Thanks to the blog, I’ve had the opportunity to work with some of my favorite brands. Chantelle, a French lingerie brand, is one of them. I wrote about them here and also here about the 5 bras you need. Fun fact, they’re still my go-to brand several years later. On a more local level, I’ve partnered with Rigby & Pellar, a high-end lingerie boutique that’s known for its expert bra fitters. We did a fun segment last holiday season about gift-giving and I had the chance to pick their brains a bit during a commercial break. What I learned was SHOCKING.
With bras being such an important part of your everyday routine and how you feel, I wanted to share some common mistakes many people may make with their lingerie. How many of these have you been guilty of?
The 5 Mistakes You’re Making With Your Bras
1. You’re Washing Them Too Often
Washing a bra every single time you wear it may sound normal, but it isn’t. You’re actually speeding up the process to break down the fibers and elastic in the bras. Just like your jeans (which we chatted about here) washing them after a few wears is ideal. But let’s get real here, if you wore a bra out during a humid day for 12 hours, I recommend washing that bra as sweat and oils have definitely built up faster than if you threw on a bra for a few hours to run some errands. Oh and yes, you should be washing your sports bras every single time. Period.
2. You’re Not Washing Them Enough
The thing I was SHOCKED about when chatting with the fit experts at Rigby & Peller was learning that some women take tip #1 a little too seriously and NEVER wash their bras. You have to wash your bras eventually no matter what. But letting them go months without washing (yes they said they’ve seen it all!) is not smart. Bacteria can grow and may result in serious skin irritation. It’s a good rule of thumb to wash your bras after 2 full wears (see above on what’s considered a “wear”).
3. Not Handwashing Your Bras
Now that we’ve decided you should wash your bras after every few wears (let’s say 5 max, but it’s usually recommended every two wears), you should definitely be mindful of how you’re washing them. In a perfect world, you’d be hand washing your bras in your sink once a week with your fancy lingerie-intended detergent. But can I be honest? I don’t know anyone who does this. So let’s move onto 4.
4. Throwing Bras in With The Rest Of Your Laundry
If you’re not excited about handwashing (don’t worry neither am I) you may feel the urge to just toss your bras in with the rest of your laundry. DON’T. Bras are made out of elastic and usually delicate fabrics like lace that require extra care. When washing, the type of detergent you use, the wash cycle and the temperature of the water are all important. Using a lingerie detergent that’s gentle is the best way to extend the life of your bra. Plus, do them a serious favor and put them in a lingerie bag at the very least and make sure to clasp them before. If you can, do a wash with just the bras or any other delicates, on the delicate cycle in cold water with your fancy lingerie detergent and you’ll be golden. No fancy lingerie detergent? I get it, just don’t bleach them!
5. Rotating Properly
It’s recommended to have several bras that you rotate through. You don’t want to wear the same bra day after day after day and here’s why. The elastic in a bra is the main reason why they do what they do. So wearing the same one day after day takes a toll on that elastic. You want to literally give your bra a rest for the elastic to go back. They usually can settle within 12 hours or so, but it’s best to have a few to rotate through regardless.
