Little feels as luxe as fine fabrics up against the skin. In the case of lingerie, that sensation only adds to the experience of wearing the garment. Alluring details combined with delicate materials can make for unforgettable moments...moments where the furthest thing from our mind is how to properly clean lingerie.
Which is how it should be! But that doesn’t mean there aren’t other moments where we should be thinking about how best to keep our favorite delicates in good condition.
Knowing the ins and outs of cleaning lingerie will benefit you and your clothes. From saving money, maintaining good hygiene, and extending the life of your favorite pieces, properly washing delicate items is know-how you’ll want to have. This guide will walk you through all the best practices of how to care for your lingerie.
Step 1: Gather What You Need
There are a couple of methods to washing lingerie, but the two most common are washing by hand or with a washing machine. Here you'll find step-by-step instructions for each method. Either way, here are the supplies you'll need.
- Hand Wash
- A sink or tub
- Delicate fabric wash
- Towel
- Drying rack
- Washing Machine
- A washing machine
- A lingerie wash bag
- Delicate fabric wash
Step 2: Sort Your Fabrics
After finding what you need, sort your lingerie by material and then by color.
Separate by Material
Separating your lingerie based on the material is the most important step because trying to launder lingerie of multiple fabrics all together can dramatically affect your results.
Set apart items with lace, padding, underwire, boning (like a corset) or anything particularly fragile. Ideally, these items should be washed by hand, but they can be machine-washed with special instructions. Other items, like non-wire underwear and cotton bras, are a bit sturdier.
Extra delicate fabrics like silk, cashmere or leather could get ruined after just one wear; treat these individually.
Separate by Color
The next step is to divide your intimates into like colors.
When you’re washing clothing, especially for the first time, there can be residual dye that hasn't fully washed out of the fabric yet. These colorants can bleed and stain other clothes in the load. So unless you’re interested in seeing if you can turn your whites pink, you’ll want to keep your red underwear as far away from your whites as possible.
Step 3: Treat Spots or Stains
It’s natural for make-up, sweat, body oils and skincare products like self-tanner and lotion to show up on lingerie after wearing it. When it comes time to wash your lingerie, you’re going to want to treat these stains.
- Spot-Treating Silk
With fabric as fine as silk, it might be best to take it to a dry cleaner. There, professionals will be able to gently treat stains without damage to the garment.
- Spot-Treating Faux Leather
Faux leather is a versatile, forgiving fabric, so treating stains is relatively easy. Make a mixture of equal parts water and white vinegar, then blot with the solution until the stain is gone.
- Spot-Treating Other Delicates Depending on the stain, there are best practices for handling it. As a rule, if a stain is prominent, you can spot-treat it with a delicate lingerie detergent.
Let it sit on the stained area for about 30 minutes before gently rinsing with cool water. For tougher stains that persist after 30 minutes, repeat the process a few more times, until the stain goes away. You can also treat a trickier stain by gently rubbing in the detergent with a soft-bristled brush.
How to Hand Wash Lingerie
Once you’re done treating any stains, it’s time to actually wash your lingerie. We recommend washing your lingerie by hand, as it's much gentler than washing your items with a machine.
Hand washing with a delicate lingerie detergent is what we always recommend. Can you wash lingerie with regular detergent? The answer is no. Most regular detergents are too harsh for such fragile materials. Better to invest in delicate detergent that will help to keep your intimates in top shape.
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Hand Washing Silk
- Step 1: Fill a sink or tub with cool water.
- Step 2: Follow the instructions on the bottle of your delicate detergent and add to the water accordingly.
- Step 3: Swirl your hand around in the water gently to create a lather.
- Step 4: While swirling, add your silk lingerie until fully saturated with the water.
- Step 5: Gently massage the fabric with your hands in the water. Make sure to not scrub or pull hard, which can damage the weave of the silk.
- Step 6: Let soak for 30 minutes.
- Step 7: Drain the water and carefully rinse your garments with cool water until the garment no longer has any soap residue.
- Hand Washing Faux Leather
- Step 1: Fill a sink or tub with cool to warm water.
- Step 2: Follow the instructions on the bottle of your delicate detergent and add to the water accordingly.
- Step 3: Swirl your hand around in the water gently to create a lather.
- Step 4: Turn your garment inside out.
- Step 5: Add garment to detergent-filled water.
- Step 5: Gently massage the fabric with your hands in the water.
- Step 6: Let soak for 5 minutes.
- Step 7: Drain the water and carefully rinse your garments with cool water until the garment no longer has any soap residue.
- Hand Washing Other Delicates
- Step 1: Fill a sink or tub with cool water.
- Step 2: Follow the instructions on the bottle of your delicate detergent and add to the water accordingly.
- Step 3: Swirl your hand around in the water gently to create a lather.
- Step 4: While swirling, add in your silk lingerie until fully saturated with the water.
- Step 5: Gently massage the fabric with your hands in the water. Make sure to not scrub or pull too hard to strain or damage the weave of the lingerie.
- Step 6: Let soak for 15 minutes.
- Step 7: Drain the water and carefully rinse your garments with cool water until the garment no longer has any soap residue.
How to Machine Wash Lingerie
While hand washing is recommended, there are so many instances where it’s just not possible: Whether you don’t have the time, the space or the bandwidth to hand wash, the convenience of washing your delicates with a washing machine is within reach.
- Machine Washing Silk
Sorry, but you can't machine wash silk. Silk is an incredibly delicate fabric that's easy to damage. It's best to take it to a dry cleaner or wash by hand.
- Machine Washing Faux Leather and Other Delicates
- Step 1: Fasten any bands closed.
- Step 2: Turn faux leather pieces inside out.
- Step 3: Place your lingerie inside a delicates garment bag. For bigger items or lingerie with underwire, buckles or padding, place them in a special bra container for washing like the Bare Necessities Bra and One-Piece Saver.
- Step 4: Place your garment bags and bra bags in the washing machine.
- Step 5: Set your washing machine settings to delicate, with a low spin and cold water.
- Step 6: Add the appropriate amount of gentle lingerie detergent according to the label and the machine's directions.
- Step 7: Press start, and wait for the cycle to complete.
How to Dry and Store Lingerie
One of the most important steps when washing your lingerie is actually the drying and storage process. Luckily, these are the same across all types of lingerie, regardless of whether you’re hand or machine washing.
Simply hang your garments to dry, or lay your lingerie on a flat surface like a drying rack. If there’s a lot of excess water drippage after washing, place your intimates between two towels and gently press to absorb the excess water. (Do this before hanging or laying your garments flat to dry.)
Never use the dryer to dry your lingerie, as the heat will damage your pieces and ruin important features such as fabric elasticity. Or, in the case of faux leather garments, the heat could melt the fabric, rendering it unwearable. Let them air dry instead. Not only is it great for your lingerie, it’s an eco-friendly move that can help reduce your electricity bill, too.
