My Guide To Perfect Bra Care
The subject of bra cleaning is lately very popular in British press. The reason of the discussion is a recent discovery that an average British woman washes her bra once every 2 month period, after wearing for about seven times. Women prefer to buy a new bra, rather than taking special care of the ones they already have. What about the bras you already have? And more important – you already have and LOVE? The magic of maintaining your miraculous bra in a good shape starts from the crucial beginning – what you do after you stop wearing it! In order to prevent permanent staining or unpleasant odor on your bra, you should find an ultimate place for keeping your lingerie before washing it. The best option is to keep dirty lingerie in an airy wicker basket or linen bag for a very short time. It is very helpful to wash your lingerie right after wearing it, even if you are not going to wear it the following day. Your bra will be in better condition if you let it rest in a clean, fragrant drawer rather than let it lie in a laundry bag together with sweaty shirts and stinky socks. Especially you ought to soak your bra after every wear if it is made of spandex (elastane) – fabric that is commonly used for making bras. There is a general rule – the more often you clean your bra, the less it is dirty. Therefore, you don’t have to put too much effort in keeping it clean and fresh, gentle soaking will be just fine most of the times.
MACHINE WASH
If you have a bra made of cotton, polyester or synthetic silk, you can freely wash it in a washing machine. But you don’t want to murder your favorite lace or satin bra, which are better off in your hands. Bras with wires absolutely shouldn’t be tortured in a machine, as they may lose their shape or even break (and it is not because of manufacturer’s fault!).
HAND WASH
Always hand wash in cold to lukewarm water. This will protect the fabric as well as the metal hooks that tend to get damaged in high temperatures. Use little detergent intended for delicate fabrics. Soak your bra in the solution and swish it around. Make sure you don’t rub, twist or wring the bra! Rinse with clean water until you can’t see anymore bubbles. Instead of wringing or squeezing your bra, gently press the water from the fabric and remove remaining water with absorbent cloth. Dry on a flat surface, don’t hang!DETERGENT
Either you hand wash or machine wash your bra, make sure you rinse it well and don’t let any traces of detergent stay on your lingerie’s surface. This could irritate your sensitive skin or, what’s worse, turn the fabric yellow. It is essential to use a detergent made especially for delicate fabrics. You could use Soyelle – the detergent especially designed to wash the delicate textiles, lingerie in particular. It helps prevent from yellowing as well. My favorite detergent for washing bras is Woolite – gently treats silk and other “delicates”. Don’t be afraid to use detergent intended for washing baby cloths (like Dreft). Its ingredients are extra gentle and you don’t risk damaging the fabric or skin allergies. Old and good way of washing your bra is using soap flakes or solution for hand wash of synthetic fabric. Adding a softener will prevent turning whites into grey, but will cause yellowing of elastic bands. 
