The Right Way to Wash and Care for Your Bras

photo by Michael Coghlan flickr cc sa 2.0

Let's face it, bras cost a lot of money. If you're investing all that cash in something you have to wear a lot, it makes sense to take care of it.

Should You Hand Wash Your Bras?

Make sure to wash your bras by hand, not in the washing machine, using a gentle detergent.

There are quite a few brands of speciality lingerie laundry detergents (which you can buy if you like), but they're really not necessary, unless you feel like indulging yourself.  I normally wash mine in ordinary Ivory liquid detergent.
Machine washing shrinks the fabric inside the bra (especially for t-shirt and minimizer bras) and will cause the wires to poke through.
If you absolutely must machine wash them, do it on a delicate cycle and use a lingerie bag.
Regardless of whether you hand wash or machine wash your bras, do not put them in the dryer!

Dry Bras in the Dryer or Air Dry?

photo by r. nial bradshaw on Flickr cc 2.0

Once you wash them, squeeze the water out (don't wring them!) and then lay them flat to dry. If the bras have contoured cups, reshape them and smooth out any wrinkles.

How to Store Your Bras

Once they're dry, put them away carefully.  Molded or padded bras should be stored upright, and stacked in a row.

Do not fold the cups inside each other, as this will leave you with bumpy or dented bras (not a good look).

Hook the back together and tuck the straps carefully inside the cups.

The reason for this is to prevent the hooks from snagging on the bra.  It also stops them from catching on any other clothes in the drawer (or another bra).

All of this takes a bit of time, but it's worth the trouble.  Your bras will last longer, and you won't have to replace them as often.

photo by Almost Michelle on Flickr cc 2.0

Non-padded bras should be folded with the cups inside each other, with the hooks closed (so they don't snag on the bra you just carefully washed).

Once that's done you can stack them side by side.

Or, if you have the space in your closet (I don't), you can hang them up on padded hangers.