What is the best way to wash bras?

Question

I give Victoria's Secret a LOT of business. I prefer their bras for the quality and fit. That being the fact, if I am going to pay 40 or 50 dollars for a bra, I want to extend its life as long as possible.

Of course the tags all say "handwash," and I have actually done that before. With my hands. That takes WAY too much time, and I don't feel like the bras get clean. I used to use the handwash setting on the washer...but then I moved out, and my new washer doesn't have settings. Just hot, cold, and warm.

The washer mutilates them any way I try. If I keep it hooked, it ends up getting stretched around the middle of the washer. If I don't hook it, they all get tangled. And, just for the record, I never put my bras in the dryer.

What is the best solution?!

Answer 1

with all of my bras i wash them in the washing machine and then i just hang then on a hanger to dry bez i dont want them to shrink or anything. or where the material gets all bunched up.

Answer 2

in the washing machine in a pillow case

Answer 3

Go to the house wears  section at the local department store, find where they sell laundry baskets and ironing boards etc. They will have small mesh bags that are made for washing delicates.

Place  the bras in the bag and put in washing machine along with a load of whites, undies. Use cold water setting and the delicate cycle if available. Sounds like your having to use a laundromat now, for the machine not to have different cycle settings which also means you can't control how long the machine runs. If you can control cycle time, you should only run the machine for about 5 minutes. And like you said, never put your bras in the dryer. Good Luck!

Answer 4

OK Hand washing is the best way! Their isn't an easy way to wash things like this!  But if you are unable to do the hand washing this might work!  Use the Gentle cycle if you have one!  Let the Bras wash a few minutes then stop the washer!  Let them soak!   Remove them from the water while the water drains out on the spin cycle if possible!  The less you let them wash or spin the better!  Do not let them spin or wash the whole cycle!  Never put them in the Dryer!

Answer 5

If you really don't want to handwash them, then use a lingerie bag in the washer.  You can get them cheap at the dollar store most places.  The bag will help keep them from wrapping around the agitator, getting stretched out, or their hooks snagging other clothing in the wash.  Choose cold water and the shortest wash cycle time, since your machine doesn't have a specific delicate cycle.  Using a delicate laundry detergent like Woolite may help, but most of the wear and tear from washing comes from the machine, not the soap.  Also, drip dry, don't put them in the dryer.  Or at the very least, take them out of the dryer early so they don't overdry and use the lowest temperature setting.  Too hot and long in the dryer really kills the elastic and other synthetic materials.

All in all, if I paid that much for a bra, I would hand wash it in cold water with Woolite and let it drip dry.

Answer 6

My mom used net bags she bought at a general merchandise store (K-Mart, Wal-Mart, Target, etc.) that you put the undies in, then throw the whole thing in the machine.  I think they might be sold specificaly for pantyhose.  

I can see where that might get expensive.