Taking Care of Expensive Lingerie

This weekend I was looking at my expensive lingerie and other delicates and realized that the rules I learned for taking care of it may not be the same as the rules that are being pushed by experts. This is what I was taught:

• Change your underwear (bras and panties) daily.
• Read the label. Don’t take a chance washing something that says dry clean only.
• Wash real delicates by hand in a sink with cool water and a gentle detergent. This includes pantyhose.
• Do not wring the water out. Instead, wrap in a towel and squeeze the water out.
• Pretreat bloodstains with stain remover and cold water.
• If you wash in a machine, use a mesh bag. Fasten any hooks first. Use the delicate setting.
• Never dry in a dryer. Always let air dry.

Today I ran across the article How Often Should You Wash Your Bra? Experts Weigh In by Hana Hong. The experts she uses made the following suggestions – I found others.

• Danny Koch, brassiere expert and fourth-generation owner of New York City’s Town Shop, recommends every other wear, or by the third, maximum.
• Unless you’re really sweaty, Gwen Whiting, co-founder of The Laundress, says that you should wait every one to two weeks as a general rule. When machine washing, fasten the band closed and place in a Mesh Washing Bag to preserve elasticity and prevent tearing and snagging in the machine. Select the delicate cycle and use cool water. 
• Never use chlorine bleach in the wash. Chlorine bleach destroys spandex or any elastic fiber. Read HERE.
• All legwear should be washed by hand. Fill a sink with cool or tepid water; add a gentle detergent, and gently squeeze the stockings or tights. Let them soak for at least 30 minutes. Rinse in cold water. Wrap in a towel to absorb excess moisture. Hang to dry.
• A general rule of thumb is to clean a delicate item, such as a blouse, after every three wearings. If you need to clean a delicate garment worn close to the skin, such as lingerie, consider washing it after every one or two wearings. More HERE.

So my mom was right. Even though we didn’t have “shapewear,” we did have girdles as well as delicate blouses, and fancy bras. Thanks, Mom.