What’s the best way to wash lingerie?

Good quality lingerie today is quite expensive (pretty much like everything else!) So it’s important to get as much wear as you possibly can from your underwear, both sexy and everyday.

To start with, choose the best materials, like those used by Ulla Dessous. They choose only the finest materials and every garment is handmade with loving care and attention in Europe, unlike many cheaper items now which come from the Far East and are mass produced by machines.

So bearing that in mind what’s the best way to take care of your newly purchased Plus size lingerie?

Prior to washing.

1) Take care to read the label on the garment before washing. Some items can be machine-washed but very delicate items, such as silk and satin plus faux leather, really should only be handwashed.

2) You should always sort your lingerie by colour. So dark colours can all be washed together (red, black, blue etc) whilst lighter colours can also be washed together (white, ivory, nude cream etc.)

3) If at all possible, buy yourself a lingerie wash bag. Delicate items like plus size hosiery should definitely be placed in here prior to washing.

4) In addition, items with a hook and eye closure should ideally be kept in a separate bag. This includes corsets, suspender belts and plus size bras.

5) Both underwired bras and non-wired bras tend to have this form of closure so be sure to keep them apart)

These laundry bags are a great investment and can be used time and time again.

Hand washing.

1) If on the label you see this icon, this is definitely hand-wash only.

Washing Garments

1) Ideally leave the garments to soak in a little detergent for a short period in cold or luke warm water. (Be careful as dark colours in particular might run if left too long)

2) Always use a mild detergent that specifically  mentions delicate and hand washing.

3) Avoid rubbing the garments. Press down the garments and then allow to rise as this is a great way to remove stains.

4) If after washing, the garments still show some marks or stains, rinse with cold water and then repeat the whole process.

5) Line drying in fresh air is preferable but if this is not possible an indoor clothes dryer situated in a warm room will suffice. Never be tempted to use a tumble dryer on your delicate lingerie.

Lingerie in the washing machine?

Although it's not ideal and we would not recommend it on a regular basis, purely for the sake of convenience some women do prefer to wash their underwear in their washing machine. If that is your choice, here are a few pointers:

i) If at all possible try to avoid mixing lingerie with other items of laundry. Towels in particular, because of their heavy nature will most certainly compromise your delicates.

ii) Use the mildest detergent that you have access to. If possible, choose one that is designed for ‘delicate fabrics’.

iii) DO NOT use any additives such as stain removers or fabric softeners, as these are all chemical based and will certainly shorten the life and impair the quality of your lingerie.

iv) Choose the coldest wash programme that you can. 30° C should be the absolute maximum. If possible, choose the ‘wool’ ‘silk’ or ‘hand wash’ options.

v) As mentioned, a laundry bag is highly recommended, especially in your washing machine.

vi) If your bra or corset has a hook and eye closure, do make sure this is closed. If you don’t it will most likely snag on your other delicate items.

vii) If your bra has any adornments or jewellery attached, make sure this is removed.

viii) As soon as the washing cycle is complete, remove all items from the drum. Leaving them in there in the damp is also going to cause long term harm.

Drying lingerie

i) Never firmly squeeze your lingerie or try to wring the items out by hand. Just a gentle squeeze is more than sufficient.

ii) Without a shadow of a doubt the best option is to naturally air dry your underwear. If you can lay flat on a towel this would be absolutley perfect.

iii) Always gently shape the cups on your bras before drying.

iv) Another no no, is tumble drying! Your delicate underwear really hates the high temperatures that these machines operate with.

v) Bright sunlight and radiators are also best avoided.