cleaned gently, although machines aren’t always avoided. “Wash your bras on a delicate or handwash cycle,” Burke suggests. Use a lingerie bag to protect them while washing them with other clothes.
Wash sweaty sports bras after each usage to avoid germs growth. Were you putting them in the washer? Follow Burke’s instructions. She advised performing a “bra-only load” and hooking all your bras first to avoid snagging.
De Carle prefers handwashing and advises machine-washing bras at a lower temperature. “Pop it on a delicate program in its washing bag to give it a better chance of surviving a few spins,” she says. De Carle also stresses machine use’s environmental impact.
“We should value bra life and environmental effect before speed,” she added. To avoid wasting water during rinsing, soak. Handwashing saves water and is kinder on silk and wool. Standard washing machines require around 20 gallons of water every cycle, or 320 cups. Handwashing prolongs your bra’s life and helps the environment.
Letting the bra dry naturally will protect its life cycle for increased longevity. Air-drying bras would keep them in excellent shape” and avoid breakdown. Burke claims that “the dryer tears out the elasticity,” leaving the product unusable.
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How Do You Know If It’s Time For A New Bra?
Burke advocates donating a bra after its first birthday, but most women “keep them far longer than that.” Wear a bra on the first or loosest hook and eye while buying it. “It stretches with use and washing. Throughout the year, go towards the middle and last hook and eye. Stop using it once it’s on the tightest hook and eye and no longer supports you.”
Burke warns that the band provides most of a bra’s support. Thus, when that undergarment rides up, and the bra front no longer rests flat, its function decreases. When metal pokes through your bra, get a new one. If you find obvious stains that aren’t going away, including sweat stains, it’s also a good cause to eliminate them.
More incentive to ditch your underwear? A bodily change. Lifestyle, habits, and age affect bras. Pregnancy often causes a size or two increase. Bra sizes may need to be increased after menopause. According to de Carle, “It’s typically advised that a bra should last anywhere between six to nine months; however, I believe that, with appropriate care, your bras may last much longer” when biology is stable.
Burke advises on the right number of bras for a lady. She urges women to swap their three daily bras: one to wear, wash, and relax. Your bra wardrobe should also include strapless, sports, leisure, and special evening bras.