Make your lingerie last longer by caring for it.

Friday, 25th November 2005

If you’ve just bought beautiful lingerie or hosiery you will want to keep it in the best possible condition for as long as possible. Follow our simple guide to underwear and stockings care.

The best possible way to prolong the life of your lingerie is to wash it correctly. Your lingerie is a delicate item with delicate laces or satin with intricate stitching to give shape and support so just putting it in the washing machine with all your other clothes is not the best idea.

Of course the best way to wash your underwear and stockings is by hand in a smooth bowl to stop snagging, but in today’s busy world this is not always possible and the washing machine is a better alternative.

Washing machines can be hard on lingerie and stockings as the drum mechanism can have sharp edges and slots that can cause lingerie and hosiery to get stuck or snag so to stop this occurring we recommend that you use a lingerie bag.

A Lingerie bag is a nylon mesh bag with a zip on one side which are available in various sizes for your bra, thong, briefs, suspender, and hosiery, indeed any item of underwear you need to wash. If you are washing large amounts of lingerie we recommend that you don’t overfill the lingerie bag but use several so that your underwear is washed correctly in the machine.

To wash your bra in the machine, make sure that you hook together your bra back to avoid tangling or snagging before placing in the lingerie bag. Wash your bra on a delicate cycle in cool water with gentle detergent or with specialist lingerie wash before allowing to dry. Do not tumble dry your bra as this will damage the fabric and underwiring thus altering the shape and support the bra gives you.

Washing briefs, thongs, suspenders should again be washed in a lingerie bag and the hooks on your suspender belt should be hooked together to avoid tangling as you would do when washing your bra. Follow the care instructions on the lingerie and if it can be machine washed you should put your underwear in a load with other delicate items. Set the washing machine to a delicate cycle in cold or warm water but never hot water as this can damage the elastic. This can also occur if you tumble dry your underwear so we would always advise line drying only.

Stockings should when possible be washed by hand due to delicate nature of hosiery. Hand wash your stockings in lukewarm water with a mild detergent or lingerie wash designed for use on stockings. After washing your hosiery hang your stockings on a drying rack and allow them to dry naturally as this will prolong the shape and fit of your stockings. If you must use a washing machine the use a lingerie bag as this will prevent possible snagging and damage to your stockings.

So follow these simple instructions and your favourite lingerie should stay looking and fitting better for longer.

Intimate-Secrets.co.uk – Lingerie, Your Intimate-Secret.