware can't snag other delicates
• Stack bras in your drawer one sitting behind the other, this will help moulded cups keep their rounded shape
• Never fold a moulded bra cup the opposite way to its regular shape, this will damage the moulded cup
• Lay your briefs flat so that they have room to breathe
• Drawer dividers are a great addition to any lingerie drawer, you can use them to group your lingerie by colour, occasion, style, you name it. Drawer dividers will save you from any tedious rummaging when you’re needing to get out the door!

The following lingerie can be machine washed however we always encourage checking the care instructions on the labels of your lingerie to ensure you are washing as per the specified instructions, Sports Bras, Wire-free Bras and Cotton underwear

People often remember to spring clean their wardrobe, but a lingerie drawer clear-out sometimes drops off the priority list. We all have a pair or two of discoloured briefs, hole-in-the-toe socks, and bras that have lost their elasticity. Chances are these items aren’t even being worn anymore (and nor should they) so get rid of them! Replenish your drawer with fresh, comfortable, and purposeful lingerie.

Love, Bendon Lingerie x